The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-11-06
GETTING FOREIGN TRADE.
Handspring American Business VIII
Not Extend Our Commerce.

To THE EDITOR or THE SUE Str: In
any consideration OF trade with South
America it is well to read Government
reports on trade opportunities, but
without a personal and practical
knowledge Of the countries and con-
dltions such reports are misleading
and useless. Neither will Government
owned steamship lines increase trade,
but an Ill considered seamen's law such
as has been passed by Congress will
drive American shipping from the
seven seas; IL there Is any there to
drive II is no fault Of American Con-
crosses.
The American manufacturer inter-
ested in the export rad and extend
ing his business to foreign countries
will get considerable information from
Government reports. but such reports
offer no real basis upon which to open
an export campaign. He must see and
know that his product IL suited for
| the market in which he wants to sell
1t, and that the price is right when
taken together with the price of the
foreign competitor. He cannot get
this Information from Government re-
ports. and there is a further objection
to such Information that the majority
Of Government agents and consuls are
not practical in gathering and compil-
ing information. having little II any
real business training. They fail 10
d~ifferentiate between an attractive
market and American goods for that
market.
The commission house is not giving
information for the asking. as 1t may
mean the establishment of a COMPETE
tor. In fact American manufacturers
have but little to hope from the ef-
forts OF the average commission house
in the increase OF the sales OF their
manufactures. These commission con-
Germs carry many lines Of goods. all OF
which are as a rule sold from cata-
logues by one salesman, leaving the
utility of the article and its sale to be
conditioned by price, which in most
such cases In the controlling factor.
The only way a successful export
trade can be developed is through per-
sonal investigation and development
by the manufacturer.
II the market IL not worth that con-
sideration 1t Is well enough to let the
commission house get what business
/, may find coming its way n let II
go at that. The cost of such personal
development 10y the manufacturer IL
not p~rohibitivc. as many manufacture
ers have found in their trade cam
paigns in South American countries,
while they have the satisfaction OF
knowing tina their interests are hav-
ing every consideration possible and II
they do not get their share of the
business they have a way of remedy
ing that condition. The hundreds OF
lines handled by a single commission
house with a selling force OF six or
seven men, few of whom are more
than average statesmen, many not
statesmen at all. is sufficient indictment
Of such a selling system to put every
manufacturer to the trouble OF finding
out what the market IL and how his
commission agents nave been handling
his lines and how many other competi-
tive lines they are also handling n
how much time, If any. they spend in
pushing the lines which they have
undertaken t. represent by promising
the manufacturer personal attention
and representation.
They might find that New York COM
mission houses will buy the cheapest
article they can get to hll an order
when the name Of the manufacturer
Of the article ordered has been speci-
fled. They also may find hat their
shipping clerks are receiving commits
sionS for sending orders through GER
ain commission concerns, There are
commission houses to which this does
not apply, and the success nf the lines
which they handle is ample evidence
OF their sincerity. The list Of the com
mission house sins Of commission and
omission has not been gathered from
hearsay or from without, but from
the inside 1t is easy enough t" give
names and dates, but this seems UNI
,, necessary for the present.
Congress passed II destructive sea
mems act, the President signed II, and
the Pacific Mail sold its steamers and
left the trade Of the Pacific to foreign
companies and foreign vessels. This
law may have been put in operation
to demonstrate the alleged necessity
Of a Government owned and operated
merchant marine, which is another
ahsurd!ty only surpassed 10y the sea-
mems law. In other words the great
export trade of the United States Is
to be handicapped to legislate morals
into ship owners. The sailors were
well taken care of before, but II re
, uuired an act OF Congress to extend
that care to be- charitable and silly
The Administration talks of promot'
5 Ing Americas foreign trade and ther
: through un~considered legislation anc
the courts makes i, more difficult each
year for the American manufacturer
l TO get business abroad,
| Every senator and Congressman
should be compelled To spend some
time. say three months in each year
outside the United States in persona
{ investigation and observation oI
American policies in their relation &c
the countries they might visit. They
know well enough what is going or
at home. but as IA rule are deplorably
: ignorant of foreign AFFAIRS, The Presi-
, dent would not recognize Huerta as
President OF Mexico and all south
I America became suspicious OF Ameri'
can policies in the recognition OF the
Z heads OF the various Latin American
States.
The most serious part Of the bust.
ness of our foreign shipping Is that
instead of spending money on shiI
subsidies or some such measure VIC