The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1916-11-11
SEEK TRADE IN
SOUTH AMERICA
NORTH AMERICANS SAID TO BE
BEHIND EUROPEANS IN
METHODS

RlO DE JANElhO, Brazil, Oct.
1S.-American business men here
who recently formed a strong cham
Der of commerce for the purpose of
developing the large share of trade
which the war in Europe has thrown
from their old continent rivals into
their hands, were chagrined at the
appearance of a large advertise
ment in n of the principal jour
nais of this city a few days ago
which caused much merriment in
the commercial circles of their Eng
lish, French, German. Italian, POrtu-
guese and Dutch rivals.
The advertisement was a large
display telling in detail of the merits
of a well-known make of American
automobile. 1t was set forth in
correct Portuguese, the language of
the country, and would have been
a good trade puller but for the last
line. which read: Agent for Bra
zil, Mr.. A. Blank. Quito. Ecuador"
On the maps the straight-line dis
lance between Rio de Jtneiro and
Quito las not much more than the
appearance of a good broad jump;
on the trade routes over which a
letter must journey between these
two points the distance is approx
mately 5000 miles each ay. Cal
~culating on reasonably close rail
and steamship connections, four
r,nntb- --@,JI -. A.
time the prospective Brazilian buy
err posted and received reply for an
order or inquiry, European com
petitors with agents and displays on
the spot would enjoy a most obvi-
Gus advantage.
Distances in South America are
great and are seldom realized by
the North Americans, who is much
more used to vast stretches than is
his European rival. In the case of
the letter cited above, it would have
to go from Rio de Janeiro to New
York by steamer, a distance of A.
TO miles. thence 1912 miles south
ward to Colon. so miles across the
canal zone, S35 miles down the
west coast of South America to
Guayaquil. Ecuador. and finally 210
miles inland to the high plateau
city of Quito.
The return trip would be over the
same route, for mails are not car
ried southwark to Buenos Aires
and Over the Andes for this part of
the continent. and even if they were
the distance would be SO great as
to make the American automobile
advertisers proposition ridiculous.
There are evidences everywhere
here that the English, German,
French, Spanish and Portuguese
merchants mean to fight hard to dis
pute the lead recently acquired by
the North Americans in the field of
Brazilian trade. For some years
prior to the wal the United States
occupied third position as supplier
of merchandise to the Brazilians.
During the first year of the con-
f1ict the northern republic crept to
second place and at the termina-
ton of the second year it had a
good lead which it has since main
tanned. When trade conditions are
re-established, competition will be
keener and establishing agencies in
the plateau region of the Andes for
sale of commodities in Rio de ia
Metro. which is as if an English
firm would advertise the sale of a
commodity in a New York paper and
refer inquiries to it's agency in Sitka.
Alaska-will not help American ex-
porters to maintain supremacy.
To break the hold which the Unit
ed States has slowly acquired and
to establish pre-war conditions of