The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1909-01-30
ABOUT ADVERTISING-NO. Z
The Cannon That
Modernized Japan
By Her bert Kaufman.

Business is no longer a man to man cor
tact, in which the merchant and the patron
establish a personal bond, any more than bat
tie is hand-to-hand graphic, where bone and
muscle and sinew decide the outcome. Trace
as well as aOar has changed in lis aSpect-b0d
are nose fought at long range.
Just as a present day army Of heroes would
have no opportunity to display the fndfUidnaI
valor Of its members, just so a merchant who
counts upon his personal acquaintancrship for
success is a relic of the pasta business dodo.
Japan changed her policy OF exclusion 10
foreigners after a fleet of warships battered
down the Satsurna Notifications. The Samu-
raj, who had hitherto considered their blades
and bows good enough, discovered that one
cannon was mightier than all the swords in
creation If tkey could not get near eaoaghi TO use
them. Japan profIted by the lesson. She did
not wait until further rampartS were battered to
pieces, but was satisfiedw with her one experience
and proceeded to modernize her methods
The merchant who doesn't advertise is p-ott-
much IN the same position as that in y h:ch latya
stood when her eyes were opened to the fact tnas
times had changed. The long range pul lefty Vi a
competitor will as surely destroy your business as the
cannon OF the foreigners crumbled the walls of Sat
suna. Unless you take tie lesson to heart, unless YOU
realise the Importance Of advertising, not only as the
means of extending your business but for defending
it as well, YOU must be prepared to face the conse-
quences Of a folly as great as that Of a duelist who
expects to survive in a contest in which his adversary
bears a sOord tg'ce The length Of his ouyi.
Don't think that it's TO lds to begin because
there are SO many stores which have had the advantages
OF years Of cumulative advertising. The city is grow
ing. 1t will grow even more next yea, Il i ,'i
increased trading f@acIa.t;cs just as it's hungry for t.J
neighborhoods.
BIN 1t 10.H ncUcr again SHbtort ie;gh5oShoo5 stores.
Newspaper advertising has eliminated the strength Of
being locally prominent, and five cent street car fares
have cut out the advantage Of being around tie
corner" A store five miles away can reach out through
the columns of the daily Newspaper and draw vour
next door neighbor TO its aisleS, while YOU sit bv and
see the people on your own block enticed away without
your being able to r~etalate or supply 3lst0 customers
to take their place.
1t is not a question Of your ability to stand III,
cost of advertising but Of being able to SAy0i0e u.gtoE.
ii. The thing you have to consider is not ONLY an
extension of your business but holding UAat yoY o.
ready have.
Advertising is an iaUeslacnt, the cost Of which
is in the same proportion to It's returns as seeds are to
the harveSt. And it is just as preposterous for YOU to
consider publicity as an expense as it would be for a
farmer to hesitate over purchasing a ~fentliger if he
discovered that he could proftably increase his crops
by employing it.
Copyright 1908. by Tribune Company. chcago)