davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1915-09-12

that lighted every nook and corner of
the room perfectly, yet cast no glare
nor shadow. The light came from a
few inconspicuous globes that none of
the guests had noticed before. 1t was
as startling as a stage transformation
At once the host was the target for
eager questions. He explained mod
estly that while he. was unable to sell
them the sort of illumination their
new building deserved, yet he was un-
willing to leave Uruguay without dem
onstrating it's superiority to them.
After that there was no doubt about
the contract. The guests were de-
lighted. The Newark house got big
dition to the Yankee side of the
Uruguayan trade balance.
Equally ingenious was the salesman
for an American manufacturer of To-
comotive safety appliances. The wheat
farmers of southern Argentine were
complaining that the locomotives of
certain railroad were setting many
prairie fires. The locomotives were
equipped with British spark arresters,
but the fires continued. The line is
owned by British capital and operated
by a British company, and it was in
vain tndt our AMERICAN SdleSTldu tTleu
to assure the officers that he had a
spark arrester that was certain in it's
action. They would not even consent
to a demonstration.
The salesman chartered special
train in such Ia manner that the COM
pany was unaware OF his purpose.
Then. having been assured that under
the Argentine law the control of his
chartered train was in his own hands.
he equipped the locomotive with one of
Evening star., 1915-09-12

may cast at it, Queen Alexandra VIII
certainly not part with 1t, thousn tne
gold in the shield is said to pe "oIL.l
S35O,0oO, valued, that is, by welsht
only.
However, the gold that could be sup,
piled from Buckingham Palace anu
Marlborough House would be Dut
small fraction of the amount that the
treasury NAV eventually require; but
sufficient to meet financial needs couid
be obtained if portion OF all the soio
in the United King in private posses
sion was taken. The court goidsinlths
have registration OF tne goiu p,a.e es
ornaments, etc, in the possession OF
about 200 families in England. Inese
include the gold plate, etc, IN the Iam
lilies of the Dukes of Portland. west
minister, Norfolk Devonshire ana Rox-
burgh, the Marquises OF LansdoWne
and Londonderry and the Earl or Rose
berry The value of the gold plate IN
the possession of these families alone
exceeds five million.
The Dukes of Portland, Norfolk ana
Westminster are the only three dukes
having in their possession dinner
service of solid gold. and of these serv-
ices that in the possession OF the Duhe
of Norfolk is by far the most Valudpie.
which are very massive. such as the
huge soup tursen, an immense tauie @
center and fifty drinking goblets. me
pieces are not all of the same pe,ioo.
The most valuable are tne III
goblets of the Elizabethan period. TO
which period also belong some or the
plates. A value is attached to these
pieces that is very greatly in excess OF
their value estimated merely by their
weight.
Two Elizahethan goblets in the Dunn
Gardner collection fetched s25,ooo
apiece when sold at Christle's rooms
some fourteen or fifteen years ago.
The dukes goblets would prooao Oily
fetch a larger price if they came into
the open market. This is consider
alton that will rather complicate the
treasury scheme of valuation, which is
to be made purely by weight. 1t would
be obviously impossible for the treas
ury to commander old gold plate at It's
weight value when such plate had
value many hundreds of times greater.
However. the quantity of old gold plate
in the country having value greatly
beyond its actual worth as gold is not.
80 far as is known, very large: At all
events such gold would not be com.
Evening star., 1915-09-12

SOlHe IeCeht experiences VI
American statesmen sent to the south
ern continent since the start of the war
in Europe to take advantage of the
golden American trade opportunities
which their employers confidently
thought were there.
by a large hardware concern in the
United States. His employer was
caught up in the enthusiasm for Latin
American trade, and, judging that the
cutting off of European supplies gave
him the opportunity to break heavily
into the South American market, he
picked out his best salesman and shot"
him down there.
shot is exactly the word to use to
describe the dispatching of this sales
man. He was exactly the kind of
salesman to shoot" anywhere to pick
up an order in record time. He had
made a reputation for speed in his
work at home, and his employer. disre-
zarding the great volume of advice. Of
fcial and otherwise, warning American
manufacturers of the futilitv of trying
to do business in hurry with Latins,
Judged him to be the best man to send
to the southern continent.
As II turned out, he was the very
worst man to send-the least adaptable
to the changed business conditions that
were soon to confront him. He was the
we'll recognized American type which
Evening star., 1915-09-12

