Omaha daily bee., 1905-08-24
AMERICAN ENTERPRISES ABROAD
Cause of Failure to Hold South
American Markets.
Special Agent Hutchinson in Consular



American Markets.
Special Agent Hutchinson in Consular
Reports.
Much complaint is also made as to the
spasmodic character Of American enterprise
in the Brazilian market. A dull year In
the domestic markets of the United states
sends a food Of circulars and horde OF
commercial travellers to South America in
an attempt to get rid Of surplus product
Usually these efforts are fairly successful,
merchants here being induced by the eX-
cellence OF the goods or by unusually low
prices to enter into Americn connections
But the moment the home market shows
improvement, the American exporter grows
Indifferent and neglects or postpones atten~
ton to his South American orders. In
short, Brazil Is looked upon as a con-
venient dumping grounds in times of need
while the demands OF more regular trade
are neglected.
This complaint I find is quite as univer-
sal as the one concerning careless packing.
And In some cases the neglect takes the
most exasperating forms. For instance,
l was told few days ago by one of the
largest importers of goods from the United
States, a man who fully recognizes the
excellence OF American manufactures and
the possibilities OF development OF our
trade and who is anxious TO do larger
business with us, that he has almost des-
paired of increasing his American purchases
or dealing with any but a few Of the
largest and best-known American firms.
He told me of numerous cases in which,
after forming new American connections
solicited by the Americans themselves. he
had had his orders neglected, or his ship
ments delayed, for months or even aban-
doned entirely, with no more satisfactory
excuse Ito him) than that the factory was
too busy on other orders. Such con-
nections he naturally abandons at once
and for good.
This last complaint really strikes the
keynote of the whole difficulty American
exporters have not met with greater sue
cess here largely because they have not
made sufficiently persistent effort There
is not an importer here with whom have
talked whatever his nationality, who has
not told me emphatically that there is a big
trade awaiting the Americans the moment
they are ready 20 take hold Of 1t with
persistence and determination. But spas
modic efforts in the long run do more harm
than good. The opinion just expressed that
Brazil is ready to take American goods
in very large quantities as soon as the
American manufacturers are ready to
spare sufficient time from the demands OF
the home market to give proper attention
20 the peculiar needs Of the southern con-
tinent, is confirmed by the figures given
in my fifth report. There It is shown
that in spite Of certain handicaps. which
our exporters suffer, in spite Of the mad
equacy of our methods as outlined in the
present letter, our exports have suffered
less in the last ten years Of Brazilian de-
preston than have those Of any OF our
rivals, with the single exception Of Italy.
There is every indication that a relatively
little effort in the right direction will turn
our present decreasing trade into an in
creasing one. In fact there are certain
lines of our export trade in which there
is already marked improvement, and l
shall hope in my next report 70 present
figures which show what these lines are,
and TO examine the causes Of the salts
factory condition Of their export,