Waterbury Democrat., 1902-07-25
BLOWHARDUS AMERlCANUS

One phrase of the American invasion of Europe has not received much atten- tion in print, but it has caused a nota- ble lot of private wrath, has kept a goodly lot of dollars out of American pockets, and has done more harm gen. orally to American interests abroad than can be undone by volume after volume of consular reports and trade tips.
 The pest that does all this damage is human parasite known to science as the Blowhardus Americanus. Mem bers of this family can be found any fine day in the smoking rooms of Lon don hotels calling loudly for frye" and proclaiming to any one who will lend an ear that in only few months now England will be little one-horse col ony of the United States, and that the whole bunch of British business men will be put out to grass. He himself, he says, has come over with a line of goods that will make John Bull look seven ways for Sunday. He will not accept any orders under $1O,000.
 If there were an American Chamber of Commerce in London-and there would have been such an institution long ago if those interested had been able to agree on plans for it-profit could b ? found in the appointment of a committee to wait on citizens of the sort quoted above and have little heart-to-heart talk with them. The average English business man is an un- commonly reasonable being when he is not pushed along too<faSt, but once his StubborneSs is aroused he will sacri- flee his own interests to his pride. On such occasions he wouldn't buy dollar bills for sixpence each. Americans who are extending our trade so rapidly on the Continent are the men who in the homely old phrase say nothing and saw wood When such a man has ma chine to sell he is careful to underrate it's capacity if anything. He finds many merits in the foreign machines, but suggests that it might be worth while to set up one of his own make with an American workman to run it. just to see what it will do. He makes no predictions. but is willing to pay the cost of installation in case it doZen't prove satisfactory.
 Not long ago there was quiet, pleas dAt-fOlCSu, dlOtOSI iIlt1C 1Iuh W1o WCAA over to England and straightway cap tured a huge municipal contract for building an electric street car line. The preliminaries were all arranged and the contract was about to be sign ed, when a specimen af Blowhardus Americanus decended upon the town. "Ahav' says he, ''it was an American who got that contract! that's the way we do! we'll show you blooming Britishers thing or two before We get through with your'
 Indignant taxpayers hastened forth wit to the municipal authorities. "Why are you taking bread out of British mouths,' they demanded Sby giving this great contract to Americans who come and insult us?' The city fathers explained that the American firm had made much the lowest bid and had guaranteed to do the work in less time than any British firm had considered possible.
 eve don't care" said the taxpayers. "Either you throw out that contract or we throw you out of office We'll pay the difference in price twice over if necessary"
 That night the contractor laid hands on his 1oud-mouthed eompatriot, who departed hastily on the first train next morning. After a long, grim fight the American firm finally saved it's con- tract, but only after promising to em- ploy British workman and use British materials Wherever possible).
 There isn't an experienced, solid American business man in Europe to- day who could not tell similar stories, and who would not subscribe cheer fully to a fund for the abolition, not only of the American boaster in Eu- rope, but of also of the cartoonists at home whose pictures of weeping little John Bulls and other European repre- sentatives being humiliated in various ways by fat, prosperous Uncle Sans are copied with gleeful promptness by the European papers. It is safe to say that every such cartoon knocks off a good many thousands of dollars from American trade abroad. The more eff fectiye it is the more indignant it makes the very folk to whom we are trying to sell our goods.-New York Press