COMPETITIVE CONDITIONS IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE, 113

the commission, although the latter was not an official body. German
ambassadors, ministers, and consular agents were instructed to furnish
their services to the commission whenever required.
In recent years there have also been a number of purely export
associations formed such as the Exportverein im Konigreich Sachsen,
Dresden, with over 1,000 members; the Vereinigung der Export-Firmen,
 Berlin ; the export associations of Frankfort, Bremen, Hamburg,
ete. Some of these maintain sample warehouses, distribute catalogues
for the members, inform members of foreign trade opportunities,
recommend desirable representatives anywhere in the world, maintain
 credit and collection bureaus, notify members of changes in
foreign tariffs and other matters of interest to exporters, provide
traveling salesmen, organize trade-getting trips, maintain translation
 bureaus, etc.
Prior to the war there were also special associations of business
men to promote trade with particular foreign nations, such as a
German-Russian association, a German-Brazilian association, etc.
CARTELS IN EXPORT TRADE.—As already said, most of the important
sartels engage in export trade, and their organization has been
developed with this function definitely in view. This is particularly
 true of such cartels as the Stahlwerksverband, in which a single
selling agency for the members is one of the features of the combination.
 This permits united action for foreign business, the financing
 of long advertising and development campaigns in foreign
markets, the employment of expert demonstrators and salesmen, and
the maintenance of an extensive organization in foreign markets.
The close connection of such cartels with the great banks having
foreign branches and subsidiaries facilitates the securing of valuable
information concerning customers, business conditions, etc., and
enables the central selling agency to carry the foreign credits
granted.
Many cartels have fixed prices for export to particular morkets.
Thus in 1913 the enamel-ware combination had a most highly
detailed uniform export price agreement, entitled “World Price
List” (Welttarif), which made a book of some 300 pages, profusely
illustrated, so that each manufacturer understood clearly the prices
listed for different articles.
Tn other cases special export cartels and selling agencies are mainsained
 to promote and extend export trade. Thus, the pump manufacturers
 exporting to Turkey organized a selling cartel which handled
 all their business in that market. Similarly, before the war the
« Selling Agency for the Export of Enameled Ware to China,” located
 at Berlin, was maintained by the “Verband europiischer
Emaillierwerke.” Largely as a result of the activities of this export
 selling agency, the exports of enameled ware from Germany
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