The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-09
THE ESSENTIALS OF SOUTH
AMERICAN TRADE.
Observations by Man Who Understands
the Conditions OF success.

the Conditions OF success.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SUS-Sir: The
practical and commercial results of hav-
ing travelled through every country south
of the Caribbean Sea, not merely touching
at the capitals but travelling thousands
OF miles on horseback In the Interior.
show unequivocally that there is for the
United States n good and wholesome trade
In these countries. provided that We han
die II In a good and wholesome way.
Cart tail methods OF doing business
brass band procedure OF selling corn
cures and many other well known tactics
significant OF some OF our American en-
terprises will produce only unsatisfactory
results, not only In the immediate trans
action but In the damage incurred as the
pendulum swings back. as It must. In
seeking its normal position.
The essential features for trade with
South America might be put In the fol-
lowing form OF advice:
Send better men TO these countries.
eend men with more admiration, more
understanding and moro observation and
with less criticism and less conceit.
Manufacturers and producers In the
United States who seek business in South
America should bear In mind that over
three hundred years OF trading with Eu-
rope has established a confidence In these
countries which will be very hard for us
to reach In the few years OF our Latin
American activities.
We are often inclined TO consider South
Americans as half barbarians and half
civilized, but II should be remembered
that Lima, Peru. had a university when
the Indians were running naked over
Manhattan Island. ! remember on one
occasion being reproved In manner
which | will not soon forget by man
much my senior and to whom ! had thus
expressed myself lie said: do not call
us barbarians because We disagree with
you, or because we do not always con-
form to your ideas and habits. | VIII
give you an instance OF where perhaps
YOU Americans are barbarians." In his
following words we have an excellent
mirror in which to see ourselves as the
South American sees us. lie said You
have 5000, 900 people In the United States
who eat because It IL IL o'clock"
The Significance OF that expression con-
veys the idea Of the mental process OF
these people They eat when they are
hungry; they ask for goods when and
how they want them. and they know
what they want.
They want to deal with the United
States. they prefer 20 deal with the
United States: but there must be harmony
and reciprocity In the transaction. We
cannot expect to sell them goods and take
their gold in payment therefor and then
force them to borrow that gold from us
at usurlous rates In order to develop their
own vast countries. Few Americans realize
that Brazil alone exceeds by 100000
square miles the area OF the entire United
States.
As understand trade IL means the
exchange OF something YOU do not want
for something you do want. and my OBJ
servatons OF the export situation have
taught me to look with more fear upon
the commercial policy OF Germany than
that OF England. II Ii not generally
known that there are two representatives
who patrol entire South America and
who report directly to the Kaiser. They
see the buyer, they sec his customers.
they see the banker. they see the men
who extend and require credits, and 30
on down the commercial line. They hear
his story, they meet and know him per-
sonally and form therefrom their esti-
mate OF his moral fibre and financial re-
sponslbillty. In this moral feature lies
perhaps the most striking difference be-
tween our method and the European
method q trading In South America. The
personal integrity OF IN. buyer has con-
sderaby more weight with Europe than
il has In America and my years OF ex-
perience In these countries compels me 70
say that opinions reached by this method
Rave been the more correct and are still
more TO be depended upon than strictly
Another instance I REGAL! which EN-.
phasizcs this phase OF :hs South Ameri-
can merchant: II Is much easier to Sc
cure his written contract than his word
" nonor. the reason being that written
contract means only wha; II says.
whereas a verbal agreement Is "mucho
mas Gelicado" tmuch more delicate).
The tcope OF these countries are good
people they are kind. hut they are shrewd,
and any rarrowness on our part or any
attitude consisting IN the least OF trickery
will not he successful. straightforward
II, SO has Its par value with them as in all
parts OF the world, but formulas Of
trlckery best known In the United States
are very mild connections compared with
the ingredients which the South American
has at his disposal for producing very
palatable mixture should the situation call
for that prescription.
When we have improved the personnel
OF Americans seeking business in South
America, as we have improved the per-
sonnet Of the American consular service,
We shall find in these people an attitude
OF appreciation and esteem which one
cultivated person recognizes In and as
sumes toward another.
Untn such time II Ia useless to seek
her trade on the basis OF g Y, s, cur
rency, cash against bill Of lading Z. o. b.
alongside steamer New York. - per cent.
extra fo- ocean shipment"
ALFRED J. THOMPSON.
NEW York. November I.