El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-03-01
MUST LEARN To
SELL MEXICO
Consul General Garcia and
Ell Paso Men Explain How
to Get It's Trade.

to Get Its Trade.
The use of "acceptances" and long
term credits, the use Of the metric
system in foreign trade, the study Of
Spanish and Mexican commercial law,
and the willingness to do business
along Mexican lines were among the
various improvements advocated for
adoption by Americans selling goods
in Mexico at a meeting held Thursday
evening at the courthouse under the
auspices of the College of the City of
FL Paso. at which Andres G. Garcia,
Mexican consul general, was the prin-
cipal speaker. The meeting was the
first of a series Of commercial dis
cussions to be held by the college.
IF Americans wish to take trade in
Mexico away from the Europeans,
they must first lay a foundation" de-
clared Mr.. Garcia.
A knowledge Of Spanish was one OF
the principal qualifications of the
successful salesman in Mexico, he
suggested
Europeans Understand Language.
Europeans have procured more
business in Mexico because they first
came to US in our own language, he
said, while Americans either tried TO
force English upon their Mexican Gus
toners or tried to talk through an
interpreter. Both methods are faulty"
The study of the peculiar customs
and ways of Mexicans in doing bush
ness was another point on which
Americans statesmen had not followed
their European competitors.
Mix Business With sOciability.
The Mexicans mix business and So
cial affairs" he said The repre-
sentatives first cultivate the Mexican
tradesmen in a social way. in the club
and in the home and, after three or
four days of getting acquainted, bust
ness is approached, the very last
thing"
Americans tried TO do business on
the so miles an hour" method, he
declared. a method all right for the
United States and those Mexicans
used to United States ways Of doing
business, but entirely untitled to the
customs of most Mexican business
men.
often done business while paying So
cial calls" he added
Suggests Longer Credits.
Then, the Americans like to do
business on a spot cash basis. or short
pean competitor adopts an opposite
policy" he said. a great deal OF
retail business in Mexico is done on
long time credit, and the merchants
like to buy on the same basis
This does not mean that the Euro
peans wait a long time for their
money. Instead, they take the notes,
which are converted into cash at
once at the banks, but the merchant
has the benefit of long time credit,
and he likes it. Little money was
lost by this procedure when trade
was at its height and l believe that II
will be the method Americans VIII
yet pursue, If they are to get and
hold Mexican business
French Conform to Requirements,
The manner in which Europeans
had studied Mexican trade was illus
trated by a story told of a French
salesman who, when refused an order
on chairs. because they were not OF a
popular pattern, took the matter up
with his firm, with the result that il
duplicated the style OF chair needed
The tendency of Americans to criti-
else hotels, dishes, customs and ot,er
things in Mexico was another point
touched on by Mr.. Garcia. He stated
that these things hurt American trade
when heard by Mexican merchants
Offers TO Help Exporters.
All Of his criticisms were offered IN
a friendly spirit. Mr.. Garcia ex-
planned, and he stated that, as repre-
sentative of the Mexican government
he was ready at all times to offer
his services to Americans in FL Paso
who wished to do business in Mexico
He also congratulated the business
men on having such an institution as
the college, where Spanish and Mexi-
can commercial methods might be
studied
Schwartz Favors Acceptances.
The great value of studying meth
DDS of making out invoices and be-
coming familiar with Mexican com
mercial law was emphasized by A
Schwartz, who endorsed the position
taken by Mr.. Garcia
Americans have not paid much at
tention to the export business, ne
said, urging that careful study De
made Of Mexican ways of doing bust
ness, and praising the acceptance
method of settling for goods.
Chance For Lawyers.
Very few of our lawyers under
stand commercial law as practiced IN
Mexico" he said. IF a young lawyer
would take up the study and thor
oughly familiarize himself with the
subject, he would not need more than
three or four corporations and he
would be making from $4,000 10
$4,000 per year"
Marking foods in both the metric
system and in the English system
was advocated by Mr.. Schwartz.
Banks Adopt New System.
The acceptance system. packing
goods in ways desired by Mexican
merchants, and the use of the metric
system in dealing with Mexican mer-
chants. were points advocated by
John NJ Wyatt. in a short talk He
also stated that the acceptance sys-
TEN was being adopted by Ell Paso
bankers. He declared that the new
federal reserve law had made it pos
sible for FL Paso banks to do business
better in Mexico.
Urges Metric System
Andres c. Gonzalez, of Juarez.
urged the general use Of the metric
system of weights and measures all