130 REPORT ON COOPERATION IN AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE,

various steel products were gradually brought into its membership
antil it controlled the foreign and domestic sale of semifinished
steel, rails, beams, ete. Every Belgian steel works manufacturing
such products was a member of the comptoir. Many of the steel
products not comprehended by this comptoir were controlled by
separate organizations, such as the syndicates for tires and axles. for
steel rods, steel moldings, etc.
The activities of this and other Belgian steel combinations are
discussed in detail later. (See p. 224.)
In 1908 nine Belgian firms combined and formed the Consortium
Belge-Japonais for the purpose of developing their business relations
 with Japan. The firm of Mosle &amp; Co., Ltd., of Tokio, was
made the common agent in Japan, and the Société Cockerill for
Europe. The products of this combine included locomotives, tenders,
war material, rails, tubes, explosives, and various iron. steel, copper,
and zine products.
Glass industry.—Belgium in some respects led the world in the
production of glass, and syndicates were formed in each particular
line of glass manufacture. The Belgian plate-glass manufacturers
were members of the international plate-glass syndicate. The Comptoir
 d’Exportation des Verres &amp; Vitres, or window-glass comptoir,
was a highly developed organization for exporting this product.
I'he goblet manufacturers were syndicated, as were also the makers
of vials, and the bottle makers.
Other industries.—About four-fifths of the cotton spindles of
Belgium were controlled by the Association Cotonnitre de Belgique,
which was looser in organization than the comptoir form of combination,
 but which sought to adjust prices. The Association de
Fabricants Belges de Cement Portland Artificiel was a selling comptoir,
 all sales being made through its medium, prices being fixed,
and selling quotas assigned. Still other industries in which such
organizations existed were chemicals, pottery, porphyry, granite,
marble, phosphate rock, and foodstuffs.

ITALY.

Nature of Italian products.—Italy has always been an agricul-‘ural
 country. Among its chief products are wheat, Indian corn,
ax, hemp, silk, olives, oranges, lemons, and grapes. As an exporter
 of wine Italy stands next to France.
Italy has no coal mines, but is rapidly developing its possibilities
in water power. Sicily produces a large part of the world’s supply
of sulphur, Carrara is famous for its marble, borax is found in
1 De Leener, op. cit., Vol. I, pp. 120-123, B
"Japon et Belgique, 1908, p. 8, fol.