Trade at
large, to reach its greatest volume, must include the pushing of smaller
lines of goods. These smaller lines, in the aggregate, would reach
considerable sums, and it does not appear that there have hitherto
existed efficient agencies for their marketing. To hold Latin-American
trade we must equal our competitors in liberality of credits, in
representation on the spot, and in other facilities.
There is no doubt that more American merchants resident in the trade
centres would give valuable impetus to our commerce. Even our commission
houses operating on the spot are so few that in handling many lines
there is the greatest danger of their sacrificing the building up of a
steady trade to the opportunities of unduly heavy profits now and then,
and so damaging our general commercial interests. Then we must send many
commercial travelers.
Just here, however, it cannot be too strongly emphasized that Americans
sent to these countries to do business must above all be men of
agreeable manners. In these countries many quite unworthy people have
these: so a good man who lacks them is likely to be badly misjudged.
They should have sympathetic personality and sufficient education,
besides being men of sobriety and good character, and should be able to
speak the language of the country.
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