The sun., 1919-07-02
FAR EAST NEEDS
TRADE PUBLICITY
Opportunities for American
Manufacturers Grow, but
Information Is Lacking.

Lack of advertising has left US COM
paratively ignorant as to the wonderful
| trading opportunities open to American
| manufacturers in the Far East II Asia
| had been advertised as persistently and
as intelligently as Latin America has
| been featured during the last fifteen to
eighteen years a far greater portion of
our overseas trading would have been
| across the Pacific However. a splendid
| Improvement is noted.
Since 1914 our trade with the Far
| East has increased from 10 to Is per
| cent OF our total, while that with Latin
| America has increased since 1905 only
| from Is to 10 per cent Two big fac
| tors have brought about this change
many public spirited citizens on both
sides Of the Pacific have plunged into
the work OF splendid publicity and we
have lost much of our tendency to shy
at distances.
II we compare the Latin American
and the Far Eastern populations Japan
will be found to contain more millions
OF people than all of Latin America.
Also. Japan as a market is. to the Far
East. Just about what Cuba Is to Latin
America very small part OF the po-
tential whole, and II Is surprising to
learn that the purchasing capacity Of
the individual japanese Is quite COM
parable TO the individual purchasing ca
pEcity of the Latin Americans
As the possibilities unfold before our
astigmatic eyes II begins to dawn upon
us that, relatively speaking, We have
been too absorbed in developing a small
city market when by going Just a few
miles further we could have enjoyed the
tremendous outlet OF great metropolis
However. the figures indicate that we
have established ourselves in the smaller
community and have gained from that
experience courage and the know how
to go into the greater.
What TO ofrer is a bothersome aues-
ten to those unfamiliar with the Orient.
but there are few exceptions to what
can be marketed there. Returned trav-
ellers are altogether too prone to exag-
geration and seneralities and this care
| lessness of theirs concerning facts re-
acts on the business initiative OF Amer
! lean manufacturers and merchants. For
instance. one Of the generalities relates
to the cheapness OF labor and the abuu-
dant supply Of il. both OF which are rep
resented as SO extreme that no market
!, for labor saving machinery Is offered.
This Is only partially true.
, ! An American rancher in Manchuria
has about $4,000 worth of agricultural
machinery stored away because he found
a return TO hand labor economically ad-
: visable, but American sewing machines
! are distributed in even the smallest ham
. let's Of China, and there is n mechanical
stoker at work in n power plant away
: back in the interior Along the coast
is regular epidemic of machinery in
stallations for the making OF textiles,
, leather, paper. printing and whatnot. So
, there Is a market for machinery.
That there are no roads In China and
, the streets OF Japanese cities are too mar
= row for motor cars are other half truths
) These deter the selling effort OF auto
mobile manufacturers. 1t Is extremely
, unfortunate that these half truths are
J accepted without further investigation
As n matter OF fact very few Of China 4
. country roads permit the use OF auto
} mobiles, but the streets Of many cities
!, coastal and interior. are as finely paved
and as wide and level as ours. Most
: assuredly there is a market for motor
cars in China
So there is in Japan. Some streets
{ | are too narrow TO make their use COM
4, Portable but the same may be truly said
= of Salem and Marblehead. The occa-
. sions for attempting to use these narrow
: streets are few, SO they do not really
! affect the main issue. Also. Japan ha;
many miles OF very fine country roads
The idea OF sending Virginia cigar
cites to Manila in any serious attempt
to sell tnem pTODaDly sOunuS ike
r variation OF carrying Goals to Newcastle
q but it is being done proftably.
J. As a matter OF fact, there Is hardly
4 a thing we grow or make that Is un
D salable in the Far East. Our CHIEF
q concern should be the increasing OF
e the purchasing power of these people
r of the Orient. For instance. II through
q the development OF China's railways
: &c, we could increase the purchasing
capacity of the individual only ten cent?
per annum, we would have an oppor
), tunity to sell forty eight million dollarl
q worth more to China every year.
u Automobile manufacturers used u
y talk about Il saturated market. TIL,
% war either eliminated or postponed tina
% danger, II it ever existed. but F. r
20 Eldridge, Jr, chief OF the Far Eastern
II Division of the Bureau OF Foreign anC
70 Domestic Commerce, pointed out re
o Gently that when automobiles are with
k In reach OF the average middle class
e Chinese there will be four times Al
= many prospects, proportionate to pop
Y ulation. as exist among a similar clas
IT OF a corresponding purchasing power II
r this country.
% This Is unquestionably true and /
Is our automobile manufacturers contlnu
T. to standardize and further lessen cost
ri through quantity production. China viii
" keep them busy-China can become L
II America, as a source of wealth and a
10 an outlet. what India Is to Englan,
)r and that, too. without the sllghtes
Sc suggestion OF exploitation on our part
r for whatever development OF America
x interests takes place In China. or an
A. other spot in the Orient. will result 4
mutual benefit.