1908 (May 17), French Vice-Consulate at Kobe and Osaka, Japan, to
Paris, France, re-routed to Dangé, with printed corner
1908 (May 17), French Vice-Consulate at Kobe and Osaka, Japan, to
Paris, France, re-routed to Dangé, with printed corner card
"VICE-CONSULAT DE FRANCE, / KOBE et OSAKA" and two-line blue
diplomatic handstamp "Ministre des / Affaires Étrangères," struck
with black circular Paris-81, R. de Bourgogne, datestamp (24 Jun),
original "Paris" address lines struck out in red crayon and amended
to "Dangé (Vienne)," black inverted triangle "T" tax mark applied,
French 10c brown postage due affixed at upper left, reverse with
large purple circular official seal "VICE CONSULAT DE FRANCE / * /
A KOBE ET OSAKA" around the French coat of arms, black circular
transit c.d.s. of Saint-Maure-des-Fossés, and black circular Dangé,
Vienne receiver (27 Jun), with multi-page letter on official
diplomatic letterhead enclosed, fine-very fine. The letter,
datelined "Kobe, le 17 mai 1908" from the Vice-Consulate of France,
responds to a dairy industry inquiry from Monsieur Jupin,
Conseiller Général de la Vienne and President-Founder of the grand
dairies of Poitou, regarding the introduction of a new condensed
milk brand to the Japanese market: "...it would be difficult to
introduce a new brand of condensed milk here, when predecessors
have built up their position through extensive advertising and
heavy sacrifices, a reputation against which it would be nearly
impossible to fight..." The consul identifies the market as
dominated by the American brand Borden's and the Swiss brand
Nestlé, advising that should the exporter still wish to attempt a
trial, the trading house of Itaro Saibara might be willing to
manage their business