Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-09-20

portunlty Tor settlement. ThlS
courtesy would never be forgotten
and would do much to make permanent
friends and customers.
Need Commercial Agencies.
I'm only two or three South Ameri-
can countries are there reliable COM
agencies. Therefore, there is
but one way to ascertain and deter
mine a firms fitness for credit, namely.
by personal investigation by your rep
resentatfve or one in whom you have
the utmost confidence. Only this week
one of the largest papers in South
America was refused credit for less
than 800 week worth Of cable news
by New York press bureau, because
there was no way Of getting reliable
data as to its financial standing. l
know personally that this publication
and its plant is worth at least $6.000.-
BILE. Owing to the financial situation
above referred to in detail, it was i'm
possible for this big paper with all its
manifold resources to remit money to
bles with Europe had been cut. thereby
preventing 1t from getting news from
this source, and news 1t must have for
its readers. The paper was compare
lively, unknown here and the American
press people wanted money in advance.
cebled me and fnanc ad the deal. This
serves to illustrate the very conditions
we must first overcome. If we hope to
be successful in our. export affairs.
Europe, generally speaking. and
Germany and England specifically
have always made every effort to
finance municipal improvements abroad,
such as water works, sanitation, cleo
trio and gas companies, subways. cleo
trio and steam roads. The benefits de-
obvious. 1t gave their engineers and
contractors an opportunity to force up
on these countries their products and
methods and provided permanent en-
ployment to many of their countrymep
who in return created demand for
articles of home production. AS one
example of what is going on in this
line Of municipal work Chile is now
spending about s40O,000.000 for FORTH
cations, harbor and docking improve
ments and sanitation. all of which is
being done by Europeans. with Eu-
ropean money, from which Europe will
reap profits for years to come.
Opportunities Unlimited.
The opportunities for successful
business in this line in China ant
Latin America are unlimited. Just think
of the development possibilities il
Brazil-a country larger in area thar
the United States and supporting only
2O000,000 peOple-or Argentina will
an area almost as large as all of Eu
rope, except Russia and Austria Hun.
gary, and a population of about 5000,
900! 1t is to these countries that over.
crowded Europe must come for elbow
room.
European manufacturers original!
extended long credits to South Amer.
lean merchants, often giving from
twenty-four to ,thirty-six months time
or sending goods on consignment,
charging on the investment from t
D per cent interest. The tendency .oi
late, however, as countries became set
tied and business esta blished. has beer
to curtail these long credits. Due tt
the fact that the Latin American mer.
chant is now forced to seek US ant
buy our goods we can naturally bt
more eXacting in our conditions thar
We're the European merchants in time
of peace. and We can therefore Gu
down these periods of credit until they
are more in conformity with our bust
ness ideas.
Generally speaking the right kline
of merchants abroad will be found ev.
cry bit as worthy of credit as in tn,
states. Commercial houses with hon
cable careers have existed for centurie.
in China and Latin America, having
descended from father to son. Whel
they have confidence in us and ou
goods they become loyal. answering
clients. Difficult to get in line, the!
are equally difficult to be induced t.
change their patronage. The Souti
Americans have never been a manu-
featuring or creative people. Climati,
conditions and inherited traits hay,
made them follow the lines of trade re
curing the least effort. therefore the,
have become cattle raisers, large farm
ers. successful merchants. Could ther,
be more IDEAL condition for an ex
port market?
Merchant Marine Handicap.
We have unquestionably been handi.
capped by the smallness of our mer-
chant marine. Shipping statistics show
that of the goods exported from these
shores to Latin America last year 81
per cent went in Yessels FLYING. fara;pr