The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1904-01-28
OUR TRADE
WITH CHINA

Consul General John Goodnou of Sbara
han China, delivered businesslike adj
dress last evening before the member, .,
the Chamber of Commerce. His subieot
bore on the political and commercial rala
tons now existing between the Irnited
States and China. His address was nroo.
teal. Mr.. Goodnow stated how the
american business men can be more suc.
cessful IN advancing their trade in tbo
ORIENT and especially with China
Among other things, the speaker said
that the Pacific coast merchants mus+ a.
more advertising ITO get the trodo &c
the ohlnese people, he said. "the mer.
chant must advertise. The amount of ad
Vertlslng OF one kind and anotbar +b,.
Is done now IN comparison to what ,voe
uohe a few years ago is amazing IA
get business there successfully Won mus+
nave American agents who unG,rsta,,S
WHAT you nave to sell and how ,-ou W.,
W sell IL. IL you cannot afford tho a,,
pehse OF an agent, have at least ~,
american representative IN some -
chant or hrm. Don't deal with some otba,.
nationality. The line of nationalitv ~ one
eIosG there 1t an agent gets into anv
otouole' the defendant is entitled to his
OWL OWL court and his own law. The Ger.
ll"i' therefore,, trades with the German
All nations follow this course more strict
~ than do we, and they profit bv if
lie also related several instances Sho,,,
ing the popularity of Chinese merchants
lhey are great sticklers for form and
When they send an order for goods tna,,
expect that 1t will be filled exactly as
they order. DIS
I'm dealing with the Oriental" contin.
ued Mr. Goodnow, send him absolutely
What ne orders, even being particular in
the matter of wrapping Daper. 7 have
known OF heavy losses because the nack-
ages were not properly wrapped. In one
case l knew an American merchant who
lost 500 in handkerchiefs. He Thought
ne would do the right thing by inserting
the chinese symbols of good luck in the
corner of each handkerchief. He lost
on the venture; no Chinaman will blow
ms nose on good luck. Another man lost
heavily because he sent screws wrapped in
yeHoW, paper when he was instructed to
send them wrapped in red,
Referring to the American restriction of
Chinese immigration, Mr.. Goodnow thinks
there should be change. In speaking of
this, he said:
Il do not believe in letting coolies into
this country. We cannot afford to do il.
We don't want our labor cheapened But
there is another class of Chinese that
we cannot afford to keep out. The edu-
Gated young men who desire training in
our colleges and universities should be |
admitted. 1t is important to our trade |
relations in China that they should be. 1t |
is possible for them to come. but our
customs regulations are so ANNOYING and
so embarrassing that many of them 90
to Europe instead.
81 myself know of so young men who |
went to Europe last year rather than sub |
init to the humiliation that our strict |
regulations would involve. | know Of one
graduate of Yale who had returned to his |
native country. but who desired to return |
here to take a postgraduate course in the |
Johns Hopkins university. He could sneak |
English as well as any of us, and yet |
because of some slight irregularity in his |
papers he was sent home at San Fran |
cisco.
GIN protesting against our relations, | |
am pleading for our influence in China. If |
our influence is to continue to spread, |
we must allow these educated young men |
to come here. without personal humilia- |
ton and ndignity, in order that they may |
continue the spread of American ideas in |
China"
After the address the members of the |
Chamber of Commerce and others who |
were present were entertained at a |
smoker