2^0 SELLING LATIN AMERICA 
and erect invisible and effective barricades 
about the sympathetic Latin, sufficient to re 
pulse the attacks of other salesmen. 
Religion and political conditions should 
never be discussed. The Latin American is 
almost always superstitiously religious and in 
tensely political. To take the wrong side of a 
theological argument may land you in the hos 
pital while an error in judgment on a political 
problem may mean jail. Both are places to 
be avoided in these lands. Besides such argu 
ments always serve to make one decidedly un 
popular and materially hurt business pros 
pects. 
Religious processions are frequent in the 
streets. They excite curiosity and are often 
amusing viewed from our standpoint. Do 
what the populace does as they pass: kneel or 
raise your hat, otherwise get away from the 
scene as quickly as you can. Many clerical 
parades have been turned to riots by some fool 
ish foreigner failing to observe these sugges 
tions. 
With but few exceptions, hotels in Latin