Radio annual (1938)

not otherwise obtainable on some of the highly specialized aspects of the economic system. The Economic Divisions include: Commercial Intelligence — provides practical information in regard to thousands of foreign firms available for American representation. Commercial Laws — covers the field of legislation and regulations affecting business in all foreign countries. Finance — makes available information regarding foreign debts and budgets, collections, exchange, and other monetary data. Foreign Tariffs — as the name indicates— provides full information on this subject for all countries. Foreign Trade Statistics — gathers and analyzes all available figures on American exports and imports, and publishes them in convenient form. Transportation — offers full information regarding shipping routes, schedules, rates, and other shipping facilities. The Bureau maintains twelve Industrial Divisions, staffed by experts conversant with the details of a given industry. These divisions bring the Bureau into direct and vital touch with producers and dealers, making possible the establishment of mutually helpful relationships. For each industry, there is provided a highly specialized service, satisfying some of its peculiar and characteristic needs for statistical and other information. Necessary supervision, and material is disseminated to the many trades in the most effcient ways that can be devised. Most of the material is provided by representatives of the Departments of Commerce and State stationed in foreign countries; the information covers a wide field of industrial and trade ac tivities and is released to business in periodical and special bulletins. The Electrical Division, one of the twelve similar industrial divisions, renders broad commercial services to the American electrical and radio industries. Its Radio Section serves the manufacturers of broadcasting and receiving equipment, as well as the broadcasting operators. An exchange of foreign and domestic short wave programs has been established in cooperation with the Radio Manufacturers Association, whereby a summary of the outstanding American short wave programs is made available to publishers throughout the world, and a similar summary of foreign programs is made available to the American press. The Division concentrates on obtaining and offering data which the industry lacks the means of securing through its own endeavors. With respect to radio, a responsibility devolves on the Division to collect information regarding the widely varying conditions in other nations, in order to be qualified to inform American industry of world developments, prospective markets, needed adaptations, and other related matters. Since short wave broadcasting is distinctly an international activity, its operations are well within the scope of the Electrical Division's activities. Surveys have been made to develop the effectiveness of American short wave broadcasting. Both its good qualities and its limitations as brought out in these surveys are passed on to the American short wave operators for their guidance. Criticism from the radio or other electrical industries is solicited by the Division, in order that it may improve and make its services more useful to all interested in using them. CS^S^^O EXPORT MARKET SURVEY The comprehensive survey of the foreign radio market, immediately following, was prepared with the assistance of the far-flung consular service of the U. S. Department of Commerce. Statistical information in each instance reflects the latest available data. 932