The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-10

again. / think can now answer it eof.
rectly. The United States has so many
mouths to feed at home that it is WON
derful market in itself. In filling orders
for home consumption our manufacturers
have been kept so busy that it has made
them more or less Indifferent to outside
possibilities. The present period OF pros
perity has tended to enhance this situa-
tion rather than relieve it. but" says
the reader, "have you not already shown
that the custom house receipts Of nearly
every port in the Antilles indicate that
American goods are in the majority over
all other countries combined? esYo
a bright travelling man from Boston to
answer 1t.
Time to Wake Up.
"There are certain lines of goods which
need no alteration in their manufacture to
make them eligible to foreign sale, and
for which there is a strong demand, that
have found a ready and profitable market
abroad with comparatively little effort on
the part of the manufacturers. It is this
class of stuff that has made the balance
| in favor of American trade. Provisions,
food stuffs, etc., are our leaders and
| have put us to the front. II these lines
/ were not considered the showing would
certainly be against US. And, unless there
|
part of American concerns, we will GER
| tainIy lose our advantage, for Germany
is, straining every nerve to overhaul us,
and she is coming down the stretch like
l2-year-old."
This clever fellow from the hub knew
what he was talking about. The things
we are selling our Latin cousins are those
articles which we can let them have with.
out any trouble to ourselvessin the way OF
CDecial DreOa ration or alteration to meet
their requirements, as well as job lots
that are undesirable for any other market.
Germany is pursuing an altogether differ.
ent plan of procedure. She is patting them
on the back and making strong play
for their good will. She meets their re-
quirements as if it afforded her the great
est of pleasure-no matter whether it In
to her immediate interest and convenience
to do SO or not. The merchants of the
emperor are looking to the future. They
are laying their groundwork for greater
things, and the wisdom of their policy n
beginning to assert itself in the most
lncontrovertible manner. Their balances
are gaining. The American business man
has leaned back in his easy chair and
ignored the prospects of the future ALI
this time he should have been out firt-
ing with his Latin neighbors while the adj
dltlon to his factory was being completed
AS much as we regret. to acknowledge It,
1t seems the Yankee-genius for trade
that he is-has not been looking any great
distance beyond the end of his nose. This
commotion about the American CONNER
c1al invasion" is, I think, the evidence Of
MIS- awakening. Last week I had for
several days as roommate on a Span.
ISL liner, a gentleman from Batavia N.
r Y, who is extensively engaged in the
manufacture Of pasteboard boxes. He ID
the head of his firm and 1 want him to
- tell his own story.
Going After Business
d II came down here to look over tho
: ground personally before sending out OUT
7 salesman. This is the first time an at
: tempt has been made to introduce our
: goods in this field. Heretofore we have
Z had all the business our plant could &C
. commodate in filling home orders, but
. We have enlarged recently and expect to
Z enter permanently into this trade. I did
not expect to even make expenses on this
:. initial venture, but I am getting orders
T. every day, and the trip is already ar
, assured success. When tell these fell
: lows I am the head of big American
!, manufacturing concern, and have come
Il especially to see them, they will hardly
believe me. They say that they rarely
see American travelling men and samples
let alone the heads of firms. Whatever
goods they get from the United State:
they are accustomed to buying from cata
logue through commission house.
find the foreign houses have been aftel
their trade, and stand well with them"
interrupted the gentleman at this point
to ask what country competed with hi:
particular line of goods He laughed ant
said: who do you suppose it is? 1t il
Germany, OF course, and it's competition
too tell you! The dealers have beel
so accustomed to receiving no considera
ton from the American manufacturer
that when 1 tell them I am ready an
willing to make anything they want AMI
to not only meet foreign prices, but t
go under them, they actually look at M
with suspicion. They are not accustome'
to that kind Of talk from Americans an
it takes some time to bring them to al
understanding of the truth OF 1t. an
going into the campaign in earnest, an
expect in the course of time, to haV
Made in U. S. A stamped on most o
the boxes used down this way.
Development Is the Theme.
Now that kind of talk has the RICH
ring to it. If there were more heads o
firms coming this way, it would not b
long until we had the Germans huntin
for cover. This territory is ours by ever
g, right but we have got to look after it
W. we expect to hold it. The wealth Of thes
be islands is in the sugar that they produce
~ and the United States affords them the1
cd only market. Inasmuch rs we are buyln
On from them they are ready and willing t
&c return the compliment, providing they ca
IS get what they want as cheap as 1t ca
al be procured elsewhere. The possibllitie
We of the Antilles are beyond calculation
u u In few weeks there will be trains run
~ ming through Cuba from Havana to San
:. 10 tiago, and that means the internal de
-, velopment and enrichment OF this fertll
~ island 1t means increased trade. Deyel
ne opment is the story everywhere. If Amer
~. lean business men will wake up and pu
- together and get after this business, the
can whip the Germans hide and hair.
10 10 they do not do something strenuous
~, 80 check the onward march Of this ploddins
40 nerseyering Teuton, he will one day hay
them out on very long limb. He WI
do things to them commercially that wi
make them feel mighty blue See if b
don't!
Frederic J. Haskin.