The sun., 1919-07-30
JAVA NOW OFFERS
FIELD FOR SELLERS
Americans Not Taking Advan-
tage Of Opportunities in
Dutch East Indies.
ny r. n. ELDRIDGp. JR.


ny r. n. ELDRIDGE, ia.
CA{ef, Ear Eastern Division Bureau Of
Forciow and Domestic Commerce.
The situation In the Dutch East Indies
II not complicated by any lack Of local
capital. nor any scarcity OF return cargo.
on the other hand. this colony II already
selling US much moro than II is buying
from us. for ie has supplied US with just
the raw materials We need. The ques-
ton arises, can we supply the Dutch
East Indies with just the manufactured
goods they need in retcrn7 That we can
mako these goods and sell them to some
extent now in the Dutch East Indies Is
not q sufficient answer. Nor Is II enough
to say that we should get "our share"
Of the total trade. Until We sell the
Dutch East Indies as much, dollar for
dollar, an we purchase from them we are
not taking full advantage Of the favor
able situation which exists.
The very simplicity Of this selling
problem Is banning. Perhaps It could be,
said that the Same principles which make
for successful craftsmanship In Kansas
hold good In Java, but this would be only
be taken as q ground work. but each
class OF goods in lava presents a sep
arate problem In the solution Of which
the nero knowledge OF the general rules
Of the game do not suffice. Thus, In
order TO be successful In the sale of dye
stuffs II is necessary to know something
Of tho native botik. or piece goods indus
try, which Il quite different from any
weaving industry In this country.
- -
be contaminated by simply talking and
demonstrating In the same manner that
We are familiar with In the sale of SINH
| lar machinery either In the United States
or In some foreign countries. And so
examples might be added indefinitely, all
| Of which would show that tho selling
problem In the Dutch East Indies II
somewhat different IN every line from
anything within our ordinary expe-
rience.
Dutch Cautious Buyers.
Whether this Is because of tho climate,
the people or the tradition or little mix
! ture OF each 10 for the psychologist to
decide. What the business man is In
terested In Is Just how these DIFF
ferenoes AFFECT his business. In the
sale of machinery. iron and steel, PLAN
tation hardware and accessories and the
like he must expect to meet the con-
ssrvative Dutch importer or plantation
owner who has long been catered to
by European houses, and who knows
nothing OF America or American meth
DDS except what he has read in books This
has been very wide. for the Dutch
colonial nnds time heavy on his hands,
with few OF tho diversions afforded by
other climates, and 10 careful reader
OF American magazines of the better
grade. and forms pretty accurate idea
Of American customs and products from
them. This reading. however, teaches
him nothing OF American business meth
DDS. and these he must learn from FIRST
hand experience with American business
houses. The Insignificant mistakes,
therefore. that are occasionally made
by our pioneers loom large when trans
lated into dollars and cents by the
Dutch colonial, while to our exporter
day.
But there 10 another class OF traders
which deals In all tho smaller articles
Of commerce, suoh as household goods,
small hardware, piece goods. 80. and
this II q group Of Chinese jobbers and
importers These Chinese have some-
| times been In the Islands for many
years. sometimes for generations. and
in many cases have accumulated large
] amounts Of wealth. They are astute.
dependable business men, who live up
to the letter Of every contract. and ex-
pecs us TO do the same. Their word Is
as good as their bond. for once they
have lost ''face" they can never regain
position of respect Their own code
II their best security.
These Intermediates sometimes i'm
port direct and distribute to the various
retail markets, and sometimes act only
a. 1obbers and distributors. This often
depends upon the character Of the
goodsL In the best German lines before
| the war tho agency was generally placed
with n large Dutch house through It's
Holland once. In this case the Chinese
simply act as distributors.
| Commercially these are the only two
| groups of Dutch East Indian traders
with whom American exporters are at
all likely to have much intercourse. The
Javanese. Malays and Arabs form the
agricultural. fishing and industrial labor
elements, and II is to their wants that
tho American exporter must cater
through the Chinese and the Dutch. SO,
while adopting his methods OF doing
| business to the latter. the tastes and
be kept in mind.
Through several centuries the whole
policy OF the Dutch administration Of
4 the islands has been to increase produo-
tion. without Increasing the desires Of
tho producers We have therefore an
anomaly Of an extremely fertile and
productive soil sustaining a population
| OF only comparatively simple wants.
The natural result has been that for
many years before the war little of the
actual proceeds were spent In Java, but
by establishing the markets for Java's $
exports and the assembling place for
Java's imports in Holland, the greater
the colony accumulated there as we'll.
| With the old European trade routes
closed by the war. however. these prod
ucts now began to md their way to
other markets. notably Japan and Amer
lea. and manufactured goods from these
countries were naturally the. logical re-
| turn carge!
with the advent of peace tho Euro
pean masters Of this ~Jewel of the Euua-
tor" as Java 10 called. will naturally
endeavor 10 divert much OF the trade
TO the old channels. But q strong eie-
ment Of Dutch colonials have seen the
advantages IN direct trade, have realized
| that now Al never before they have
been receiving full value for their prod
uots and are saving excess freight and
| brokerage and consequently are con-
tinuing direct steamship lines with Japan
and the United States They are send
Ing millions of dollars Of raw products
to our door. Can we In turn send back
these ships laden with an equal value of
manufactured soodsf