The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-14
HOW statesmen WIN
IN LATIN AMERICA
Europeans Have Advantage
of Using the Language
Of the Native.
YANKEES NOT LINGUISTS
Correspondent Takes Excep-
ton to Statements Made
by A. A. PreciadO.

| Dy A. A. Pfec1duO.
To THE EDITOR OF THE LATIN AMERi-
CAN SECTION OF THE SuN-Sir: new
theory In regard to the necessary quail
| ncations of a salesman going to South
America was announced by A. A..
Preciado In the Latin American section
J of THE SuN for May 20. so far the
worth OF his strange argument has gone
unchallehged with one exception. to
(which he replies in the same section OF
| THE SUN this morning, defending his
! stand. For the benefit Of the many un-
/ initiated followers OF this exceedingly
valuable page may i not contribute q
limo or two in the hope that what I
write may be the means Of heading of
some OF the Ill advised excursions OF
we'll meaning but innocent explorers Of
the Latin American mart?
| 1t is the opinion of the writer, who
| has spent several years in Latin Amer
lea. that the very doctrine which Mr..
| Preciado expounds is that upon which
| have been wrecked the aspirations and
! good intentions OF many a merchant or
manufacturer who has sought footing
| for his wares in Latin America
Mr.. Preciado's "simpatico' but none
| the less fictitious salesman who didn't
know a word Of Spanish. yet swamped
| his house with South American orders
reminds me OF the captain OF the Ameri-
| can ship bound for Belgium. He spoke
| no French. but his precious cargo con-
sisted OF food, which the Belgians
| craved.
Experience of q "Crackerjack."
The auto accessory manufacturer who
| n n at hA tF1tr Inn pd aalA
his wares to a lingu!st who made no pre-
| tensions as a saleeman deserved what he
| got. II Is generally understood that the
| sale OF merchandise must be entrusted
| to statesmen: those who have done other
wise have not rs a rule found It profit
| able.
| My experience leads me to believe that
| there IL slight choice between Mr..
| Preciado's two travellers neither COM
bined the qualities we seek in the sue
cesstul salesman to South America, re-
| gsy oless OF his nationality.
Your correspondent rene mbers a zeal
ouN American "crsckerjack'' whom he
had seen perform env!able sailing stunts
| on his native soil. He was high and dry
| on the trade reefs In Latin America He
| was UP against II because he knew
neither the language nor the customs Of
| the Spaniard. He had the attra otiveness
| of MIR. Preciado's "sinpetico" all right.
| They liked him and his breezy manner.
| And they laughed with him and secretly
| at him az he profusely sweated In his hur-
| ried cultivation" of the trade In the
| good old hustling fashion Of Chicago and
| New York. The skylght contract upon
| which he spent so much money and per-
| spiration came through a native at the
| end OF year.
| A prominent roofing concern OF the
middle West opened an once next to
mine In Havana. They put It in charge
| OF one OF their best American statesmen.
| who didn't take long to tell me OF his
! wonderful record 'in the States" Long
nights OF hard study Of Spanish failed to
| equip him sufficiently to aid him IN the
| bucking of a decade OF native roof ira
| ditions and the ambitious forerunner for
| the American roof WAS recalled. That
| there was nothing the matter with the
| roofing was attested by the subsequent
| sales made for II through a local agency
| who was prepared to talk about roofs in
| the language OF the builders OF the land
An American pump salesman whom I
| found disconsolately contemplating a
| glass OF beer In a Cienfuegos cafe con-
| nded TO me that he was out OF luck. He
had Just returned from a neighboring
| Central. where owing to the absence OF
| English speaking natives he had been
unable to convince the Administrator
| that his pump really looked like the pic
ture in the catalogue. And you know"
said the gloomy visitor. the house ex-
poets great things from all these inaui-
ries. They decided TO send me on tha
| trip because I held tho lead on sales in
their organization. They said I would
get by some way"
A salesman turned up In Havana a
| couple OF years ago representing an i'm
portant manufacturer of steel cars. lie
spoke English fuently, so fuently in
fact. that I specified his cars on a pend
ing order for our concern--and the cars
as we'll as his company were all right
he had the goods, In fact. he was -
"simpatico," as Mr.. Preciado puts II,
that gave him n letter to a prominent
Spantard on the other end OF the Island
whom happened to know was In the
market for cars.
Europeans Real Mixers.
Our good American salesman who
spoke English so huently and Spanish
rot At all had a pleasant trip down the
island He said he enjoyed the view
But he couldn't convince the old Span
ard that his cars were the ones 70 buy
because. although the old gentleman
listered court4ously. MS In the manner
OF kls race, nS ulun ulOeTtldIu tnt
drift OF the argument.
The European who constitutes a
formidable and relentless competitor in
the marts OF South America learned
the lesson early. He Is generally to be
found q master of the language a stu
dent OF affairs from a Spanish or Portu-
guese point OF view. a mixer OF no mean
calibre. and II necessary to further his
business career he will marry into a
Spanish American family. The appear
ance Of Mr.. Preciados cotton goods
salesman IS generally pie" for him.
The Right Kind OF Men.
A prominent locomotive works has an
nounced the opening OF permanent Of
hces throughout the world this coming
fall. The important Argentinian branch
of this worldwide industry at Buenos
Ayres will be In charge OF a man
who can sell locomotives and who
can speak Spanish huently. He sold
them In the West Indies. His volume
OF sales may not have equalled those
OF others OF the same company In
~ Ant