352
62 BRITONS V. GERMANS IN CHINA
business, the British merchants for the
most part withdrew from the field. This left, the Germans fighting amongst them- selves for possession of the trade in certain well defined styles of fancy cloths, but the British kept to themselves the plums of the market well knowing that by means of care- ful buying, and by exercising constant care in keeping up the quality of their goods, their well-tried qualities under well- known trade-marks were unassailable. And herein lies the crux of the matter. Had the Germans realised it. they could have done a far more profitable business in cot- ton and woollen goods, as they were bound to get a share of the trade for the simple. reason that they were on the spot, and organised for such trade. As already pointed out, certain merchants in Manches- ter and Bradford had what we have called the plums in the form of established brands
BRITONS V. GERMANS IN CHINA 63
and qualities. Now for every British mer- chant established in China, there are a hundred Manchester and Bradford shippers anxious to sell their cloths to China. It was impossible for the one merchant in China to obtain his supplies from so many sources, and keep up correspondence with a hundred merchants at home, so it is not surprising that many of the home mer- chants turned their attention to German and other foreign firms in China, and gave them the support which enabled them to secure a large share of the business going. Many only did this after trying in vain to get business from the British firms, but as these latter had their Own qualities nicely
nicely running, this pressing for new business often met with as cool a reception as doubtless a surburban chemist would receive if he asked the makers of a certain soap (well known to be