The Washington herald., 1919-02-24
MUST co after
I FOREIGN TRADE
European Business Not
Dangling from Every
Wayside Bush.


Where is all this foreign trade
we heard so much aboutT' some
merchants are inquiring. I'VE do
not see any of it coming our way"
What they say is true. They do
not see it coming their way. What
is more, they are not likely to see
much of il unless they wake up
,and go after it.
:. Foreign trade is not to be had
sin volume except by those who have
Enterprise and ability. There are
scores and scores of visitors from
foreign lands pouring into New
York and hundreds and hundreds
of others will come. Some will find
opportunity to place their orders in
the metropolis. Others will trickle
over the country. Transportation
sdifficulties are keeping back many
who would like to be here now. The
steamship service to distant lands is
being adjusted slowly. Forward
looking men are not waiting for
the trade to come to them. They
are going after it. They are the
ones who will get the best of it.
Ignorant of Foreign Trade.
, Know thyself. Know your busi-
ness.
There is more ignorance to the
square foot in America in regard to
foreign trade than in any other big
country under the sun.
Many men are talking in public
about foreign trade who know moth
inE about it. \ banker got up the
other day and said he was tired of
hearing so much about having to do
this and do that to cater to the
peculiar fashions OF the foreign Gus
toner. Many of these fashions. he
said, were established by the British
or the French or the Germans, par
ticularly the Germans, in recent years.
There was no manufacturer or
merchant comparable to the Ameri-
can. He should impress his individ-
suaIity and the individuality Of his
goods upon the foreign buyer. There
were no shoes. for example. to equal
American shoes They should be sold
throughout the world.
The gentleman was unfortunate in
his Illustration for American shoes
are not the best in the wcrld. What
is the lr0erican shoe one year is not
.the u.-L In nothing, unless It be
-wlIuar- q .cSs. does style change 50
Tr--uc-,tv The shoe of woman is
rIc --r of many Ills and Of man
many troubles.
Great Chance for shoe Wen.
Tn-r. is r tremendous trade to
be d-ve',-..L rr che Nu.ariCan shoe
rpa5rI. .- U. -.t II The foreign
grarE-.. r...- .e -Ir1 81 In Africa
TuIrJrz Of Tr'-.m- "aE- what We
TERM a --.ra- .- rroE.ss, J-.' sole
.bcll- d rre o.. r.~ strip ard the
.u-la- .--rt -rr...I..
Tic -.-. .+-.u vnIl7 -turer who
s-sp- r- .. -l.l a.. We wear TO those
people f. rrr likely tn impress his in
dfvIGg4Ity on the North or South or
Central Africa in tn" way nc would
desire.
It will take years. many years. to
change their habits and tastes in
footwear. II can and will be done but
the prudent man will sell to them
now. make for them now. what they
want.
So. too. in China. There the shoes
are made in the homes by the women.
They are mostly Of cotton or wood or
silk a. 10 uppcrS with a sole of felt
or other material!
One Of the great wastes of China is
due to this shoe. When it rains the
bulk OF the Chinese stay indoors. The
shoes. or most of them. cannot with
stand moisture
When the Chinese come to wear
ing shoes imPerviOus to the weather
the production of China will be in
creased measurably.
Few persons know how the Stand
ard Oil heightened the day in China.
Before the Standard invaded China
the Chinaman went to bed with the
chickens, so to speak. To develop a
market for kerosene the Standard had
TO educate the Chinaman up to the
value OF light. Mr. Rockefeller en-
gagged men to devise the simplest and
best kerosene lamp possible. They
evolved a metal affair that was a
wonder for cheapness and utility. The
lamps were distributed free. Tens
upon tens of thousands were dis
trlbuted. Then they gradually came
into use. Later as the demand for
them became insistent the Standard
stopped giving them away. but ,oId
them at cost and that was not much.
Became Light of Asia
As result of the simple Iamr the
day in China was heightened. Today
China is perhaps the grea test user
Of kerosene in the world. The Stan
dard Oil lamp became the Light of
Asia. On the basis of that lamp the
Standard built up its wonderful
trade in the Far East and added
greatly to wealth of China through
Increasing the production of man.
incidentally it opened the way for
many other commercial lines in
Asia
1t is not going to be so difficult
70 sell American goods in foreign
fields as formerly. America TODAY is
the only nation capable of supply
ing the needs of the world. GER
many, England, France and the
others have much to do at home.
They are shy. too, of raw material
Also they have not the fnaciaI DOM
nance in foreign markets they en-
toyed formerly.
But America. to build UP an en-
during trade, must study the peoples
who are to do the buying and sup
ply to them according to their pres
ent customs and desires. Later there
may be opportunity to teach them
the virtue Of American makes. but
they are likely to balk if effort is
made to force sudden changes on
them. People are slow to accent
what Is new and strange.
AL this has no reference to Ameri-