The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-12-07

FORMED TO SO
GET WOaLD TkhDE

Washington, Dec. 6.-American
manufacturers are rapidly forming
export associations which plan to car
ry the products of the United States
to every nation on earth. create and
enlarge demands for goods Made in
America and furnish cargoes for the
American merchant marine to trans
port over the seven seas. The trade
invasion of other countries wfIl be-
gin in earnest when Europe has been
supplied with food and reconstruc-
ton materials and the world gets
back to a normal peace basis.
To avoid collision with provisions of
the Sherman antitrust law and the
Clayton act. the new associations are
filing statements Of their purposes
with the federal trade commission,
taking advantage Of the Webb bill
permitting such combinations solely
for tn. purpose of export trade. This
act enables Americans to combine
their strength to compete successfully
with similar conditions in other c0un-
tries. Up to the present, So state
ments have been filed, embracing
combinations of machinery and tool
makers, paper makers, lumber manu-
facturers and general exporters.
AS agenera1 rule, the combinations
trade associations-that Is, all manu-
facturers in the producing certain
article or series of articles are banded
together, somewhat along the lines
followed by the Germans in pushing
goods to all corners of the earth be-
fare the war Some experts believe
that this system is wrong and thai
the combinations should be effected
along the department store IDEA
that is, that each combination should
include one or two manufacturers OF
each article and that the association
should be able to furnish everything
from a pin to locomotive. They
argue this system would save much
expense in maintaing statesmen and
branch agencies and that just az
strong organizations can be effected
as under the other pian. Advocates
of the one-line-of- business idea con-
tend, however, that their system.
which sends out highly specialized
statesmen to sell one article only and
which allocateS all orders among the
embraced in the assoc
citation, makes the stronger combina-
ton to meet foreign competition only.
Officials who have studied the
problem think the danger of an out
growth of these export associations
similar to the great metalgesselschaf
Of Germany which controlled metals
and metal products in all parts of the
world both in production and distri-
button, is eliminated by provision
Of the Webb bill which prohibits Any
exporters association from engaging
In importing activities. 1t also pro-
vided that the acts of the combina-
tons must not be in any way in re-
strairt of trade within the United
States, the FEDERAL trade commission
having continual supervision over
their activities and each individual
or jobbng member of
the association being amendable to
the Sherman and Clayton acts inso-
far as his domestic business Is con-
,erned
The bureau of foreign and domestic
commerce is prepared to give aid to
The combinations, in the way OF Stats
tical and trade information about the
foreign markets. Additional commer-
.ial attaches and travelling agents
are being sought by the bureau to
handle the expected increased volume
" American business and move
.mnt is undo rway with the backing
VI the department of commerce. the
chamber of commerce of the United
States and other organizations. TO BE-
cure more consuls under the state