REPORT ON COOPERATION IN AMERICAN EXPORT TRADE.
in their field of operation all Germany. State control by Kingdoms
and Provinces, such as Bavaria, Saxony, etc., is only exercised to a
limited degree. The potash law of 1910 and the laws relative to
brandy {Erangiweln) and distilled spirits are examples of the
national character of German legislation. Although the monopolization
 and concentration of industry, as viewed Be a legislative
standpoint, is largely national, the practical development of cartels
and combinations has been along industrial lines. The very name
of the Rhenish-Westphalian Coal Syndicate (Rheinisch-Westfilisches
 Kohlen-Syndikat, Aktien-Gesellschaft) shows it to be one of
the products from the great industrial district from which the syndicate
 takes its name. The cartels of several other industries take their
names from the lines which they represent, such as the wall paper,
silk, and potash combinations. During the last few years the word
“German,” as applying to the national character of organizations
has been used more and more, showing that the industries designated
in this manner have been so concentrated that they can be regarded as
applying to the whole Empire.
The number of German cartels can be variously estimated, depending
 on the method of classification. The official memorial of the
German Government published in 1905 (Denkschrift iiber das Kartellwesen
 ; herausgegeben vom Reichsamt des Innern) gives the number
 of cartels exlming at that time as 366, of which more than 200
operate their own selling agencies. More than half of this number
may be regarded as being cartels of the higher order. This classification
 includes all of the more important producing and manufacturing
 cartels and excludes smaller and imperfectly organized
assoctations of dealers and sellers. Since the official memorial was
issued it must be remembcied that some of the cartels mentioned as
being individual have been further centralized and unified. It must
also be considered that cartels and combinations have been established
 in many new lines. According to almost any reasonable
classification which may be adopted, it is safe to say that there are
about 400 individual cartels, syndicates, and combinations in
Germany.
The cartels of important German industries—Since all the cartels
in Germany can not be discussed individually, it was thought advisable
 to take up only the more important combinations by industries.
Without doubt coal and iron are the most important raw products
of German commercial life. Consequently, steel, coal, and iron,
with all of their interwoven combinations, will be studied in the
order named. As a type of Government monopoly, in which the
United States is very much interested as a purchaser, the potash
syndicate will be covered as the next subject. Since the United
States competes in all parts of the world with German cement, electrical
 goods, paper, textiles, alcohol, etc., these subjects will be discussed
 in the order given. The limited time allowed for the completion
 of this report will not permit separate studies to be made of
the concentration movements in the book business, glass, aniline color,
linoleum, soda, aluminum, glue, dynamite, and other industries.
Therefore, brief summaries, which partially cover the indicated field,
are respectfully submitted.