Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-11-16
ROBBER|ES HURTING
TRADE WITH BRAZIL
Shipment Falsihcations or Thefts
En- Route Threaten Loss to
American Business.
NJ lust GAIN. CONFIDENCE
Statesmen From United States,
Who Are on Square, Find
Easy Shedding.
nN MARTHA L.. ROOT

by MARTHA l.. ROOT.
RIO DE JAN METRO. Nov. Is
Startling robbc-ics are takint,
place either in the custom houses OF
south America or in shipments from
the United States. Brazil wishes to
DO business with our country. but she
literally throws up her hands ir DE-
SPAR There is something baak OF
Ia" custom house troubles. Either
some country is doing underhand work
~ hrhzil 10 get hcr former trade back.
or hig thcfts arc going on under tn.
eyes o: the governments OF he two
Day before yesterday wholesale
importer IN Rio dc Janciro received
hundreds Of cases Of apricots for winch
-" had paid cash and custom duties.
mere were a ic" Zine apr!cotS on TOD
- m!siead the inspector. bu, under
meath were old. poor fruit comp-ls
Ne bulk OF the lot. The importer
though he has paid in fun. canno; sell
Their value.
Her Samples "MisInid"
Earlier in August. in Pcrnambuco.
TIE Universal SNvicc correspondent {
met an American saleswoman who
"as introducing saucrkraut into
hraz!l. All her sample cases mad been
lost Tor over six months Detectives
we're employed, but finally, through
her own eTorts. she HAD located them
~ the custom house The lack of
ampies w.tI which TO canvass Brazil
meant the loss TO her firm of several
thousand dollars and the loss TO her
~ her position.
In Mace!o. another Brazilian seaport,
the writer saw Sunn%sacks that mad
reached Brazil from the United States
filled with stones weighing seventy
pounds instead OF ammunition and
SC ssors. she visited another most re-
80. .Fa p =,
his cases OF Chicago-made grape Juice
other hnioGs and only Il few bottles
o: grape Juice.
sitting Evidence.
Americans in Brazil are using every
means possible TO sift the evidence
Is going to be one OF the greatest
countries in the commercial world. and
very continent IS eager 10 capture
her trade. The United States can get
friendly but unless our country gets
cables. mail, passenger and cargo ships
AMI sends down more representative
statesmen who can speak Portuguese
the enormous business of Brazil may
swing back TO Great Britain. Germany
and the res; Of Europe
one great lesson American business
firms need 20 learn Is "Paci"ncia
the Brazilian will never do business
without social ceremony and polite
ness first. Business houses will not
succeed II they. send the ordinary
drummer" Il is waste OF money
to send any except men of fine char
actcr and then give them carte blanche
10 bide their time. make the decisions
here and get the business leisurely,
close a deal and his firm back home
cable that it must he changed Kills
4 confidence that spells all future
ivade-the writer saw it happen last
week.
Called Country "ROtten."
Two Illustrations of statesmen will
prove what kind OF men Brazilians
like. One man representative = West
crn house invited the writer to have
an ice. He said it tasted like frozen
toilet water. and the UNIVERSAL Ser
vice representative replied the ice was
delicious. ON. come on. Miss Root"
said he. "be "A sport and say that
everything IN South America is ROT
ten.' Brazilian educated in Co
lumba College was with the group.
lie said to the writer later, MT. SO
and So laughs at everything down
here"
a group was at luncheon at the
Palace Hotel in Rio de Janeiro. 4
Pittsburgh locomotive representative
invited a few Brazilians TO meet the
writer that they might help her with
articics-a little courtesy because the
Journalist was from his city. Walking
guest, a young man from one of the
oldest families in Brazil, just back
from aviation study in the United
states, he said of the Pittsburgher:
Mr. SO and SO is representative
who can sell all the engines he wishes
in our country. We can see that he
has a nice heart and pure thoughts
The Pittsburgher had been invited
to that young mans home: he had
lpen introduced to the father and
mother. attended their SORES. met
their cousins and then their entire
elite set
Must Gain Confidence.
This same young Brazilian spoke of
another American who has made
fortune in Brazil, saying: He is the
same sort. too; he has learned our
language; he comes to our balls.
dances with our sisters and laughs
over his bad Portuguese; we trust
him absolutely"
LESTER ARMOUR is WORKING