The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-09

! MADE financing or all shipments ample
and safe. The American manufacturer
! lacked this latter advantage altogether.
lie had to finance his trade, in "A round
/ about way, through London.
! by curious coincidence 1t happens,
! just as this new trade chance is com
/ ing up. that the banking phase is being
/ smoothed out. in one important direc-
! ton at all events. South America Is
! the nearest OF these new fields, and
quite possibly the most lucrative for
! the manufacturer OF this country. One
! Of the greatest Of New York banks,
| after careful study Of that entire con-
! tinent. Is establishing chain OF
branches there that will give Ameri-
cans the financial facilities the far
seeing Germans have been enjoying for
a decade An interesting feature OF
these United States banks in South
America Is that one Of the men who
will be sent down to develop them Is
Kermit Roosevelt the second son "
former President Roosevelt.
Steel. machinery. chemical products.
fabrics Of all sorts and novelties, rail-
road equipment. electrical equipment
and special electrical goods, cotton, &C.
ment are a fow OF tho products that
I America has every opportunity now
to pour into these countries. Last year
to one country alone. the Argentine,
Europe sent from its factories $3.50, 700
900 worth of goods This is significant
OF the total trade that may he gained,
Not all OF IT, OF course Is German.
How the Germans have. step by step.
developed this great exporting into
every corner OF the world is one Of
the most interesting romanCes OF bus
ness The German commercial hous"
Of standing makes this circling Of tho
world its prOudost boast. 1t has three
orders of men it trains mp and send
ont to get and hold these highly profit
able outlets--m"n who from their
executive ability and knowledge NJ
finance are given managerial posts in
strategic commercial centres men who
are simply statesmen and exercise that
one talent. and the gcouts OF trade.
From the home organization in I've
| German Empire these three groups of
! men are depioyed ike batalions Of
troops.
The scouts OF trade arc practically
| unknown here. Yet they have been I'M
portani factors in the upbuilding Of
the German foreign trade that may now
| fall into American hands. As a matter
OF fact they have probably been tn"
chief fuctor OF all, combined with the
| German grim way of holding on tn a
| line Of business once secured.
| Tlcfc scouts Of trade neither sell nor
nance. They simply rove about the
world painstakinely studying conditions
ami making recommendation to the
home office, toge her with detailed re-
] ports.
Til" scout OF trade is a member Of
practically distinct profession or
speciality. He reports on extension Of
branches or selling points he spends
months in a single country 10 discover
whether there is a field th"r- for a pro-
posed new article. Another scout Of
another interest is looking INFO sales in
nation 5000 miles from home to see
II all the possible trade Is being secured
Here an accomplished young man Is
spending n year simply visiting impOr-
tant customers over the world as an
envoy extraordinary of his house. He
/ does not attempt to sell n marks worth:
! in fact he politely refuses TO take orders
| himself II the question arises. He Is
simply there to pay the customer the
| compliment of his concerns personal
attention.
He sees just how this particular ma
! ton likes to do business and sooner or
later a very full report on the one sub
| ject finds It's way into the council
chamber OF his Arm. Though they have
been quite unsupported, dozens of these
scouts have thoroughly toured manu-
| featuring America and have sent over
| innumerable pointers and complete
little present day histories OF line Of
goods. and these reports have been Of
great value In the far away German
city. And wherever he travels the
scout keeps a careful eye TO sec that his
own particular house Is as popular in
| other countries as 1t IL wished to be.
! These scouts" are not selected hit
or miss. They are carefully trained up
| from boyhood for Just this work So
| far as possible the scout Is picked out
In the rough and modelled and moulded
He is a youth Just entering commercial
life who seems TO have the peculiar
faculties needed. He Is never intended
for anything else. The first few years
of his business life are simply prepa-
ration for his tours OF inquiry. II is
not the scouts business to determine
policy. His job is to report fully and
accurately on conditions. And he is
trained for just this.
He is put into close enough touch
for several years with home office and
| plant for him TO get a good foundation
knowledge of the business but the work
he does goes far beyond this. He stud
les commerce In It's broader sense, he IS
talked to and made to read Geography
as II relates to world trade, history.
business law, processes the theory and
practice OF finance. values raw ma
terials, and how to approach and in
terest men OF all types are some of the
| chief features of his course.
Added to these is a fairly complete
| knowledge OF three or four different
languages, With an equipment not
very much short Of this the scout
starts out The chiefs do not often
pick wrong AT the beginning. they
| choose the type carefully and the de-
velopment IL vigorous, but II a candi-
date does not evolve the personality
and clear sightedness needed. he Is put
into some other place in the great ma
chine,
1t is expensive, all this Into the
! making of scout many thousands
| of marks go before he is ready for his
| first Journey But experience has
| proved that II pays big dividends IN
i hns a. 4. al. L.