164 REPORT ON COOPERATION IN AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE.

financial relations with specific markets. One of the largest and
oldest of these is the American Chamber of Commerce at Paris,
organized in 1894. In 1912 it had an enrollment of 500, only American
 citizens being eligible to active membership. This body cooperated
 with the Chamber of Commerce of the United States and
with the United States Government whenever possible in the furthering
 of closer commercial and financial relations between France and
the United States. This association is typical of many others in
different parts of the world. Several of these organizations maintain
 branches in neighboring markets or in the United States. The
American Chamber of Commerce of China, at Shanghai, has affiliated
 branches throughout the Far East; the Russian-American
Chamber of Commerce at Moscow has a branch at Petrograd and
contemplates establishing one in New York, etc. In most cases the
associations are composed largely of Americans, but sometimes native
importers or business men interested in trade with this country make
up the membership. While the primary objects of these associations
are the same, their special activities differ with the conditions prevailing
 in their respective localities.
A number of associations throughout the United States are interested
 in aiding American manufacturers to develop their foreign
trade. Many of them, like the American Manufacturers’ Export Association,
 the New" York Exporters’ Association, the Export Club of
America, the Philadelphia Commercial Museum, and the National
Foreign Trade Council, are interested exclusively in matters of fors
eign trade. . The greatest usefulness of such bodies lies in the information
 they are able to put in the hands of manufacturers desirous
 of exporting their products. They concern themselves also
with the larger problems of policy, tariffs, shipping, credit, ete. Another
 kind of association is found in a number of manufacturing
cities where local chambers of commerce, formed primarily for
domestic interests, are interesting themselves in educating local
manufacturers in the needs, incidents, and opportunities of foreign
trade. The Chicago Association of Commerce has a foreign trade
division with a foreign trade commissioner. An office was maintained
 for several years in Buenos Aires to facilitate negotiations
between buyers and sellers, to place new orders on products, to secure
 salesmen, and to advise home manufacturers of trade possibilities.
A sample room showing a number of Chicago products was installed,
and the agent of the association made extensive tours of important
countries in the interests and for the information of the manufacturers
 he represented.
Another interesting phase of the movement is illustrated by certain
railroads and express companies which supply foreign trade informa.
tion and suggestions to American merchants and manufacturers,