COMPETITIVE CONDITIONS IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE. 127
chase shoes made by the same manufacturer. Some of the French
and many of the American and English concerns in France operate
their own retail stores.
BELGIUM.

Prior to the war Belgium was an important competitor of much
larger countries in world markets for many products. In the case
of several articles Belgium had more trade in South America, for
example, than did the United States. To an important degree, this
success was due to effective organization.
Nature of Belgian products.—The population of Belgium was
divided according to occupation approximately as follows: Manufactures
 and commerce 53 per cent, agriculture 21 per cent, all others
26 per cent. More than half the total area of the country was under
cultivation. Grain, potatoes, and sugar beets were grown in great
quantities, and on the dry lands of the eastern part of the country
sheep were pastured to such an extent that wool had become one of
the chief articles of Belgian export. The chief source of the prosperity
 of Belgium, however, was her deposits of coal. Her chief
products were those of her mines and factories; the principal industries
 being artificial silk, glass, iron and steel, lace, linen, and gloves.
Commercial organizations.—In 1907 about 17 of the Belgian
cities had chambers of commerce,? which were established by the communal
 councils for the purpose of studying economic questions. The
chambers rendered annual reports upon the situation of commerce
and industry, and gave advice thereon to the communal and national
governments. The commune placed a certain sum of money for
expenses at the disposition of the chamber of commerce.
Belgium began to take part in Chinese trade only about 20 years
ago, but this trade grew to such an extent that a Chinese-Belgian
Chamber of Commerce was formed in Brussels, having as its object
the grouping together of all interested industries, and the development
 of their relations with the Orient. In like manner the Société
d'Etudes Belgo-Japonaise was maintained to promote Belgian trade
in Japan, and the Société Belgo-Russe and the Société Belgo-Persane
to establish better trade relations with Russia and Persia, respectively.*

There existed in Belgium also travelers’ associations and clerks’
clubs, which founded special courses in the schools for the study of
“1p, Passama, Formes Nouvelles de Concentration Industrielle, Paris, 1910, pp. 72
ny ann des Chambres de Commerce et Chambres Consultatives des Arts et Manu.
factures, France, 1907, pp. 436-437.
3 Chambre de Commerce et des Fabriques de Gand, 1914, pp. 5-7.
$ Export Trade Exploitation, Bureau of Manufactures, 1911, pp. 26 and 27.