Bismarck daily tribune., 1915-10-14

war office; people wouldn't see 1t
they're standing in their own light,
for every one of those gloves would
have kept an Indian soldier at the
'front.'"
1t appears to be the consensus OF
opinion among the commercial men
that it is very hard to do business
with the average European official
First the bureau systems make an
endless amount of circumlocution and
red tape, and it is difficult to find ou;
who is the official who has tine real
decision. And after that the travec
ers say that hide-bound conservatism
stands in the way of the adoption OF
anything outside of old, well-under.
stood models, many of which are out
OF date. They tell many strange ex
periences in their efforts to reach the
right people.
Il was told" said one of the travel
ers, that an introduction from p7Omi-
nent people was necessary 10 get you
any attention One firm advertised
in London that they could furnish the
right kind of introductions. / looked
them up and found they were .louse
agents. Then / heard that the Duke
of. could give the sort OF let
ter required. So I managed to see
him, and told him that in America we
were able to tell a customer when we
saw one, and was so anxious to SEQ
what British customer looked like
that l would be willing to spend a
thousand dollars to have one intro.
duced to ne. The Duke said he would
lbe glad to introduce the very man
who had the final signing of con-
tracts for my line of goods, and he
would bring him to me in two days.
4 waited anxiously the second day,
but he did not cCmIe, ard have been
waiting ever since. But the Duke
can do it if he wants to; there is no
doubt
Another representative of an ex-
,tensive American industry related the
following experience:
SAN artillery harness for six horses
is being furnished to one of the bellig-
erent governments for 1856. The con-
tract was first let as a whole to an
American agent at that net price.
Eut as the agent was not in the mar
ness business-this being only one Of
many WAR contracts-he sub-let it 70
another contractor who made a spe-
cialty in horses lbut not in harness,
so that he in turn sUb-let the contract
to us. Now l was able to go to these
government people and say to them
that would furnish this six-horse ar.
tillery harness at 1913 instead of
1856, and also would give them our
first grade of harness instead Of the
third grade they are getting. Why,
it was just like Offering a man gold
sovereigns. But do you know they
would not listen to me. No, they we're
perfectly satisfied to pay 1855 and it
did not appeal to them in the least
to hear they could get something
better for .$31&. That's what they call
conservation. Can you beat it,"
One of the most remarkable propo-
sitions put before the allied govern
ments was for an aerial cruiser, sup
ported by seven gigantic airplanes.
with crew of seven men carrying
$50 50-pound dynamite bombs. guar
anteed to fly from the French from
tier to Berlin and back or no SAFE,
This was worked out with the utmost
detail, with blue-prints showing hull
something like the trim lines of
large steam yacht, and small ,qlicrrlc-
fire guns mIcunted on the bow anc
stern. Above this hull We're the huge
air-planes, in two alternate series, one
above the other, so es to catch the
"air billows." The specifications
were equally detailed; including sew
eral high-power engines. The ar
rangement Of the planes and the con-
struction as a whole had the approval
of an influential aeronautlc society in
America. but the British and French
air experts were sceptical, some of
them declaring that what was pre-
sented on paper could not he carrie;
out in actual flight, Notwithstanding
the offer made to build the craft and
send it on a trial voyage before MAX
ing contract. 1t was thought that
recent Zeppelin raids might inspire
officials ito take UP this novel air pro.
ject as an Offset, but SO far they have
not lent a sympathetic ear. ...
2 A French literary man fell in with
one of the. new order of American
commercial men the other nigha,
and asked him if ne had seen the
sights of Paris.
"Yes,"' he said, 'but I find that the
police have closed most Of the sights"
"Oh no. said his literary friend,
"the. real sights of Paris, the lronu-
ments, are always open-the Panthe-
on, INotre Dame, the Invalides, the
Madeleine, and the Louvre"
''Ah Yes, l have seen the Louvre
thoroughly"
= 'Tlproughly?' said the French
"fhonNme des lettres" in surprise, re-
calling the labyrinth in vastness of
the Louvre collection, ''and how long
did it take you?"
"Fully an hour was the reply,