Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-11

or a man who lives here. For this reason
/ prefer Brussels to Paris"
Leaving Mr.. de Clerq, I called upon Mr..
George w. silcox, the vice president of
the Belgian Anglo-American chamber OF
commerce.. Mr.. Silcox does an enormous
business in importing American goods and
selling them TO all parts of Europe. He
was about the first if not the very first to
found an American house on the continent,
and he might be called our first continental
invader. He came to Europe as secretary
of the Vienna exL osition in 1873 and in the
year following represented American in
terests at an agricultural exposition in Bre-
men. He said:
"At that time manufacturing Germany
was in the first throes of it's birth. The
Franco-Prussian war had closed and "A
empire was at it's beginning. There were
no factories. The German peasants were
blowing with wooden plows shod with iron
by country blacksmiths, their grain was
failed out and they knew nothing of mod
ern agricultural machinery. The Bremen
exposition opened their eyes and they gave
such orders for our farm tools that about
twenty American firms were established in
Bremen. l represented one of them and the
only one which has lasted to this day. |
did business there for some time, but when
Germany established its zoll v~erein, or
protective tariff combination, l came to
Brussels and opened my house hera"
What kind of a place is Brussels as a
headquarters for American goods?" l
asked.
ut is the best in Europe to reacn the
whole country, the cheapest place to land
goods and the easiest point for their dis
tribution. l have a big trade with every
part Of the continent. supplying ~agricul-
tural machinery and tools to Russia, Hun
gary, France, Germany, Spain and Norway
and Sweden, and the most of my goods pass
through Brussels. l can keep a ton of
freight a month in the government ware
houses at Antwerp for 20 cents. The Bel
gian government gives low freight rates,
and it expedites foreign business in every
possible way. Besides, living in Brussels
is cheap and the social and educational ad-
vantages are Of the best"
Tell me, Mr.. Silcox," said I, how an
American importer can establish a success
full business in Europe?"
THAT is not so easy" was the reply, but
there are certain cardinal principles which
must be observed, or failure is sure. The
American who comes here must learn the
market and the people, and he must deal
with them honestly and according to their
customs. 1t is useless to try to do business
here as at home. Take the matter Of cred
its. l begin to ship to my agents in De-
cember, and continue shipping until March,
My payments do not come in until May, and
they continue coming all the rest of the
year. ! have to wait from six to niT
months for my money, but at the end Of
that time my business is cleaned up and
that with a less percentage of loss than in
the United States. The English, French
and rma give similar terms Of credit
and the American who plans doing business
here on a New York cash basis had better
save his transportation, for he will not sue
| coed.
, LAS fol- me" continued the American i'm
porter, Il do all my business under my own
name. l make my own ayments to the
American exporters and all payments for
: goods sold are made to me, although many
l OF my customers think they are dealing
; with the factories through me. As far as
America is concerned my business is largely
. cash"
Il But do you hold your trade ?" | asked.
e Eyes, better than similar businesses I'm
the United States. I began here twent,- W
j years ago, and l have on my books many
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