  We study the low energy string effective action with an exponential type
dilaton potential and vanishing torsion in a Bianchi type I space-time
geometry. In the Einstein and string frames the general solution of the
gravitational field equations can be expressed in an exact parametric form.
Depending on the values of some parameters the obtained cosmological models can
be generically divided into three classes, leading to both singular and
nonsingular behaviors. The effect of the potential on the time evolution of the
mean anisotropy parameter is also considered in detail, and it is shown that a
Bianchi type I Universe isotropizes only in the presence of a dilaton field
potential or a central deficit charge.