ers to sell their gold to the treasury.
The inquiry forms that are being sent
out to certain persons simply ask what
is the weight of the gold plate, etc, in
their possession, and how much of it
they would be willing to let the trea-
sury have, taking as payment war
stock or special stock to be created
for the purpose of purchasing the gold.
But ii is beyond doubt that when the
registration has been completed, there
will be a compulsory Communicating
of gold if and when financial necessi-
ties demand it.
mated with the late Lord Rothschild
almost directly after the outbreak of
the war. but the scheme was then
pigeonholed, for it did not appear at
arise for adopting it. When, however.
Mr.. Mckenna went to the treasury
on the construction of the coalition
ministry Mr.. Behrens brought his
uncle's scheme under the notice of the
new chancellor of the eXchequer. and
it was in due course adopted.
On the part of the goldsmiths there
will. of course, be very considerable
opposition to the idea of their being
compelled to part with their gold stock
for weight value. Such a thing would
obviously involve many goldsmiths in
considerable loss. Roughly speaking,
goldsmith's gold stock has a value Of
about 25 per cent above its weight
value, representing the price of labor
that had to be paid for fashioning the
metal. In the late Lord Rothschild's
scheme there was suggestion that
every goldsmith should be paid 80 per
cent over and above the weight value
of gold taken from him to cover cost
of labor and the traders potential
profits. which he. of course. loses il his
gold is Communicated.
The present idea of the treasury.
however, is to take the goldsmith's
stock at weight value and set up
commission to fix whatever further
price should be paid for the gold COM
mandeered. However. the first gold
that will be Communicated will be that
of private individuals, with whom it
will be easy to deal. because with the
royal example of Willingness to make
sacrifices for the national welfare it
will be practically impossible for
others to be less patriotic. just as it
would havS been impossible for the
king to refuNe to set such an example.
<Copyrigh. 1915, BY Curtis BsswS)
Evening star., 1915-09-12
CHILE's CAPITOL BUILDING AT SANTIAGO.

them to look over his stock. To his
surprise they did not respond.
Having but few hours left before
the steamers departure. he frantical1y
called again on the trade. The be-
nighted merchants of Pernambuco did
not seem to appreciate the enormity of
their mistake in not rushing to take
advantage of the Americans visit. In
fact, when he attempted to point out
the deficiencies in their stocks of
goods, even their innate politeness and
sense of what is due the guest could
scarcely hide their disapproval of him.
The perplexed salesman left without
an order of any kind. but more than
ever convinced of the truth of his fire.
quently repeated assertion, The good
old L. S. A. is good enough for mel"
His two days at Bahia We're produce
tive of no better results than before,
and upon his arrival in Rio de Janeiro
he did not even bother to visit the
trade there, but cabled Immediately to
his firm advising his own recall.
South Americans not educated enough
to appreciate American goods, he
cabled, and no doubt his employer to-
day is profound pessimist on the
subject of Latin American trade
1t happened that this salesman was
followed few weeks later by an
other. this time German representing
d German hardware exporter. Even
the war cannot shut off Germany's
expectations completely. How the Ger
man manufacturers can break through
the armed blockade that surrounds
their country is more or less mystic
rious, but the fact remains that Ger
man goods Gin greatly reduced guam
titles, it is true) are going into South
America, or were few weeks ago. At
any rate. the. German salesman was
able to assure his customers of de-
livery. ~
Upon his arrival in the first Brazilian
city he visited he presented his letters
of introduction to the merchants with
whom he intended to do business. Later
Evening star., 1915-09-12

