The Detroit times., 1916-02-21
Merchants Fail to Go
After South Ameri-
can Trade
DISHONESTY HAS
BRED DISTRUST
However, Business Ex-
pands. Despite Ad-
verse Influences
BY HERBERT COREY
Cop, right. 1910. by United Fs~s.-'


! ,Cop, risht. 1915. by United Ps~ssl
NEW YORK, Fec. 2l.-An lndict'
ment has been drawn against the
American business men who are or
might be- engaged m the export
! trade 10 Spanish America. Not
agaiust all OF them. Most OF them
I are all that American business men
/ should BE- Unfortunately they sur
I i"- for The sins OF the small NUM-
/ ber who arh not What they should
{ be- TIE indictment vas drawn by
a nan Nho knows as much about
the Spanish.American trade as any
other man in the United states. He
is IN touch With both buyers and
sellers
Too many Of the exporters in the
United states, says he, are
Dishonest They try 10 cheat
I their customers.
Ignorant They do not know the
primary facts OF their business.
Unlntelligent. when confronted
/ by nsV conditions they are at loss.
"Autocratic. They try TO sell what
they want 70 sell-not what the Gus
toner wants 70 buy.
selfish Their interest in each
shipment ends when they get the
money.
Careless They 90 not obey eX-
plicit instructions as TO goods and
manner OF packing and shipment.
Blind They do not realize the
excellence OF the market that lies
ander ttei- hands
Those arc harsh words. As tho cat
said TO the parrot.
The application is not universal
There a-e firms which for years
have been doing most satisfactory
, business in South America But
they hake kept ,t dark They have
hidden the bone from the other dogs
IN the garden
South America, including Mexico.
was about $500, 600. 600 year" said
this authority To-day " i- about
81 800 400 600. and there is practi-
cally no Mexican trade II has been
thrust into our hands because the
Eur1rears are NOT row able TO care
for their HES This does not apply
10 Great Britain. That country has
bad more agents looking for busi.
ness during the war than she ever
had before Her war motto has
been More business than usual
Here is another clause in the in.
dictment.
I'VE take no pains as 70 the men
who represent American lines in
South America Many OF them do
not know the geography They DO
not know the most elemental facts
Of the coun ries, conditions. trade
methods. wants. packing, financing.
one great manufacturing com
pany In Buffalo advertised for a man
10 travel in South America on a sal
airy, expenses and commission.
Eighiy-six answers we're received.
OF them all. only one answer seem.
ed worth a follov-up
South American buyers leave the
New York department stores with
the finest selection Of goods in the
world under their noses and 20 10
the little French corset shops on the
side streets OF FIfth-ave. The prices
are higher, the assortment limited.
4 - ofA Dst a
South Americans at least meet peo-
pie who know how 10 talk 20 them.
and know what they want. and are
friendly and interested
More specifications:
II II charged that American mer
chants have been so often dishonest
| in their dealings that the South
Americans are distrustful.
The merchants here are ignorant
One sent a package addressed 70 a
merchant In "Brazil---the Argentine.
Ultimately he got that package back
after the contents had been ruined
There IL no such place az Brazil
the Argentine"
Although a cursory study OF travel
books would show that freight IL
lightered in rowboats from steamers
10 many OF the smaller ports. mer
chants sometimes send freight In
packages weighing 1000 pounds and
! az big as a piano box. They come
back plus charge for return freight
They are unintelligent. Ono was
told 10 ship wall paper in eightyard
rolls, wrapped in wax paper "a
protection against dampness. Hf
had always sold his wall paper ir
12.yard rolls. The directions were
specific almost 10 insult. The man
ufacturer here looked them oyei
! with a lack-lustre eye.
That" said he. is all piffilini
foollshness For Why should MAKE
all this troGble7"
so he didn't make all that trouble