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Show AMERICAN "ENTERPRISE." There has been so much v. rit'en and said about South American trade coming com-ing to the United States and the great benefits to be derived by suefa an extension of our foreign commerce that we have all been laboring under the impression that the merchants and manufacturers of this country were keen to enter the field and compete wilh Great Britain and Germany. Ger-many. A mistake seems to have been made. Many of the concerns which could do a large business in Brazil, Argentina and other South American countries will not turn their bands over to secure any part of this trade. The America", a publication issued monthly by the National City bank of New York, tells how a Buenos Aires gentleman, who had retired from business busi-ness v.itb a substantial fortune, fared when he became inspired with the idea that the present w-as a good time to increase in-crease the commerce between Argentina and the United States. He planned ft selling organization for the introduction introduc-tion of new merchandise of this country into the enterpirising South American republic, and came to c'fw Yu: k fired with enthusiasm and commercial zeal. He intended to open a show-room in Uuejjos Aires, hire cap.a.blr: store salesmen sales-men and traveling salesmen, aud begin an extensive advertising campaign. His idea was to tret the exclusive agency for a manageable number of l.'uitod stales manufacturers, only one in each line. Here wan a golden opportunit -.- for tin North American manufacturers to break into the South Ameiieau field. Armed with the proper credentials the lluenos Aires cienllernan Levari his e,-,nipajj.'n. Accompanied by an interpref'-r, he called at the olliccs of some of the im portant concerns and talked with the managers; to Ihe heads of oilier important im-portant concerns he unfolded his plan l,v b tter. The result v.itr. astounding. Many of the in.'j.nul'a.t in-era ex-pei-led lo haie all the businetr. they, could do at home in a verv short time; others preferred pre-ferred to do their business through shipping ship-ping and conimis-ion merchants u ho would arrange all llie details a-tsniim the rc,pon.ul'i I -1 v and pay at the ,ew York end. Mill others expe.-e, the trade, to fall into Iheir laps without any special effort on their part,. Three ja ru,y concerns were v.illii'g lo enter lh.- field and mad'' '"uiiter prupu . il.ii.n- tu I lie Ihjf mis A 1 1 "", i cr , fol lo'-'. s : No. I. Ti'v v.ould :ve h I in tlie airet,. , on a ' 'iinlnl-.sl'.ri I. a I-', ei-lliiu: by auipn-. on 'oii'Jlll"n Ihat Hi."; W'-ie P, yii,. lire ...it r,r hi nnitnlrrinu iluy .,.,-,, -1 ' ' ' 1 1 I ' fi'.'u i.Hl'n.- f Im;.'. rn ! p.'. el " 1 "I'"- " 'Mi'ifi.' i.ii. r ie..nl. . . II him two machines for cash. He was return to Bucfios Aires and for three months trv to sell with them as sum- I Pies. At the end of three months a lcp- resentalive of the manufacturer would go down and take up the matter of agency with him and other commission merchants, mer-chants, offerinsr 11 without favor to the one who would bid the best terms. No. .". He was to be permitted 10 KO to Argentina, pin up an advertising '-am-palun at his own expense, and work up such of a trade as he could, the conipanj retervlns the right, at any time the . srowth of the business seemed to wai-rant wai-rant 11. to establish its own organization organiza-tion for handling Us product in Argentina. Argen-tina. There's Yankee enterprise for you! When it is considered that they do busi- , ness on a credit basis down thero and -that purchasers have always been accommodated ac-commodated by tho manufacturers of Great Britain aud Germany, our chauccs of figuring in the South American trade can easily be imagined if all tho big concerns con-cerns in" tho United States entertain similar views to the ones quoted above. Certainly we shall not require a very extensive merchant marine to carry on what trade we get, and we shall not need many branch bauks to make collections col-lections and help the good work along. |