The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-05
LATIN HOSPITALITY GOES
WITH BUSINESS DEALINGS
Yankee Statesmen Can Win Success Only by Adapting
Themselves to Customs-Others Might Best
Stay at Home and Save Trouble.
ny A. A. PRECIADO,


Former Representative in chas Of the Com
mftfee on Public Information.
Written Especially for tho Loan american
Section OF The Sun.
I'm done with this country: there is
nothing here that interests my firm or
myself. The first thing shall do when
1 get back to headquarters is to submit
a report against entering the South
American field"
Having gained the ear OF a few fellow
passengers by this sudden burst of ora
tropical expression on the high seas the
travelling man who was done with
South America looked out toward the
barren hills Of the Peruvian coast, and
continued:
whats the use? These fellows down
mere want their goods this way and that,
and to cap the climax theyyexpect us to
lay the goods down at the custom house
Tor them, and then make us whistle for
our money. which may. or may not, reach
the home office in about ninety days or
more
why, we have got to give these for
eigners credit or ninety days and when
we sell goods to our own folks ut home
We can get our money in thirty days
and eliminate ton OF red tape at the
same time"
Needless to say this fellow was done
with South America. He was probably
beaten before he had started. As I size
1t up, he happened to be one Of a great
number of American statesmen who
joined the stampede to South America
after we had gone into the war. and
expected to obtain orders with the same
70 NJ i
at the same time secure himself against
loss by documents against cash.
Might Have Saved Money.
This fellow could have saved himself
and his firm lot Of trouble and money
by not buying his ticket TO South Amer
lea He should have stayed at home.
The manufacturer or newly organized
export merchant or commission house
who jumps at conclusions and sends a
man to foreign country without taking
into consideration new problem. not en-
countered in domestic trade, such as fill
Ing Of orders in a method consistent with
the requirements of the foreign field and
the granting Of long credit, is going to
feel rather sorry for launching into the
foreign field.
The American merchant who plunges
business must expect to readjust his af-
fairs in such a way as to absorb strange
ways of doing business. Also. he must
accept strange ways of satisfying his
customers initial orders IL he wants his
continued patronage. That business is
best which is permanent.
The South American business man I'd
to the period of the war had learned
to do business in a way radically differ
nj offr d 20 Inta lie
concerned. The principle was just the
same, however. The South American
had been influenced by European mer-
chants who were anxious to extend their
field of operations. Germany. desiring
TO foster trade in Latin America, nursed
1t along. II her customers required
financial assistance Germany was only
too willing to extend It. This had been
Germany's policy in Brazil, Argentina
and in Chile. and In other countries
where the made in Germany" trade
mark was we'll known. England, not to
be left out in the cold, met it's danger
Gus rivals terms. The result was that
the Latin Americans profited TO a great
extent by this commercial war. They
wanted credit they got It. They wanted
certain kinds of goods; they got them.
In the quest of trade Germany sent
the shrewdest men 1t could find. These
men knew languages lney COuiu COll-
verse on any subject under the sun.
They knew geography. They knew
Spanish They had been coached TO
adopt the South Americans leisurely
habits of doing business England fol-
|, lowed a similar policy.
Liked European Methods.
German and British trade prospered.
The Latin Americans felt satisfied They
liked European methods, and when the
war snapped the line that held the Euro
pean and South American continents to-
gether a radically new condition was i'm
mediately created. Latin America had
to buy from the United States.
America Immediately grasped the op-
portunity of a new market and the Gov
eminent records will show the success
full results of commercial activity on our
part in South America.
Now that the peace of the world IL
about to be reestablished I believe the
most important question tho American
business man would like to have an
swered is: "Will we hold our trade?"
| This Is a difficult question TO answer
It depends on what the other fellow is
going TO do. It depends on what we
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