French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1916-1919, 1917-06-21
RUSSIA GIVES NJ
Regarded as Fine Field for Goods
Made I'M America.

in Russia when the war is over they
must begin to study the Russian Ian
guage. Efforts being made by Amerl-
leans now to capture trade in the a
empire are certain to fail, for the
methods employed by American manu-
facturers to make a market for their
goods in Russia are fundamentally
wrong. And if they are continued
America cannot hope for better trade
relations with Russia"
1t is because of his interest in bring
ine about closer relations between
Russia and the United States that Mr..
Sergey Friede gives this warning. For
! 80 a Mr.. Friede has been engaged
in the Russian-American trade and to
make American goods popular through
out Russia is not only his business,
but his hobby. y
I'm the first place." said Mr.. Friede
the other day, sit is impossible TO dls-
nose of goods in Russia without sales
men who are acquainted with the Rus
sian language. There are not SO Amer
leans in the entire United States who
are sufficiently capable n trust
worthy to represent American manu-
facturers in Russia. Yet how many
Americans are studying Russia? There
are only two or three chairs OF Slavic
languages in all the great universities
in America. And do you know how
many college students are studying
Russian? Less than a dozen.
''Now unless young American men
learn to speak Russian it is useless for
them to attempt to engage in the Rus
sian trade. No German firm would
think of sending a salesman to Russia
unless he spoke Russian fuently, and
as there are thousands of Germans
who speak Russian, Germany will re-
gain all the business she lost and more
besides. for. in addition to the advant-
age of familiarity with the Russian
language, German statesmen under
stand the Russian method of doing
business.
"'This competition with Germany is
to be expected. American manufacture
ers cannot hope to supersede German
manufacturers in supplying the bulk
of Russian imports. But they can
compete successfully with British and
French manufacturers if they make
the proper efforts to capture the trade
field. Russian is now being taught in
the public schools in France. For the
duration of the war and for several
years thereafter it will replace Ger
man in the public schools in both
countries. And naturally thousands
of English and French boys will study
it. The result is obvious. British and
French manufacturers will be able to
send saelsmen into Russia who at least
have some knowledge of the language
in which they must do business.
"That is why 1 say arrangements
must be made to teach Russian in the
schools of the United States" Mr..
Friede continued. I'm spite of many
statements to the contrary, Russian is
no more difficult to learn than many
other languages. I have known many
young men who mastered it in a year.
And in my opinion it is the very best
investment parents can make for their
sons. For the American who can
speak Russian will command a large
salary at the end of the war.
cat the present time it is very 70
ish even to talk about capturing the
Russian trade. The war has upset
conditions throughout the empire to
such an extent that it is not only i'm
possible to ship mt h Of anything but
military goods to Russia, but even If it
were possible to ship goods there Rus
sian merchants would not buy until
peace is declared. 1t is a waste of
time for American manufacturers to
do anything except train their men to
be- able to handle Russian business
when it is possible to get it. Of
| course il would be of advantage for a
young men who expect to engage in
| 4Lo D1,1oion frod- RI nocC CnU0rq1
months in Russia, but that is impossi=
BILE except in isolated cases. But
young men can learn Russian, famil-
iarize themselves with the history and
traditions of the country and be ready
to go abroad when the war ends.
Russia has not developed the man
ufactures to any extent since the be-
ginning of the war. And it will be
many, many years before SIZE will de-
velop factories to enter competition
with the United States Or Franco, Ger
many and England. The development
of her soil will be greatly increased,
however, and that will enable her to
buy American and European goods
cheaper than she could possibly manu-
facture them herself. Consequently
there is no question that there will be
an enormous market for goods OF all
Kinds Throughout the sempire. And If
American manufacturers al supply
them there is no reason why they
should not make substantial profits.
Cup to the present time almost
nothing has been done by Americans
to get this future business. To be
sure, we are selling large quantities
! Of war supplies, but that is no basis
for future commercial relations