Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-04
ADVERTISING PUTS
SELFR|DGE AHEAD
Leading Retail Merchant OF
England Amazed Friends
by Success.
BY JOHN F. SINCLAIR.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

BY JOHN r. SINCLAIR.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEW YORK, March 4.-When
Gordon H. Selfridge left his old friend
and associate, Marshall Field of Chi
cago, to build his own department store
in London, there was much shaking OF
heads. It was said England was diff
ferent. She had no department stores
of the American type-then. Her mer-
chants advertised cautiously, carefully.
Her large-Store business was built on
tradition-not on advertising.
But this WisconSin-born merchant
went ahead with his plans. He finished
the largest department store In the
money. English merchants were
amazed. He had no customers, they
said, and only bankruptcy faced him.
Selfridge-the master optimist-never
wavered. A week before the big OPEN
ing, he announced in full-page adver-
tisements that every person who entered
the store on the opening day would re-
ceive a souvenir of the occasion.
When the doors were opened, the
Gordon H. Selfridge has been the leader
In the retail business Of Great Britain.
It was he who started in London
the custom of full-page advertisement
for department stores. His success was
phenomenal. Today he is the biggest
merchant in the British Isles.
Another large department store has
just been built across the street from
the Selfridge store, and Gordon Sell
fridge has met this competition in a
way that has astonished London. He
has placed page advertisement in the
London Times, under the title "a hand
shake of welcome to competitor" In
this advertisement he says:
I'VE welcome our new competitor with
absolute Sincertty-in the same spirit as
the tennis player or the golfer welcomes
a renowned opponent who will help him
to perfect his own game, teach him
how to overcome old faults, teach him
new strokes, new tactics, put him on his
mettle, quicken his brain, rekindle his
ambition"
No wonder this American-born Lon
don merchant has been a phenomenal
success. He deserves it!
Political Gesture Seen.
The more one thinks of it, the more
preposterous the great silver loan to
China, recommended by the subcom-
mittee of the United States Senate For
eign Relations Committee, appears to be.
1t must be that it was not meant for
anything more than political gesture,
as one New York banker said. In fact,
China has already plenty OF Suver-too
much. T. v. Soong, her minister OF
finance, indicated months ago that
China would accept no silver loan on
the terms suggested by the subcommit-
tee.
But Senator Pittman of Nevada, the
home of closed silver mines, wants the
loan made. Nevada needs silver mar
ket Why not China?
There are too many "cure-allS" being
advanced these days. It Is always wise
to look behind Understanding state
ments and find just exactly why such
"cure are advanced.
There Is no question among students
Of silver that an international confer
ence might be of very great help. But
that's entirely different from loaning
silver TO China. That Is similar to
carrying coal TO Newcastle"
As common sense statement as any
made on the subject Is that given by
the New Republic, when it says:
ANY sound international measure
which can be taken to stiffen silver
will be Statutory, and the Senate might
we'll consider such measures. But China
Is another matter. To plunge into her
soluble questions, with Jejeune cure
ails, which have long been abandoned
by those who know China, Is absurd.
Fortunately, China is not likely to con-
sent"
Dole or Revolution.
Sir Josiah Stamp, the British econ
onnist, told the stockholders of the Lon
don, Midland g. Scottish Railway, Of
which he Is president, that the under
lying strength Of Great Britain, still
very great, was being undermined oy
costs"
Already Britain is paying out S.
OOo, 900 a week for the dole. That fig
ure may reach $6000,000 a week dur
ing the next fiscal year. There is no
need for that sort Of thing. 1t is
cancer that eats out the financial sta
bility Of any nation.
Eyes. it's bad-very bad. But with
cut the dole, Great Britain might be
face to face with revolution" said Sir
Josiah Stamp, to this writer on his
recent visit to America.
Certain things in life are disagreeable.
The dole Is disagreeable to British BUSH
ness men, but they all, with one accord,
when confronted by the question, What
would you do if it were abolished?"
throw up their hands and frankly ad-
nit that they have nothing to substi-
tute-at the moment.
Canada's Trade With U. S.
"a remarkable record-in spite of the
recent obstacles encountered" said a
well known Canadian business man,
commenting on the 81 ,065 100000 vol
ume OF trade between Canada and the
United States in 1880.
Canada remains the greatest GUS
toner of the United States, although
the total trade declined last year.
Canada, in 1880, imported from the
United States $653,707,000. This is
decline of almost $240,000,000 below
1929. Exports from Canada to the
United States were SAP, 10000. This
Is a decline of $13S,203,o0o under the
1929 figure.
The American iron and steel group
suffered the heaviest decline in exports
to Canada. These totaled $196, 000, 900,
as against $309, 100000 the year preced-
ing.
Canada more than held her own, how
ever, for the decrease in exports to her
from the United States dropped $780,
OO0, 900 under 1929, while her exports
to the United States declined but $780,
900 900.
Canada and the United States con-
tinue to be the two greatest mutual
traders on earth.
Copyright, 1881. bS North American News
paper Alliance.)
A.