Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-05-18
HUN TRADE AGENTS
CAPTURE BUSINESS
Their Commercial Travellers Al
ready Ovcrrun Neutral Coun-
tries Seeking Orders.
OFFER MANY COMMODITIES
Even Deprecated Value of Mark
Works TO Their Advantage
in Making Sales.

LONDON, MAY Ill, is no pleasure
Z" travel 10 Holland 81, present The
Journey is long and tedious. The cross
Ing takes twice the prcwar time: the
Dutch trains are scarcely lighted on
account OF the serious coal shortage.
and they, stop At every hamlet. The
gas supply in tho towns IL cut off for
The greater part OF the day.
on the whole. tho impression one re-
.oiHcs now IN Holland Is ono OF dull
ness and depression. Yet do not re-
@rct having apcnt a fom days in tho
country Of tho low lands. because have
been able - gather much Interesting
information which most likely would
not have come 10 my knowledge If
had not crossed the North Sea
was especially anxious 10 kuow
whether the Germans were displaying
my husiness activity IN neutral coun-
ir.tS now that they arc struggling with
>Gch tremendous domestic difficulties
and ! must confess that ! was amazed
At the replies my queries elected in
Rcady With .oods.
fho bare truth is that German COM
ncrcial travellers are ovcrruuninc the
-djoininc neutral countries and offer
NC ihousands Of commodities for i'm
mediate delivery.
IT is hardly hcle,ablc bu, they can
"yen sunp!y article IT. copper. which
lhcT sell at cheaper prices than tho
aonpered goods The German travel,
MANI OF them express The hope TO
.is't their old friends in En.,!and be
Tore three months have clapaed.' It
SuiarlN facilitated at present ia ncu
iTal countries FOR various reasons.
among which must lie cited tho low
rate OF exchange or the mark and the
absence OF allied competitions
IL IS "cll-known fact that the
blockade has very seriously deprc
lated the value % the marx, hu; At
Tho present time this depreciation
work ont cntsrciy to the advantage
OF the German export trade. and pre-
'cnts FOR Instance Great Britain from
'"m2' ting Win German products IN
the neutral markets
one example which was quoted 10
me ny Dutch business man viii
clearly illustrate This proposition. His
'patiols' an agricultural implement
which IS exported IN huge numbers IA
tho Dutch East Indtcs. re wrote for
auo,";ton TO German and 20 an
7,ae latter ropicd in an un,idy :
coknr hand written lc,ter--I am
ihcy could supply limited quantity
~ aooui aiA months At IS. I'd or nat
Jol the acccp,ancc of the offer 10 bo
ielcErapncd without delay
Ip-to-Dntc Methods.
Tho German arm sent 70 bcaui fully
illustrated catalogue and offered to
supply unmcdtaiciS hundreds of thou:
sands Of these pat1ols AZ HE uricc OF
$50 I.a"ks aplccc. The prc'war price
81 this article "aa mark or Co
viz. Is. the price or $50 marks, al
though l5o per cent higher than be-
fore ~" VA. ,represents n Dutch
'han inc nr' war price, whereas - eh
2, tho present rnt' of exchange Of
Ii.5o i worth 80 Dutch cents |; will
30 easily understood that in these con-
ditiong British products cannot COM
pete with the German s,an.
Dutch business men would be only
100 pleased 10 buy ~ England IN,
whereas scores Of Germans call at
heir Offices in Holland they never sec
an Eng!ishmar. Dutch bushes men
or France 10 buy the merchandise
they require. and very often taey get
couraEins. Resides. the passport re-
s,rictions constitute a serious jmpcdi-
men, q" journeys for business pur-
roscs
Passports nmcun.
laSSnH'tS Tor Eng land arc granted
only - tic BRUSH consulate az Rot :
'crdum. wbcrc wouid-br travellers have
o aUpl' personally one Cannot nm
dcrstiAnd WY no hrit!sR, passp%ri oiiee
rapital ana mos, Important business
center Of the country
,n Dgrins my siaE IN Holland no
pntci, papers from krupp's simply
saying. over the five years proceed
ing .hc war tac krupp works had :,
steel production Of 9J.i per cont FOR
neace purposes and sc per cent for
war purposes Nothint else = added.
ANA Tho intention is. Of course, obvi-
Gus.
AS an Indication OF the state ~
mind ia The central cmpirca il IS sig
mihcart TO note tia; few weeks ago
these countrios were the biggest buy
"rs nj polished diamonds ia the mar
hct "f amsterdam and pad mulch
hiEhcr prices than the Americans Tho
same phenomenon TOOK place in RUS
SiI shortly piOrc tho break OF the
revolution. when pcoplc invested their
money in diamonds for fear OF having
II con'iscatcd 10y the new regime
+ FMGl IsH PAPER RFFIlsEs