The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-08-28
United States Firms Which Open
in the Fatherland Bound Into
Immediate Success.
BETTER QUALITY OF FOOTWEAR
Consul General Mason Demon
strates That There Is Great
Field for American Capital
In kaiser's Domain.
The Republic Bureau.

i
| 18th St. and Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington. Aug. N.-Consul General
Mason, at Frankfort, reports the commerce
In American shoes in Germany for the
year 1900. as follows:
| THE advent of the American shoe in
Germany as factor Of noteworthy statisti-
cal record dates from the year 1900. During
| three or four years previous to that date,
Consul reports had pointed out the oppor-
tuntiy that was open and running to waste
| IN this country, and several enterprising
statesmen with samples had made the tour
OF the leading German cities and sold more
or less important bills of shoes to the lead
ing retailers But as these were retailed at
from 81 to $3.50 per pair. and as no practic-
able arrangement was made fof replenish-
ing promptly those small stocks when GER
tain sizes and shapes became exhausted.
these earlier ventures had little effect be-
You'd showing the German public the high
standard of finish and quality that had been
attained by factory-made shoes in Amer
lea, and thus paving the way for an imme-
date success by such parties as should
undertake the business on a large scale and
in the proper way.
IMMEDIATE SUCCESS.
ION the 9Th Of April, 1901, Messrs. Barth-
man & Co. Of Newark N. j., opened I'D at
the corner Of two principal retail streets
In Berlin large, handsome store, equipped
throughout in the most modern and i'm
proved American style. The stock en-
braced the work of two well-known facto-
ries in the United States, one of which
make exclusively mems shoes, the other ex-
clustveIy women's, all of which-coarse,
nne, brown. black or enameled-for either
sex, have been sold from first to last for
one uniform cash price. IS marks AS.
From the date of opening until the close
OF the year-a little less than nine months
this one store sold $500 pairs of shoes,
success so immediate and decisive that the
eStaplishments, viz, in Frankfort and in
Hamburg, where expensive but spacious
and attractive premises were leased in new
districts Of both cities. fhe frankfort store
was opened March ]. 1902, and the one at
Hamburg on the LIST Of October of the same
year. The sales Of the three establish
ments during the year, in which the Berlin
house was open twelve months, the one at
frankfort ten months and the store at
pairs: From January l to July Is, 1sO3-a
fortnight more than six months-they have
sold 54.4o0 pairs Of shoes. and the business
shows steady, normal increase, the sales
OF any given month exceeding those Of the
corresponding month of the preceding year
by 70 to 30 per cent.
iigent, well-planned and executed effort on
the part Of the American shoe industry to
work the German market. On the LIST of
September this year another large shoe
store will be opened on F'riedrichstrasse in
Berlin by an American firm, which is en-
gagged here in another line Of retail bust
ness, but which has been led by observation
OF existing conditions to embark in the
new enterprise.
GERMANS IMPROVE
Besides these there are perhaps dozen
leading retailers who keep in their show
windows and to some extent on their
shelves a more or less meager, but well |
chosen. stock OF American made shoes. But
as a rule such dealers are specially inter-
ested in the sale Of German or Austrian |
made footwear. and keep in sight just suf- |
fcient American made goods to hold their |
customers, who ask for them and who |
might otherwise wander. as many have in
Iced done. to the exclusively American shoe |
stores
Meanwhile. the German manufacturers, |
many OF whom use the most improved |
American shoe machinery, and have copied, |
10 tar as possible. under existing labor and |
'ther conditions the factory methods which |
improve their standard Of production. both |
n respect to finish and durability. They !
ave adopted to some extent the broad.
ow-heeled. comfortable forms which are
low made and worn in the United States. |
The result. which has been easy to foresee |
Turing the last five years, has been grad |
tally developing. the day coming nearer
'tantially provide for its own home mar
ret"