mandeered under the present scheme,
though it will be included in the reg
lister.
1t is worth while noting that the fa-
nous Windsor dinner service in the
possession of King George, used at
state banQuets and always described in
the press as the gold service" con-
tains but three hundred pieces that
are pure gold. The rest of the four
thousand pieces of which the service
consists are of silver gilt
The court goldsmiths estimated the
total worth of the gold plate in the pos
session of the 200 families on their reg
lister at 100000. Outside the titled
aristocracy there are several county
families who have very valuable gold
plate.
William Gladstone, grandson of the
great statesman and squire of Hawar-
den, who was recently killed in action,
had a collection of gold plate that has
been valued for probate a t 100000. The
Pike Peases of Yorkshire had collec-
tion of gold plate that was valued on
the death of the late Mr.. Pike Pease IN
1890 at s1,S5O.000. About half of it was
sold at the time to pay heavy charges
on the family estates, and the greater
part of the remainder now lies in
bankers vault as part security for
heavy advances of money made to the
Pease family.
1t is. of course, impossible to say with
any considerable eXactness the guam
tity Of gold that the treasury could OBJ
tain from private sources, but the court
goldsmiths and some other large firms
who have a good deal of reliable infor-
nation on the subject estimate the
value of the gold in private possession
in the United Kingdom at $780, 900,
and in the possession of traders at
about s225.000,0O0. Taking these fig
ures as being approximately correct.
the English treasury could, by COM
Wandering all the gold in private
hands. obtain metal to the value of
6O0,oO0.000, but they would probably
not need more than a half of this to
meet financial necessities, unless the
war lasts for another two or three
years.
There is at present, So far as is
known. no intention on the part of the
government to make it compulsory on
the part of either individuals or trad
Evening star., 1915-09-12

there would be plenty of time to show
samples, but finally they pressed him
so hard that he complied and opened
his trunks.
He took a week in each of three cities
and transacted a business that would
not have been spurned by the swift
travelling American salesman who pre-
ceded him. My informant in Rio told
me that the German salesman sold to
every merchant whom he visited
1t will seldom, if ever, be necessary
for an American salesman to proceed
as deliberately with his work as the
German hardware man did, although
the Germans have closely studied the
best selling methods to be employed
in South America. But the American
salesman carrying a line of competitive
continent Of South America and make
a selling record with the methods he
employs in the cities and towns of the
corn belt is almost certainly doomed to
disappointment.
If the hardware man had carried some
non-competitive line, such as type
writer's or farm implements. he might
have had better success, but even with
these lines adaptation to the GUS
toms of the country is a paying con-
cession for any American to make.
That American orders can be booked
in short time. however. was evidenced
on my voyage back to the states"
There boarded the ship at Buenos
Aires an American who is engaged in
the apple business in the state of
Washington. He had gone down to
Argentina on the same vessel by which
he returned. but during the two weeks
when the ship was laying in her cargo
of Argentine frozen beef he sold a big
order of this years crop of Washing
ton apples to the commission men of
Buenos Aires.
He had plenty of time for this, to be
Evening star., 1915-09-12

his spark arresters. Instead of invit-
ing the railroad officials to witness the
test, he had as guests the officials of
the province in which the prairie fires
had done the greatest amount of dam
age.
The train was run over the line dur
ing dry period, but, although all other
conditions on the locomotive We're nor
NAL, not a fire was set during the en-
tire trip. The railroad then capitulated
and placed an order to equip all its
engines with the American device. To
have failed to do so would have invited
compulsory legislation.
The problem of statesmen is one of the
greatest which confronts the American
exporter trying to break into the South
American field. Frank A. Vanderlip of
the National City Bank has written of
the difficulty in finding young Ameri-
cans of ability who are willing to go to
South America to live. The Yankee is
loath to leave his own country, while
the young men of nearly every other
great nation on earth seem to be per-
fectly willing to reside in foreign lands
One prime reason for this is that
the young American can find just
about as good opportunity at home as
he can at the rainbow'S end. while to
the young German or Scotchman or
Englishman there is better opportunity
in new, developing country than in
his own.
r =
From my observations l have come
to the conclusion that American manu-
facturers should not neglect their op-
portunities for obtaining Latin Ameri-
can statesmen in South America itself.
If the South American trade of Europe
should be greatly reduced in the fu-
ture as a war aftermath, then there
Evening star., 1915-09-12
in the Countries of South America

