Page:The Czechoslovak Review, vol3, 1919.djvu/438

Bohemian glass be exported as before, but that foreign markets will take much larger quantities of it.

The war has not affected the producing capacity of the Bohemian glass industry. The country was never the scene of war operations, the plants were not damaged, and in fact many manufacturers made use of the compulsory suspension of production to enlarge and refit their equipment. Several modern plants have been built and there is willingness to invest further in this promising industry.

The world knew all glass exported from the former Dual Monarchy as Bohemian glass. This name was correctly applied, because practically all the glass works of the disrupted empire were located in Bohemian lands and belong today under the jurisdiction of the Czechoslovak Republic. The financial control of the factories is divided between Czech and German capital, and for some time past much French and English money has been invested in this field. All the glass works, some of which are combined under the control of large stock companies, are strong financially and in good shape. The headquarters of the great glass concerns, some of which were formerly located in Vienna, are now all centred in Prague.

The glass workers are both Czechs and Germans, but naturally the Czechs are in a great majority. There are German plants employing Czech workingmen, and vice versa, so that there are really no purely German concerns. Most of the works are organized under the Central Association of Czechoslovak Industry and its sections; in all questions of organization, economy, commerce and finance they act together and work in harmony for the growth of the glass industry.

The foreign trade policy of the Czechoslovak Republic justly emphasizes the value of glass products for the proper balance of foreign trade, and in order to increase export created export syndicates, supervised by governmental authorities.

Of these syndicates the most important one is the Czechoslovak syndicate for tube glass. It has an office in Prague (Mariánská ul. 24) and its head is Dr. Václav Horák. This institution controls the disposition of the finished products of this branch of the industry and determines the general policy under which export shall take place, so as to benefit not merely the glass industry, but the economic and financial interests of the whole republic. All export of glass of this kind is under the control of this syndicate, and foreign dealers interested in Bohemian glass will get from its office trustworthy information about quality, quantity and prices, as well as terms of delivery. The syndicate keeps in touch with representatives of foreign governments in Prague and with Czechoslovak diplomatic and consular representatives abroad; it arranges for sample exhibits and has on hand photographs of all the glass products of the factories of the Republic.

A similar institution is the Czechoslovak syndicate for export of sheet glass, Prague II., Revoluční tř. 2; its chairman is Dr. Karel Musil. It controls foreign commerce in this branch of the glass industry. There is also an office for the control of export in refined glass.

As to glass specialties, there are several subsidiary organs, each in control of the trade in its line. There is the Glass Ring Section of the Czechoslovak Export and Import Commission, directed by František Lejsek in Frýdštejn near Malá Skála; export of Gablonz ware is controlled by a commission, the chairman of which is Dr. J. Mohal in Semily, glass pearl trade is in charge of Jachym Kostlan in Zásada, and glass buttons Ludvik Lubas in Žel. Brod.

The home industry of Turnov and its district, engaged in the cutting of precious stones (except diamonds), semi-precious stones and glass imitations, is organized in the Turnov and District Stone-Cutters Association, and it exports its wares into all parts of the world. Among the principal exporting firms in this line should be named Antonín Pařízek who specializes in Bohemian garnets, František Hermann, Antonín Jahn, Josef May and František Šlechta whose specialty is the Strasschaton diamonds. All of these are in Turnov, Bohemia.

Bohemian glass industry is highly developed and can supply any demand that may be put upon it. The syndicates and individuals named are officially accredited by the authorities of the Czechoslovak Republic and will answer any inquiries that may be addressed to them in English.