Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-09-24
TYRos IN EXPORT TRAnE.
Irnofsnee May Be Bliss But IL Does
Not Heto Rustneea-

mol nesp buesnSes
Onn a the most familiar stories told
of fhr export experiences OF American
firms new 10 the business concerns the
shipment of some merchnndsse TO 2
country up the Amazon River m Soush
America. The natives in that s~ctson
had their usual share Of supcrstitious
beliefs among which was tho one that
green wac tho color of the evil sp'rits.
OF all the shades Of packing cloth the
exporter might have used, he made the
unfortunate choice Of gcen and when
the trader received the goods after their
long journeying he WAS forced to rctnrn
them or face the alternative OF having
his store burned down over his head.
The story wa. told TO illustrate how
much study has to be devoted to the
peculiar kinks of a country and its IN
habi,ants before bu4iness can bc done
with them. Perhaps there wns more
need for citing examples and driving
home the necessity OF studying foreign
markets when the domestic exporters
were newer 20 the business, but oven
now, tho~n who see constant mistakes
being made believe that the lesson has
not been fully learned. There are stall
instances, it is said, Of hosiery being
shipped to South America in boxes, when
buyers in that country require them 10
be delivered merely wrapped IN paper
The buyers are not being 'hnieky
about the way hosiery Is packed, but
they have 70 pay duty on boxes which
they could avoid by having the goods
put up In paper. And, referring 10 meth
DDS of packing, there Is still trouble
reported in getting merchandise into con-
tainers that are not too heavy to be
carried over rough and mountainous
country. Some exporters, it IS said, con-
tin,e to be obstinate and pack goods
| 500 pounds TO the case when the native
| carriers have almost what amounts TO a
union rule to load up with but sixty
pounds.
Manufacturers who wish to sell then
products In even so well known \ country
as England are apt to bungle essential
details. 4 good instance came TO hand IN
| the project of manufactures to sell
toy engines to English boys. His engines
were pronounced good and well able to
| compete with any of their kind. However,
| the types he made, such as the "Twen-
tieth Century and other well-known
| American trains, were unknown IN Eng
land. 1t was pointed out to hin. by the
representative of an English concern
that, first of all, the names of the diff
fefent 'fiiers" would have to be changed
to correspond with, those known TO Eng
lish children. Another detail was that the
| English roads all have they distinctive
colors, which, with the characterization
done by the engineers In their spare
time, are quite a matter of pride TO the
railroad men. With these changes and GER
tain others, the American product ought,
in the opinion of the foreign adviser,
| to create quite a field for itself.
| just because this country was the
only one that had goods TO deliver, for
eign agents testify. is no guarantee of
future success for American products IN
other markets. In fact, 1t is pointed
out that many objections which foreign
buyers had to American merchandise
were waived because of circumstances
that prevented supplies being obtainec
| from accustomed sources. Efforts shoulo
be redoubled, it is stated, to learn the
requirements of expert markets if tht
progress that has been made Is golnl
| to count.--N ew York Times.