The Washington times., 1928-09-26
EUROPE .FAVORS
j. 5. AUTOS


Business conditions are generally
improving everywhere in Europe
and the American automobile in
dustry is now well established in
all its markets according to Fred
B. Sides, export manager OF ths
Hupp Motor Car Corporation.
Mr.. Sides views are based on
personal observation during an ex-
tensive foreign trip which in the
past ten months has taken Inn TO
Europe. Australia and Africa AID
brought him in close contact wjrh
business men Of all large centa's
from England to New Zealand.
Opening his tour by attending
the Paris and Olympia automobile
shows, last fall. he visited South
Africa, Australia and New Zealand,
returning to England by way OF
Ceylon and Western India.
Climatic conditions. which are
important factors in the prosperity
Of many OF the countries visited,
had generally been very unfavora-
BILE until within the last few
months but they have changed dis
tinctly for the better" said Mr..
Sides after his return to Detroit.
DTOuglIts Found
South Africa Is largely Deepen.
dent on the amount OF rain, and
when i was there they had been
suffering from prolonged droughts.
Recently good rains have come and
the bearing OF weather conditions
on the volume of their trade is
Indicated by the increased number
of orders they are sending Tor
American goods.
I'm Australia the general opinion
OF business men met was that
by late fall the worst of the de-
preston they were experiencing
would be over, while In New Zea-
land they were already around the
corner and exports were showing
q favorable trade balance over i'm.
ports.
s'The American automobile is now
well entrenched in the export field.
This Is due to the power and sturdy
construction of our cars. which find
much favor because they can stand
the strain of the rough roads they
have to negotiate. But the prefer
ence for American cars abroad, as
for American goods generally. Is
due to a large extent to the close
study American manufacturers nave
made of foreign markets and their
ability to produce and ship goods
so as to meet requirements OF
buyers in other lands.
Marked Change Seen
aThere has been a mark d
change in this respect. Fifteen or
twenty years ago 1t used to be
commonly said that Americans could
never compete with Europeans IN
the export field because they did
not know how to meet the wishes
of foreign consumers and would
NOT take the trouble to find out.
"Since that time, American man.
ufacturers have learned what peo-
DIe want in other lands and have
developed the ability not only. to
make goods to suit. but also to
get them into the hands OF GUS
toners in proper condition, re-
CARELESS of any extreme climatic
variations to which they are sub
iected on the, journey to their
destination. i.
packing for export was almost
an unknown art in the United
States until recent years, but today
consignments from this country
reach their markets in az good
shape as those from any European
shippers.
Prospects Good
Future prospects for foreign bIsi-
ness are generally excellent. While
we probably will not have the rap1'i
increases we have had sometimes
in the past. it is safe to forecast
IL steady increase in the number Of
Ears shipped, and in the long run
the business will he all the better
without the high-peak and deep
valley curves of former export trace
charts.
''One factor that is making fo1
increased demand for automobiles
abroad is the growing attention
being paid to good roads. In. every
country j visited found a genuine
appreciation of the need for hisi1-
way improvement, but financial die.
ficulties have stood in the way
Of their full realization.
Most foreign countries are still
suffering from the effect Of INC
world war and their revenues are
tied up by a multitude of other
needs. While there is not yet any
too much in the way of good roads
outside some of the cities, the
movement in their behalf Is steadily
making progress and it is particE.
larly noticeable that whatever il.
done Is planned with a view TO
UermanencVp