New-York tribune., 1906-11-21

Il
tries reached the stage of stability in govern
Inent ana security Tor property necessary to
| their Industrial development.
HOW TO GET SOUTH AMERICAN TRADE.
Now, however, the time has come both North
and South America have grown UP to Blaine $
| policy; the production the trade. the capital
| the enterprise of the United States have before
them the opportunity to follow and they are
free to follow, the pathway marked out by the
farsghted craftsmanship of Blaine for the
growth OF America. North and South. In the
peaceful prosperity of mighty commerce.
To utilize this opportunity certain practical
things must be done. For the most part these
things must be done by multitude Of indi-
v1dual efforts: they cannot be done by govern
ment. Government may help to furnish facili-
ties for the doing of them but the facilities will
be useless unless used by individuals; they can
not be done by resolutions of this any other
commercial body; resolutions are useless un-
less they stir individual business men to action
In their own business affairs. The things need
ed have been fully and specifically set forth in
many reports Of efficient consuls and of highly
competent agents of the Department of Com
merce and they have been described in countless
newspapers and magazine articles; but all these
things are worthless unless they are followed
by Individual action I will indicate some of the
matters to which every producer and merchant
who desires South American trade should pay
attention:
Ffrst-He should learn what the South Ameri-
cans want and conform his product to their
wants IL they think they need heavy castings,
. he should give them heavy castings, and not eX-
pect them to buy light ones because he thinks
they are better. If they want coarse cottons. he
should give them coarse cottons and not expect
day. but ii will pay tomorrow The tendency to
standardiZe articles of manufacture may reduce
the cost and promote convenience. but If the
consumers on the River Plate demand a different
standard from the consumers on the Mississippi,
you must have two standards or lose one market
Second-Both for the purpose of learning what
the South American people want and of securing
their attention to your goods you must have
agents who speak the Spanish Portuguese
language. For this there are two reasons-one
Is that people can seldom really get at each
others minds through an interpreter and the
other is that nine times out of ten It is only
through knowing the Spanish language that q
North American comes to appreciate the admi-
South American. and is thus able TO establish
that kindly and agreeable personal relation
which is SO potent in leading to business rela-
tons.
Third-The American producer should arrange
to conform his credit system to that prevailing
in the country where he wishes to sell goods.
There is no more money lost upon commercial
credits in South America than there is in North
America; but business men there have their
own ways of doing business they have to adapt
the credits they receive to the credits they give.
It is often inconvenient, dsagreeable, and some
times impossible. for them to conform to our
ways. and the requirement that they should do
so is a serious obstacle TO trade.
To understand credits II is of course, neces-
sary to know something about the character,
trustwerthiness and commercial standing of the
purchaser and the American producer or mer-
chant who would sell goods in South America
must have some means OF knowledge upon this
subject. This leads naturally to the next OBJ
servation have to make.
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF BANKS.
Fourth-The establishment Of banks should be
brought about The Americans already engaged
in South American trade could well afford to
subscribe the capital and establish American
( bank in each Of the principal cities Of South
America This is, first because nothing but
very bad management could prevent such a
bank from making money; capital is much
needed In those cities and 8, and 10 per cent
can be obtained for money upon Just as safe
security as can be had in Kansas City, ST.
Louis or New York. 1t IS also because the
American bank would furnish a source OF in
formation as to the standing of the South
American purchasers to whom credit may be
extended, and because American banks would
relieve American business in South America
making all its financial transactions through
Europe instead of directly with the United
States. 1t is unfortunately true that among
hundreds of thousands of possible customers the
United States stands in position of as
su1ned financial and business inferiority to the
countries through whose banking houses all its
business has to be done.
F1fth-The American merchant should acquire
himself If he has not already done So and
should impress upon all his agents that respect
for the South American to which he is Justly
entitled, and which is the essential requisite TO
respect from the South American. We are
! different in many respects in character and
methods. In dealing with all foreign people it
] Is important to avoid the and unin-
structed prejudice which assumes that differ
ence from ourselves denotes fnferiority There
Is nothing that We resent quickly an as
sumption OF superiority evidence of conde-
scension in foreigners; there is nothing that the
south Americans resent SO quickly. The South
Americans are our superiors in some respects;
we are their superorS in other respects We
should show to them what is best in us and
see what is best in them Every agent of an
American producer merchant should be IN
structed that courtesy, politeness. kindly con-
Slderation are essential requisites for success
In the South American trade.
Sixth-The investment of American capital In
South America under the direction of American
experts should be promoted, not merely upon
creating and enlaTging trade. For simple in
vestment purposes the opportunities are innu-
merable. Good business Judgment and good
business management will be necessary there
of course. as they are necessary here, but. given
these l believe that there is a vast number of
enterprises awaiting capital in the more ad-
vanced countries Of South America, capable of
yielding great profits and in which the property
and the profits will be safe in the United
States Canada good many such enter
prises already begun. / have found q grad
uate of the Massachusetts Institute of Tech
nology, graduate Of the Columbia School of
Mines and a graduate OF Colonel Roosevelt's
Rough Riders smelling copper close under the
line of the Andes; l have ridden in an
American upon an American electric road
built by New York engineer, in the heart of
the coffee region of Brazil, and 1 have seen the
waters of that river, along which Pizarro estab-
| lShed his line Of communication in the conquest
of Peru, harnessed to American machinery TO
make light and power for the city of Lima
Every such point is the nucleus of American
| trade-the source of orders for American goods