Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-07-20
NOW MY IDEA is THIS
Daily Talks With Thinking Philadelphans Subjects They
KnotU Best

country, bring him to the United States and
train him thoroughly not only in the selling
Of goods, but also in the details of the man
ufacture.
THE advantages of this plan are 50
obvious as scarcely to need comment. The
course of instruction which the man has
been given here has taught him not only
now to sell, but also the strong points Of
the goods themselves, no inconsiderable fac
tor nowadays in the selling game. Then he
has the great advantage Of knowing the
language of his prospective customers, their
customs and manners, the method of the
native merchants in doing business and all
the other details which he has Mt his COM
mand as his birthright.
Foreign trade is built up and retained
only by systematic work and definite plan
Of campaign not only for the getting of this
trade ut the beginning. but also Of holding
1t after 1t is obtained. For example, a
firm may do an immense business in for
eign country. but unless it has periodic
showings of the merchandise itself to the
customer and the consumer it will not be
able to hold that trade against competition
from its own and other countries.
Service Also Counts
THE thing that every manufacturer has
found to be the case in this country Is also
the case in foreign trade. In the United
States it Is the firm which gives the service
with the goods that gets the business and it
is the same abroad.
The retailer wants to see what he Is
going to buy, and the only way he can know
this is to sec the samples. lie wants to
keep informed in the latest delevopments in
his particular line and this applies as much
10 the dealer in the remote parts of the earth
as it does TO the one in our own country.
while l have not the exact figures, l
think l am safe in saying that In Mexico
before the war not more than 30 per cent
Of the wearing apparel used In that coun-
H. I,,tk kaI kAtn
from so to 90 per cent of 1t is manufactured
in this country. The necessities created by
the war for merchandise of all sorts made
it imperative for Mexico and many other
countries to get their supplies from us, and
this circumstance enabled us to build up
gigantic foreign business.
"Wc have met the demands Of these peo-
pie and ] believe that most of this trade
will be retained by the United States. even
when the competition of the great manu-
featuring countries of Europe again be-
comes normal. The same thing as to the
volume Of business built up is true Of most
Of the Central aud South American coun-
tries. We have it now and 1t is up to US
to keep it when the mills of Europe are
again going on full time and their output
again reaches pre-war volume.
Questions OF Selling
much has been said and written about
the American methods of selling and the
quality of the goods sent TO the foreign
market. 1t has frequently been asserted that
the Americans made the goods which they
thought the foreigner ought to have and that
the English and the Germans made the
goods which they really wanted. This, it is
claimed, is the real reason for the huge
trades In lands other than their own which
these two nations formerly enjoyed
This, believe, has been very largely
exaggerated, although there was doubtless
more than grain of truth In 1t. However,
true or not, this situation has been now
very largely overcome. In our own bust =.
ness we make what our customers want and
it is very generally made to order, but we
see that they get what they want The
| American manufacturer who is really
equipped to go after and retain the foreign
! trade can give them one thing just us well
| as another, so that 1t is simply n matter
| of good business to make what they want,
"The American merchant marine il an :
| other thing which is very vital to tho sue =
| cess OF our foreign trade. Quick trans
portaton and prompt delivery Of the mail
| and parcels post packages are n tremendous
asset to the development OF this trade.
Tho War Trade
mot all of the experiences Of the Ameri.
can manufacturers with foreign trade during
the war period were happy ones and many
tions and in other details. This situation,
however, like many others created In the
war period, is now being satisfactorily
cleared up. On the other hand. many
American manufacturers found a real mar.
ket for their merchandise during the war
and they are determined to retain IT, Our
manufacturers have q great opportunity now
for the foreign tradS, provided they go after
II In the right manner and make the proper
effort to retain il.
"Thc rates of exchange also present q
tremendous obstacle to the development al
this greatly TO be desired trade. 1t is only
necessary to point out that II has varied
from 100 per cent to 200 per cent down to