The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-29
FOREIGNERS TRUST AMERICANS
ENPERIENCE or 4 NAN JUST
mack FRON EUROPE.
Credit for Valuable I.accs Given by Brus-
sells >houkceper on the strength OF
Visiting Card Another Equally Trust-
fnl Found at Venice Never Swindled.


Americans may be easy marks for the
merchants abroad, said a man who re-
Gently returned from tour in Europe,
but it seems TO me that the vendors them
seves are somewhat easy from an American
point Of view. mean in the matter OF Civ
ing credit. | was amazed ut II.
From my own experiences l draw
the conclusion that any well dressed and
honest looking American can go into a
majority of the small shops in several
European cities and take away goods
valued at SlO0 or more without paying a
cent cash or giving more than his word
that he will settle his debt "a soon as a
remittance reaches him or even after he
returns home.
-Shopkcepers over there seem TO have
the idea that Americans are absolutely
honcet, and appear to be perfectly willing
to trust them for substantial amounts.
/ thought at first that my frank and open
countenance was responsible for the child
like faith with which my word was ac-
cepted. but friends abroad have told me
that the custom Of trust to Americans is
pretty general.
my wife and / went into a lace shop
in Brussels and bought little, but didn't
have enough money TO make the pur
chases that we wished. My wife told
the saleswoman that she would like 10
purchase more. but that she didn't have
the cash at the moment and couldn't draw
on her letter Of credit that day as the banks
were closed.
Madame must take the goods replied
the saleswoman. She may give US her
London address and send us the amount
when she returns there
But I haven't any London address,
replied my wife. That isn't our home, and
don't even know where We will stay when
We are there
'Madlme's New York address will do
MS we'll answered the ssleswoman. She
may send the money after she returns to
America
We'll that took me on my feet. Try
her. said 10 my wife, and she did
"She selected about SIPS worth of laces
handed over a personal card that might
have been her own or might not, and walked
out OF the shop with all hands bowling most
politely.
Now those store people had no earthly
way Of knowing whether we were the people
we said We we're, whether we we're good or
bad nav, or anything about VI, but they
Deliberately took the chance that we were
honest. OF course, we sent the cash as
soon ns we were able to draw on our letter
Of credit and we got polite note of thanks
enclosed with the receipted bill.
In Venice The same thing happened again
in n shop where we went 70 buy some
bronze= We wished to buy more than
we had expected and the same offer of I'M
limited credit was made and accepted
on the strength u personal card.
why those shopkeeDcrs are not swinde1
I don know T. would be- perfectly easy
for q slick American 20 work the credit game
an over Europe and sail FOR home with thou
sand- IF dollars worth ~ stur And IL
would be like taking candy from a baby,
because the slick American could never be
traced
but evidently nobody has tried the game
for one shopkeeper informed me that Ameri-
cans were always good pay