Proper and Improper Methods-Ameri-
cans Must Adapt Themselves to Native
Business Customs-The Story of the
"Live Wire'' Who Was Going to ''Clean
Up" in Short Time-Another Salesman
Who "Put One Over on British Competi-
tors la Dinner Route German and Eng
lish Methods-American Manufacturers
Can Secure Good Statesmen in the Coun-
tries to Which They Wish to Sell.
Evening star., 1915-09-12

they returned his calls, and at length.
having established basis of friend
ship. he dropped into their stores and
began admiring their stocks. His ques-
tions showed SO much knowledge about
hardware that the merchants began to
suspect him of being salesman, and
after three or four days they began to
ask him about his business.
He confessed that he was handling a
line of hardware, but made no point of
it, preferring to exchange the social
amenities. Upon being pressed he told
about the particular lines he was car
rying, and they individually assured
him of their need of replenishing their
stocks in these lines. He replied that
Evening star., 1915-09-12

in which the resourcefulness of Amer
lean statesmen has successfully stormed
and taken the intrenched position oc-
cupied by the European competitor.
Not long ago manufacturer in
Newark. Ohio-a manufacturer of mod
ern indirect illumination fXtures-sent
to South America young salesman
who has proved himself expert in TAX
ing business out from under the noses
of British and German houses.
This salesman received information
that there was about to be let a big
contract for the lighting fixtures in a
new public building in Uruguay. He
hurried to Montevideo. the capital, but
found he had arrived there too late
The British influence is strong in Eru-
quay. and a British house had the big
contract for fixtures practically nailed
down. The Yankee salesman was told
that there was no need for him to
waste time and breath.
But the salesman did not despair. He
had met the officials pleasantly. and in
order to give them his assurances of
his esteem he invited them to a din
ner at the leading hotel in Montevideo.
They accepted plea sanity, for they had
come to like this hustling young fell
low from the north.
The American left the details of the
dinner to the hotel chef, but he busted
himself with the private room in which
the dinner was to be given. For a few
hours workmen were mysteriously en-
gagged in that room, and then the litter
was cleared away and the room turned
over to the hotel kitchen forces. The
guests arrived and the chef showed
that he was worthy of the trust the
salesman had placed in him The latter
waited until late in the dinner when
the wine had done it's soothing work
Then suddenly the glarinE lights lin
the British fixtures with which the ho-
tel was equipped) were extinguished
and there was left a soft, diffused glow
Evening star., 1915-09-12

sure, but on her return voyage the ves-
sci gave him only twelve daylight hours
in Rio de ,Ianeiro and half that long
in Bahia, Yet he booked or-lers in both
cities They were small, trial orders
but the apple man is confident that
they will result in bigger business next
year.
Although Americans, to be successful
statesmen in South America, must study
the nature of the native buyers and
conform their methods in some degree
to the customs of the Latin countries,
that is not saying that there is not
plenty of room for the exercise of the
American selling ingenuity. In fact,
cullarly dema nds the full employment
of the American business genius.
There came to my attention in Ar
gentina and Uruguay several instances
Evening star., 1915-09-12

