The sun., 1919-05-12

requirements which experience mas
shown to exist in Latin countries
Work Of this kind must often be con-
ceived a year or more In advance OF
actually making the trip abroad.
At least a fair knowledge OF Spanish,
Portuguese or of both being taken for
granted, there Is nothing more conducive
to successful relations with foreign eli
ents than knowledge of the customs,
history. politics and commerce of the
countries which one goes to visit THIS
again cannot DO gained in a day or in
lazy week or fortnight Of travelling
upon rolling southern seas.
Careful Selection Urged.
Business requirements are too vari-
Gus to admit of broad discussion, b1t
regarding personal preparations. few
things may we'll be borne in mind. HEAVY
luggage should be avoided unless 're
is willing to pay heavy excess charges,
One hundred kilos, or 2o0 pounds. is the
high limit from an economical point OF
view. Without overlooking ones lug
sage, however, II Is best to stock M
with most of the clothes needed for the
journey, as clothing. particularly OF i'm.
ported qualities and styles. is eXpeu-
sive. Latin American shoes Of native o.
foreign manufacture almost invariab)r
have narrow insteps and do not conform
| to the Yankee foot. Revolvers and other
firearms are in violation OF regulation
and likely to be sonsfiscated II found,
and except under certain conditions ard
in a very few localities they are seldom
needed as a means OF protection.
! A pamphlet published by the Depar,-
inent of Foreign and Domestic Corr
merce in 1916. entitled Commercial
Travellers in Latin America" by T..
Domeratzky, contains a creditable co'0-
platlon OF data sure to be Of use ~
any travelling commercial agent In Ce"-
trail and South America.
| Commercial Men Halted.
| MISUNDERSTANDING and miscalcula.
lions regarding routes of travel have
caused many a commercial man %
languish for weeks in the swelteriNs
heat OF some inaccessible port T1'
traveller may not realize until arriving
at the port that steamships are few az l
far between. and that the connection
which he expected 70 make TO the next
point on his route may have been long
since dropped from the schedules OF thn
steamship companies.
The idea OF laying out an itincra'y
with a pencil and rule on a wall NAV
without close attention to shippug
schedules and railway connections IL
l"pt 10 Fau 10 disappointment ava
lchagrin. Unfortunately, sallings canrut
be booked W and from every point whir..
according 10 the map. would seem prop
tious, and no other information than
that given by tho navigation companies
themselves should be taken seriously,
and even that is subject TO repeated ,.i
exasperating revision
During the war numerous salesn'"G
went to Cuba expecting to make an cas-,
connection from there 10 Porto Rico ar !
so back TO New York, but TO their so--
row they found that because the Con-
pania Trasatlantica. the only line a.
that time operating between the t2o
islands, afforded service In one direc'ioa
only, and that from San Juan to Havsr'.
they had better have gone 10 Porto IL. D
first and Cuba after.
All who have travelled. whether ~
Latin America or elsewhere for business
or for pleasure. know in greater 90
lesser degree the Importance OF adequa a
preparation prior 10 the journey.
II is safe to say that too much thour
cannot be put into such necessary pc
l,minaries. The truth of this Will appca
more forcibIe when one Is thousands -
miles away from his base and suddCr
discovers that some important data las
teen left behind and that business can
inot be concluded until It 10 obtained.