Evening star., 1920-06-13
PUSHING j. s. TRADE IN CHINA

dealers. Consul General Pontius reports.
As rule, he says. they buy from for
eign agents or importers located either
in Shanghai or Tientsin.
American exporters should also pay
more attention to the packing of soaps
intended for overseas shipment. thus in
suring that the goods arrive in proper
condition.
American soaps. in spite of the high
prices. could easily compete with the
Japanese brands as far as prices are
concerned. because Of their quality. This
is especially true of the well known
American brands with which the
Chinese. IN the larger commercial CEN
ters are familiar.
Suggestion has been made to Ameri-
can soap manufacturers through the
bureau of foreign and domestic COM
merce that they should have a local
representative or appoint some reliable
firm to push the sale of their products
The Importance of advertising
American goods in China is emphasize
ed in commercial handbook Of China
prepared by Commercial Attache Ju-
lean Arnold. which is being published
by the Commerce Department The
population of China is variously esti-
mated. he points out. at from 325 O00-
900 to 100000. 900. and competent OBJ
servers have estimated the literacy
OF the Chinese people to be around 10
per cent. At first glance one is in
clined to conclude that there is large
percentage of these 400.O00.000 who
cannot be reached through the print
ed message, but experience has shown
that eventually the messages sent
forth in the form Of advertising have
reached the masses in cases where
there was a potential demand and the
appeal was strongly put.
X
China has been and still is an un-
exploited field in many lines of mer-
chandising. and trade
Successfnl has fol lowed the
lines Of least resist
Advertising. ance. The most spec
tacular advertising campaigns have
been made to the masses. and the sue
cess Of the campaigns for introducing
kerosene. cigarettes and the patent
medicine "Jin Tan" are striking Illus
trations Of the efficacy Of advertising
of this class. In the first place the
selling campaign was connected with
real need: in the second 1t was an
appeal to a habit; and in the third
for longing for health # the physical
ly UNIT.
oH Ine OtneT mana. THESE successes
must not lead to the conclusion that
there is no sale in China for higher
priced articles. The popular opinion
in America seems to be that China is
country Of slow. patient and in
dustrious but always poor people.
In China advertising is not organ
lied as it is In the United States. nor
as 1t Is in Japan. The difiiculties that
the American advertiser will meet in
initiating an advertising campaign
are many and annoying to the Ameri-
can type of business man who de-
mands quick results; nevertheless. a
start has been made toward organiz-
ing on broad and sound lines.
There Is no place in the world
where the printed word carries more
weight and influence among the liter
ate classes than In China today. China
has always venerated the scholar and
writer.
China has no trademark law. but
there il wholesome veneration for the
sacred Chop" or name. that has been
associated with a reliable product. Be-
fore a Chinese merchant closes his shop
at night he goes out and takes down the
valuable signboard containing the name
of the store. This he carefully puts
away, and in case of fire 1t must be
saved at al hazard.
WILL p. KENNEDY.