New-York tribune., 1905-04-17
GrOsOfb Of German Commerce.
ohW way or INNS country Compete
thorough Methods

---N'-S NAAs NhAneSe eHpiailc1 fh2G he wished
GOODS packed in yellow tissue paper. To this
the knglishrnan strenuously demurred. explain
ing that the goods would be packed Ia blue
paper. because that color was trade mark of
his house. The German heard Of Il ana saw the
merchant He figured what would be the cost
OF plant 20 make that paper. since his house
Kept none OF the sort wanted by The exacting
Chinese. The German came 10 the conclusion
that this would not be the last order from that
merchant. and then proposed TO him that for
one-tenth OF one cent per yard in excess OF his
former bid he would deliver the goods packed in
the yellow tissue paper. He got the order and
the merchant has since then duplicated it.
The commercial schools OF Germany are fos-
tered by the boards OF trade of the different
cities OF the empire. which make annual ap-
preparations and send to the schools the most
likely Of the employees OF exporting houses
Ihere are committees selected the duty OF
which is TO make regular inspections OF these
schools and in other ways 10 encourage them.
There are las chambers OF commerce in the
empire actively engaged in this work, and
prizes are offered for the highest class Of work
as shown by the results. In addition to this. It
Is shown 70 the young men who take the course
that they are certain of employment at good
pay for life. with the probability Of a partner
ship In their house within a certain time Every
facility is given the ambitious employe to better
his condition. and lectures commercial sub
Jects are given regularly to those holding minor
positions in the great exporting houses
There are fve grades TO these schools. ranging
from primary to university and some dealing with
special subjects. and 1t is the object in all of
them to thoroughly familiarize the student with
the details Of the subject which he has in hand.
There are now in the Oriental Seminary OF
Berlin five Chinese linguists who teach the
OT @1ao
distinct dialects OF Canton. Pekng and Shang-
hal Exact instruction is thus given in both
the theory and the ideographic written Ian
guage. A graduate from one Of these schools
is therefore started on his career as seller OF
German goods to the Chinese. equipped with
the language OF the people with whom he will
deal, and the advantage over his competitors is
tremendous.
Upon graduation the student is put into one
OF the factories and taught the work from the
ground up. He makes a systematic study Of
the raw material. and from that beginning goes
through every process TO the completion Of the
article and its shipment. Not detail IS over
looked. and at the end Of several years, during
which time they are paid a small salary, they
are sent abroad to exploit the goods they now
know how to make. II requires a long time.
but the Germans are a patient race. They are
Rware that II they know how TO operate every
piece OF machinery in their factory. just what
the raw material costs and what 1t will do when
fashioned into the completed article OF COM
merce. they can compete with any one. They
are able to compute to nicely the amount OF
profit TO be made az any set price. and they can
figure a sale down so finely that the shade Of
profit would stagger one not reared in the same
school, They have both theoretical ana
practical knowledge Of their business and when
they are sent abroad they make their first
study the demands OF the region where they are
at work. II their house does not make the thing
wanted it does not take them long 20 calculate
what machinery would cost 70 enable them to
make it. and II the cost IS in conformity with
what they think will be profitable undertaking.
they build the machinery and manufacture the
material desired.
An American or Englishman In the Orient will
roughly figure the cost Of certain article, set
his price ana then for safety's sake, ada OF
per cent The German does nothing OF the
sort He has had years Of training Ia the schools
and factories OF his native land, and he can
calculate to a fine point the exact cost OF the
article. He then sets his price, and it is gen
orally much lower than his rivals. He is pune
tiliOus In his obligations and demands the same
treatment from his customers. He is always in
the held. while the American makes intermittent
trips ana does not seem particularly TO care
whether he sells goods or not.
A striking illustration Of this lack Of American
appreciation OF foothold in foreign commerce
was recently reported TO the government by a
consul Some time since the representative Of
a large New-England shoe manufacturer visited
Central American port. and within day Of his
arrival had placed several large orders. Learn
ing that the goods must be packed in burlap and
not In boxes. he positively refused to have them
so packed and cancelled the orders He told the
importers that his factory had always packed
| in boxes. that they did not know how to pack in
burlap and that it was 700 much trouble any,
how and he didn't want the orders Had he
made inquiries he would have learned that the
difference in the packing a considerable
| item to the importers. The duty exacted is on
gross weight and the difference in cost to the
purchasers Of the shoes If packed in boxes would
have been 50 81 on every box. 1t shows that 1t
is generally indifference and lack OF apprecia-
ton Of small things that lose TO Americans the
trade they should have and give it to their
rivals.
Even in Canada Germany has made inroads
| that should make the American nation ashamed.
She has crept gradually into the trade Of that
country until now her figures show great gains
/ in expectations and small ones in imports. while
| the trade OF the United States with her neign-
Dor the north, although growing all the time.
does not by any means show the percentage OF
growth that has gone to Germany She increased
/ her sales In one year by 80 per cent, while in
/ creasing her purchases only Z per cent, the
United States gaining but per cent in the same
! interval, although our sales were eleven times
| as large as Germany's.
| America has been slow 10 recognize the neces-
| sity OF language a factor in her commercial
! development, but the war with Spain lent
! great impetus to this; great light dawned with
/ S1ne Of Phnninal Hawaii