Page:The passing of Korea.djvu/375

 here, it must be because better goods are offered at the same price or the same goods at a lower price. This supposes other things to be equal, but in fact other things are not equal. An army of Japanese small retailers covering the country like a network, unable to speak or read any language but their own, and connected intimately with Japanese sources of supply, make it certain that Japanese goods will be handled unless some very strong consideration intervenes of a distinctly pecuniary nature. There is a single American firm in Korea handling general goods, but it is particularly interested only in petroleum and rice. In other words, America enjoys only the very smallest facilities for commercial contact with Korea. Our merchants hardly need to be told that much more enters into successful trade competition than the mere quality and price of goods. They must be properly exhibited, advertised and placed before the public. The personal equation enters largely into the problem, and under existing conditions it is only a matter of time when the great staples of American commerce will be known here only by name. There is to-day a magnificent opening for any firm that will import Oregon pine into Korea by sailing-vessel or other cheap method of transportation. All planing and moulding is here done by hand at great expense. Planed and matched flooring would have large and lucrative sale. We say this to indicate only one of a large number of favourable openings that might be entered by enterprising people. The large and steady influx of Japanese must continue for years, and building operations which are being carried on with feverish energy will call for increasing quantities of material from abroad, especially timber. If Americans want to participate in this trade, they should enter the field and secure a footing before the commercial flux has crystallised.