The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-19
ny LoRING G. PEEDE.
Specially toritten for the Latin LmerJco
section Of The SUN.

Specially toTitton for the Latin Zmertcdn
section Of The SUN.
Although considerable Improvement
has been evidenced in the quality Of the
catalogues distributed In Latin Ameri-
can countries by North American manu-
facturers a great deal has yet to be
done before foreign language printed
matter is brought on par with our
domestic catalogues and advertising
folders
Catalogues and folders printed in Eng
lish still clutter the mails of South
American buyers, despite the continuous
criticism which has been directed
against this practice. In fact a
large percentage Of the Catalogues being
distributed to Spanish, Spanish Ameri-
can, Portuguese and Brasiiian mer-
chants and dealers at the present time
are written entirely in English.
am reminded Of a story brought
back some years ago by a Brazilian
traveller. While on a river steamboat
on the Amazon he CHANGED to ask what
kind OF fuel was being used to IRE the
boilers. We'll" said the old skipper
to whom the question was addressed.
most always we use those Yankee
catalogues printed in English. --.,-,~~ the
merchants in Para are glad to have
carted away for nothing, but when the
out we sometimes havs to use cord
wood"
Naturally there are more manufactur-
ers now issuing Spanish and Portuguese
catalogues than there were a few years
back, but the number OF those who still
stempt to sidestsp this important obliga-
ton TO their export clients Is appalling
In looking over a large collection of
catalogues OF American manufacturers
~ col AAn artv 80
nent commission house recently 1 was
amazed to find that scores of our largest
producers who are engaged in exporting
TO Latin America are not equipped with
catalogue in Spanish, and catalogues
IN Portuguese are few and far between,
though numerous manufacturers find Il
a simple expedient to cover the whole
world with one catalogue printed in sew
eral languages. Such works are usually
made up in English. French. Spanish
and Portuguese and II printed before
the war German was also included.
Reason for Catalogues.
There IL an explanation. however. for
this apparent negligence in the matter
o. foreign language catalogues-theh high
price OF printing during the war. the
small prospects OF export business
during that period and the anticipa ton
OF inevitable price adjustments follow
ing the signing of peace have all been
deterrent factors to these lines of en-
deavor.
The lid is of. however. on propaganda
work of this kind now. and the printers
report a larger volume Of foreign IAN
guage work than ever before. Type
founders have anticipated the demand
and there is hardly a progressive printer
who cannot supply his client with
Spanish accented letters in several faces
NJ type.
improvements in the mechanical con-
struction. typography. layout and art
work OF the foreign catalogue have
naturally kept pace with the excellent
quality of work usually put into the
domestic editions. In addition to this.
experience has shown which styles Of
bidings best Withstand the deleterious
effects Of the tropics and which methods
OF wrapping or boxing serve as most
efficient protection against the rough
usage OF the mails.
The problems OF arranging transla-
tons printed In several languages into
the usual formation OF parallel columns
is one which Is not always easy 70
solve II an artistic and attractive layout
is to be observed. The fact that clea
translation OF the English text into
CpdHlSH USUALLY III SOpy
will occupy 20 per cent more space
than the English original Is one which
entails perplexing problems Of arrange
ment. For this problem two obvious
solutions are offered.
One, to line space the English text
the other to reduce the type size OF
the Spanish version. There are many
other means of surrounding such diff
hcultes, but II Is obvious, from the
start that much study and ingenuity are
required to produce presentaole jot
OF this kind.
The same applies, in part, TO all for.
eisn language printing whether in sew
eral idioms or only one. Slapdasf
preparation and contract printing Jobs
will prove a poor investment for the
manufacturer will find that the expor'
catalogue Is to him what the ambassador
Is 10 his government. and that 1t also
must possess similar qualifications
Must Inspire Confidence.
As an Ambassador It must be bott
truthful and diplomatic. inspire conn
dence and be courteous, should never Dt
clumsy or awkward. on oil occasions
should make q good appearance. veal
we'll. talk plainly, and become not easily
ruined: It should be perfect In Its die
GVIs anu dDONo al, opOdh WA 40 1890
whom II represents.
II we were TO stop, however, with .
discussion of makeup, printing, art worl
and the like, we would not be covering
half the ground. Much as has beer
spoken and written regarding faulty
TRANSACTIONS. reports continue to conn
from all quarters that Spanish as she
is SPOKE" is still being innocently perpe
trated upon prospective buyers In LatiI
countries
One would think that second yea
students in Y. NJ. c. A Spanish hat
been turned loose on the general propo
sition Of preparing export catalogues !
one were 70 Judge by some OF the prod
ucts.
theoretically, printed matter In Span
ish should not be a mere translation
from the English. In actual practice
however, It Is not always possible u
do more than to make an idiomati'
Translation OF the original material. i
is the so-called literal TRANSACTIONS, how
ever which prove the most offensive u
those whose mother tongue Is the Span
ish
Though dramatically correct, tn,
literal translation In always distasteful
but when, as so frequently occurs, !
Is replete with errors. both inane ant
ridiculous, the book, no matter how at
tractive in other respects, fails TO com
ndnd the buyers respect.
The famous example OF the machiner,