REPLIES TO CARD AND SCHEDULE INQUIRIES. 401

A manufacturer of various kinds of oil, wax, and grease writes
that “the lack of information as to methods of procedure, terms,
rates of exchange, weights, and measures” has kept him out of the
foreign field. }
Several of the replies bear directly on many points germane to the
question. Thus, a manufacturer of biscuits, cakes, and crackers
states:
English and German biscuit works have made a specialty of export trade and
have departments for that exclusive trade and representatives who speak and
write the native language and understand thoroughly the requirements of the
various countries where they sell goods; pack goods better and in more suitable
packages than American bakers and are more liberal with their terms of credit;
also we understand have agreements among the large manufacturers in regard
to commissions, terms, discounts, etc., and those terms are lived up to.
A producer of structural steel writes:
We have not engaged in foreign trade because we have usually been able to
sell all of our product locally, and besides we have no direct knowledge of
foreign requirements, no staff trained in foreign salesmanship, exchange, transportation,
 marine insurance, and other essentials necessary for successful
foreign distribution.

FOREIGN COMBINATIONS COMPETING WITH AMERICAN EXPORT
TRADE. ,
(Manufacturers’ schedule, question 9; exporters’ schedule, question 8; other
schedules, question 7.)
Question 9 of the manufacturers’ schedule, question 8 of the export
 commission house schedule, and question 7 of the other schedules
 read as follows:
Please give briefly any facts you may ‘have concerning foreign cartels, syndicates,
 or combinations in any form whose competition (you or other) Americans
 encounter in export business.

In general, the replies indicate the belief that the American exporter
 is greatly handicapped by the laws of the United States and
by the attitude of the Government in respect to combinations. Many
statements were made to the effect that in Europe, particularly. Germany,
 combinations which are, in nearly every line of trade, permitted,
 and sometimes even fostered, by the Government, have control
 of the export trade and enable the manufacturer to export with
facility, and at low prices. Competition from these combinations
is felt by American manufacturers, both in selling to the countries
in which these combinations exist and in other.countries to which
these combinations or their members export.
Replies to the schedules were received from about 2.000 persons
or companies. Of these, 517 (representing 40 export commission
houses, 13 domestic merchants and importers, 57 publicists, economists,
 lawyers, and others, and 407 manufacturers) reported some
knowledge of foreign cartels, syndicates, or combinations whose
competition is encountered by Americans in their export business.
The remainder did not answer this particular inquiry or reported
that they had no facts to offer, the statement ofter being made to
the effect that the person answering believed or has understood such
cartels end combinations existed, but that he had no specific facts
to substantiate his belief.
27241°—pPT 2—16———268