The northwestern bulletin-appeal., 1924-03-22
THE REMEDY
(The Lincoln News Service)

we are having in building up our
South American export trade is. in
my opinion, simply a matter of credit
extension, packing and delivery"
This is what an elderly gentleman OF
prosperous mien, typical of big
Business" was saying to keen-cut
"go-get-it" type OF man, as I entered
the smoker for final puff before re-
| firing.
That's just where you and the
rest of our business men are all
wrong. Trade does not follow the
flag down there, and the sooner our
exporters get wise to that the sooner
they'll increase their sales in Mexico,
Central and South America, Cuba,
Haiti, San Domingo, Porto Rico, vir-
gin Islands and the Philippine
Islands" replied the "go-gatter" with
deal of emphasis.
II don't quite get you. Our goods
are superior and our prices are right.
What do you mean?" asked big
Business"
Exactly what l said" replied the
other, and / think you'll agree with
me when relate a recent experience
that was an eye-opener to me.
Il represent" he said, lone of the
largest manufacturers of heavy min
ing and milling machinery in this
country. AS a mechanical engineer
and salesman l have visited many
parts of the world on business for
the company, and rather pride my
self on knowing as much about the
psychology of saiesmanship as / do
about the mechanics of intricate ma
chinery. So, when the president of
my company told me to go over some
specifications and be prepared to sail
for Brazil within eight days, to land
big sales contract with a Brazilian
firm, felt equal to tackling any
thing. He gave me a pretty good
expense fund and told me not to be
afraid to buy few cigars and dinners
In order to land the contract, which,
he was sure, would not be difficult on
account of my not having to compete
with "made-in-Germany" statesmen.
Arriving at my destination, / spent
couple of days sightseeing and Incl
dentally giving out several interviews
to the daily papers concerning the
strong bond of friendship that exists
between the peoples of the Western
Hemisphere, l arranged an appoint
ment with the president of the big
mining and milling corporation.
whose business we were after. and
when l called and was being usbered
into his private Office / noticed, in
the general office, forty or fifty white
and colored clerks. This did not
strike me with any particular force.
because had observed a general mix
Ing on the streets, in the hotels and
other public places; but | was sur-
prised and almost shocked. when the
private office door opened and l saw
a colored man of fine appearance sit
ting at mahogany desk debating in
Portuguese to a handsome and neat
ly attired colored female. Although
had heard something about the ra-
cial situation in Brazil, 1 was for a.
moment nonplussed when il occurred
to me that here was a Negro whose
final word stood between me and a
S2,5O0,000 contract"
Quiet reigned in the smoker for a
moment and then the big Business
man asked: But where did color
or racial identity enter into the
awarding of contract as long as the
company was in the market for goods
that you had to sell "
That's just the point" replied the
salesman. After dismissing his
stenographer, the president relaxed.
handed me a perfecto, lighted one
nimself, and, when, after a few pre-
iiminaries, l asked him about the
contract, he politely but firmly in
formed me that it would be useless
for me to bid because under no cir
cumstances would an American firm
receive the contract. He admitted
that possibly he was wrong: but
when he told his story to me at the
club that evening, where / met him
as his guest. could understand inst
why he felt as he did. 1t appears
that several years ago he and his
wife, accompanied by her maid, were
on a pleasure and sightseeing trip
around the world. When they reached
the United States they were Jim
Crowed" everywhere they went in the
South. and in Washington after the
taxi driver tried to get accommoda-
tions for them in all the large hotels
where they were refused, he took
them to a small colored hotel. where
their Ss pieces of baggage greatly in
| terfarnn with he l.