Now the amount of money involved in this transaction is the slightest feature:  it is the chronic laxity and carelessness of the American business man that gets on the Frenchman’s nerve.

Here is another case in point:  A well known French firm has been writing weekly letters for the past eighteen months to a New England factory trying to persuade the Manager to mark his export cases with a stencil plate and in ink rather than with a heavy lead pencil, as the latter marking is almost obliterated by the time the shipment arrives at Havre.  In fact, this French firm went to the extent of sending a stencil and brush to New England to be used in marking the firm’s cases.  But the old pencil habit is too strong and a weekly hunt has to be instituted on the French docks for odd cases containing valuable consignments of machine tools.  Vexatious delays result.  It is just one more nail that the heedless American manufacturer drives into the coffin of his French business.

These incidents and many more that I could cite, are merely the approach, however, to a succession of mistakes that make you wonder if so-called Yankee enterprise gets stage fright or “cold feet” as soon as it comes in contact with French commercial possibilities.  Let me now tell the prize story of neglected trade opportunity.

Last spring the American Commercial Attache in Paris made a speech at a dinner in Philadelphia.  He painted such a glowing picture of trade prospects in France that the head of one of the greatest hardware concerns in America, who happened to be present, came to him afterwards with enthusiasm and said:  “We want to get some of that foreign business you talked about and we will do everything in our power to land it.  Help us if you can.”

The Attache promised that he would and returned to his post in Paris.  He studied the hardware situation and found a tremendous need for our goods.  He was about to make a report to the hardware manufacturer when an alert upstanding young American breezed into his office and said: 

“I have been looking into the hardware situation here and I find that there is a big chance for us.  In fact, I have already booked some fat orders.  Will you put me in touch with the right people in America to handle the business?”

“Certainly,” replied the Attache.  “I know just the firm you are looking for.”  He recalled the enthusiastic remarks of the man who came to him after the Philadelphia speech, so he said:  “Write to the Blank Hardware Company in ——­, and I am sure you will get quick action.”

“No,” said the enterprising young American, “I will cable.”  He immediately got off a long wire telling what orders he had and giving gilt edge banking references.

Quite naturally he expected a cable reply, but he was too optimistic.  Day after day passed amid a great silence from America.  At the end of two weeks he received a letter from the Export Manager of the firm who said, among other things:  “We are not prepared to quote any prices for the French trade now.  We have decided to wait with any extension of our foreign business until after the war.  Meanwhile you might call on our agent in Paris who may be able to do something for you.”