Evening journal., 1914-08-26
Peoples Column
SOrTH AMERICAN TRADE.

SOUTH AMERICAN TRADE.
Mr. George Carter, Evening Journal;
Mr.. Harrison Cruickshank, Morning
News;
Mr.. Merris Taylor. Every Evening.
Wilmington. Delaware.
Gentlemen-Referrin further to
the proposition of Wilmington send
ing a commercial agent to South
America:
The opinion is expressed here by
manufacturers of world wide expert
ence as exporters that q commercial
agent sent to South America should
in many cases deal through a resi-
dent agent. one who is firmly estab-
lished in business and who has the
good will of the people of his COM
munity-an agent who would add
strength and confidence to the Ameri-
can firm or community represented
by the commercial agent.
A condition of this KIND exists in
every country or community. In
Wilmington, for instance a CONNER
cial agent from any South American
country, or from any other part of
the world, would find it much easier
to get business through a well estab-
/ lished and favorably known Whining
/ ton firm than through his own direct
personal efforts.
One of the chief functions of the
proposed Wilmington commercial
agent would be the exercise of his
! best judgment in the selection of a
resident agent.
Sending catalogues to South Ameri-
ca and carrying on correspondence on
the subject Of orders appears to be
Improbable. To get results, il Is
necessary to send a competent com
mercial agent to deal direct or
through resident agents with prospec-
tive customers.
Going after the business will be
costly, but it should be profitable.
This leads me to remark that the
profit will go largely TO the com
munity and that only "a small per-
centage of it will remain with the
firm manufacturing and selling the
goods. II should therefore be just
ana equitable for the community to
pay a very considerable share of the
salary and expenses of the CONNER
cial agent The industrial plants are
the life-blOod of a community and if
Wilmington actually realized that her
very existence depended upon the
success and prosperity of the indus
trial plants now operating there, the
city would pay all the salary and
travelling expenses of a Wilmington
commercial agent in South America
but as the millennium Of good sound
commercial and industrial sense has
not yet arrived, the possibilities are
that a community, even as sensible
as Wilmington, would not desire to
pay more than half the salary and ex-
lenses of a commercial agent to get
business for its industrial plants.
The United States is importing
from some South American countries
twice as much as it exports to them
Therefore, even If there was no wal
in Europe. a special effort should be
made to increase exports to South
America. that the balance of trade
should be more favorable to the
/ United States.
The important question at this time
3 is. will the business men Of Whining
ton go after the business and ge
e It? If they will, I believe they viii
meet with hearty financial response
. Fut me down as a subscriber to
fund that will send the right man {,
South America to get business 70
- Wilmington. As the owner Of rea
[ estate in Wilmington. / would regar,
- a subscription to this proposition al
l money we'll invested.
+ R. J. MACLEAN.
Detroit, Mich, Aug. %, 1914.