Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-10-30

WHY A SRGSAak A&&Ehh w hU SvGht w |
 Japan Urges American Houses to
 Adopt the Plan = Obstacles Which
 May Be Readily Removed - Trade
 Methods Preferred by 0rientaIs.
 When Baron Kaneko was in Wash ington last spring, before arrangements for the Portsmouth conference had been made, he spoke optimistically of the opportunities for American goods In the orient as soon as peace should come, says the Washington correspond ent of the New York Post. His views are now echoed by an American agent recently sent to Japan to investigate trade conditions, who recently notified the department of the progress which American merchants are making there in spite of many obstacles, some of which may be readily removed.
 Baron kaneko placed emphasis on the fact that Japan and America need not be competitors in any of the main lines of trade, but might enter upon reciprocal arrangement of great ad- tdALdSC U CHGu. lC opSldSltS tO ulCu the special agent refers are not due to inferior workmanship or higher prices, but to commercial methods diff fering from those employed by the German and British firms to secure the business. He urges American houses to establish sole agencies in the principal Japanese towns and deal through them exclusively instead of picking up a customer here and there by correspondence. The seeming ad- vantage In getting foreign buyers to deal direct with the home office is en- tirely lost he says, by reason of chang ing prices there, due to foreign compe- tition, and more especially by dispo- sition on the part of some consumers to change their minds about purchase after they have sent the order.
 Orlentals like to see the goods for which they are contracting and take them at once if suited. They do not want to order one day and have to wait two or three months for a deliv- cry. They may spend their money in some other way in the meantime, or they may see elsewhere something they like better. In the latter case they are apt to take the article in sight and care nothing for the contract already made. This Is where the sole agent comes in to the advantage of American firms. If the goods ordered on contract are not accepted 1t is just as likely they can be sold to another buyer in a short time. ..- ...-. \ Another advantage of having an agent on the ground is the frequent ne- cessity for arranging a compromise in order to keep the trade from falling in- to the hands of other competitors. These brokers will arrange terms to suit the purchaser, who comes to an agreement because he is aware fhere are no elher brokers Of toe same 6rm i0 his towB and rhs 10 gei tnat parfic
 uar make Of goods or machines he must make bis arrangements right there. An instance is cited by the agent where an American firm did not adopt the sole agency plan and found, LO llN tlluI lnO AlutIiduS were fighting one another instead of presenting a united front to competi. tors of other nations The fact that both men were trying to sell the same American goods made the example all the more remarkable, since it showed willingness to sacrifice the market in the effort to land an individual com mission.
 Business in Japan has a social side, which is relied upon strongly by bro kers of those nationalities. They lnya- riably have a tearoom, where they talk shop with intending purchasers and not only advance their own wares, but casually interview their guest as to what other brokers are offering to do for him in the way of prices and ac- commodating payments. Reaching the native thus over the teacups. the agent learns of supposed defects in his goods. or if he finds the buyer has good ideas for improving the line the suggestions are promptly dispatched to the factory and the goods changed to suit the new demands. .E.
 The point of chief importance. how ever. is the assurance that the field is open to the world and that American firms can gain great part of the mar ket if they study the situation and do what their rivals are so ready to do to win Japan's trade. With the end of the war Japanese look again to the greatest comforts of life and will sup ply themselves with such foreign goods as catch their fancy and seem adaptable to their needs. When goods are wanted quickly American firms usually outstrip their competitors. At Kobe the imports from the United States in the first seven months in 1905 reached a total of about s20,nO0.- O00 The current years record is about $5.000.O00 ahead of British im- ports in the same period. Kobe is the industrial gateway of Japan. through which are received and distributed the bulk of her imports
 The best comment on the opportuni- ties In Manchuria for American goods is that many of these merchants make a speciality of limitations If American goods of high reputation offered under false trademsrks To overcome this trick the suggestion has been made to American firms 10 protect their trade mark with additional Chinese chsrac- ters. As soon as the natives learn the difference between the real and the