The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-11-01
opening new Held. FOR exploiting their

opening new fields FOR exploiting their
! goods.
ITO turn to more cheerful and more
promising aspects OF the matter. we
may say that. although Ignorance Of
conditions have been made very appar-
ent by tho suddenly and violently
aroused interest In the Southern re-
publics, II has resulted In spirit Of
Inquiry and desire to learn also. and
never has more information OF re-
liable nature been disseminated than
at the present time.
Can Get Fair Trial.
Quality has won out every time. an
our manufacturers can always get a
fair trial These first explorers are
now finding their. knowledge valuable
and may get some return for the hard
ships they have suffered in attaining
It. There are plenty Of them to be
met, and they should be encouraged
to tel! what they know about the mat
tiers which are SO familiar to them.
1T Ii a most promising sign that
so many business organizations are
organizing. or have made trips to the
South and have seen. or will see, for
themselves what wonderful chance
there Is for our goods, what pleasant
people we shall have to do business
with. and, in short, how very far
wrong they have been In nearly all the
pre-conceived notions of our Latin
American neighbors.
The firm which tries to force an
undesirable or inferior article on peo-
pie who want the best or none Is no.
going TO get very far: the producer
who thinks he can work off the sur
plus of old goods that has been aceu-
muiating in his warehouse will find
himself In the same boat. The com
pany which thinks 1t can send down
salesman who does not speak the
language Of the country. the salesman
who is so smart that he can sell
thing to people they do not want and
various others of that like, will find
that, in spite of the millions that may
be, behind them, it cannot force the
natural conditions, which in this case
are the natural pride OF an intelligen.
people, the desire to be given what
they are willing TO pay for, the plying
dislike with which they regard the
firm or salesman who tries to sell
them useless trash.
These and thousands of other
things will initiate against our get
ting our goods dnto the SOUTHERN
markets, In spite of all the millions
with which we may back them. The
remedy lies with ourselves.
How to Gain Trade.
TT can be summoned up In a few
words. perhaps, better than any other
way. in the text of Robert Louis Stew
enson's Christmas sermon
BE honest
Give the best goods when they are
called for. Ship the way you are or
dered to ship, without any excuses.
Do not try to sell what is not desired
to any one.
Answer your correspondence
promptly without excuses.
BE open and friendly. and treat
your new business friends that way
DO not feel that even the United
States Treasury and its resources could
help You to sell pair Of shoes to
people in the district where they do
not require or want shoes.
IF you cannot sell in one place, you
can in another--your trade does not
depend on one district
Finally, use common sense, energy.
real desire to succeed, courtesy and
consideration, and you will find the
Latin American market all that you
have dreamed and desired it to be.
Newspapers can profit by teaching
American business men to pay heed to
the foregoing advice In planning ex-
pansion into South America IT.