would be chances to pick up expert
British, German and French statesmen
who have resided in South America
many years and understand how to
transact business there. German busi
ness is now greatly reduced in South
America, yet, although it has been i'm
possible for many Germans to leave
that continent. few of the employees of
German houses are out of work. In
many instances they have been given
employment by British and native
business houses.
One of the shrewdest American bust
ness men | met in South America was
not an American at all, but Briton
by birth and citizenship Mr.. Coates
of Montevideo. He conducts a large
agency of American goods in Uruguay.
including many well known and widely
advertised products of the United
States. 1t is his idea that American
exporters can find their best statesmen
in South America. Coates own busi-
ness success is largely due to the fact
that he followed this plan.
Americans won't live here because
they have as good opportunities at
home. he said. But American manu-
facturers can come here and find Eng
lish lads who were born here and who
are not only contented to stay. but who
also know the languages and charac-
teristics of the people and. in addi-
tion, possess the Englishman's apti-
tude for business. The American man.
ufacturer after securing such men.
should take them up to the United
States and train them there in Ameri-
can selling enthusiasm"
Copyright. 1915. by Robert F. Wilson,
Evening star., 1915-09-12

of gold. Other methods have been sug
gested. into which, however. there is no
need to inquire. Payment by an
port of gold is the plain and obvious
method by which England must ulti-
mately discharge her debt to the United
States, and in order to do this and at
the same time preserve English credit
the English treasury must find Some
means of greatly increa sing the gold
serve at the Bank Of England. War
loans, however successful they may be,
do nothing to accomplish this purpose.
All a war loan really does is to transfer
credits from the ordinary joint stock
banks to the credit of the treasury at the
Bank of England. but this scarcely af-
fects the gold reserve.
These credits enable the treasury to
pay its liabilities in England and. to
limited extent. In the countries of her
allies but 1t does not help the treas
ury to meet its obligations in the
United States. To do this it becomes
necessary for the treasury to obtain u
much larger supply of gold than it at
present can command.
The plan the treasury has in view is
to take the quantity of gold it may
need. in the way OF gold plate, orna-
ments, etc. that are now in the pos
session Of private individuals, and pay
for the gold so commandeered in war
stock or by a special stock to be created
for this purpose. The gold taken
will be purchased by weight and will
be melted down at the mint for the
purpose of coinage The first step in
this undertaking is to ascertain ap-
proximately how much gold there is in
the country available for such a pur-
pose. This is being done by means of
circular inquiries addressed to certain
persons. and by personally conducted
inquiries.
The whole scheme is being carried
out under the control and direction of
Noel Behrens. a nephew of the late
Lord Rothschild. and one of the chief
financial experts at the treasury Mr.
Behrens is at present acting as Mr.. Nc
Kenna's private secretary at the treas
ury. The first persons to be ap-
preached on the subject were mem
bers of the royal family. This was
done. of course, for the purpose of ere
ating a royal example Of patriotism,
which the members Of the great aris-
Evening star., 1915-09-12

value in weight was estimated by the
court goldsmiths on the accession of
King George at $2,5OO,OOO.
Queen Alexandra has also agreed to
let the treasury have all the gold or
naments at Marlborough House. with a
few exceptions. one of the most nota-
BILE of which is the massive gold shield
given by the kaiser's father to Queen
Victoria, who bequeathed it to King
Edward, and who in turn bedueathed
it absolutely to his consort. This
shield is one of the most valuable gifts
that one monarch has ever conferred
Evening star., 1915-09-12
bills to the United States.

on another sovereign. 1t is about three
feet in diameter and made in three
rims of solid gold, the two inner rims
bearing carving work of the richest
and finest quality; the outer is orna-
mented with scenes from biblical his
tory set in colored jewels. full de-
scription of the shield occupies six
pages of one of the catalogue books at
Marlborough House. The shield was
regarded by the late king as one of the
most valuable treasures in his posses
sion. and however longing eyes the
English treasury. in view Of its needs,
Evening star., 1915-09-12
u.reu~. b which benefited o EnEhn 10

tocracy and wealthy families. in whose
hands most of the ornamental gold
lies. would. perforce. have to follow.
King George. had agreed to let the
treasury have the whole of the con-
tents OF the red and white rooms at
Buckingham Palace, which contain
practically all the gold ornaments in
the way of cups, figures, pilgrim bot
ties and boxes in the private possess
sion of the monarch. The king could
not give up any treasure owned by the
nation. but the gold In question is the
personal property Of his majesty. The