Messersmith, G.S.
Date
2011-06-15
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press
Abstract
Description
Describes work of International Chamber of Commerce; Messersmith attended a number of the meetings in Europe as official observer for Department of State; recalls some of the leaders in the meetings - Edward Filene and Louis Kirstein of Boston, Eugene Thomas of the Foreign Trade Council, Silas Strawn, [Harper] Sibley, Warren Pierson, and Wayne Chatfield Taylor; among British who unfailingly attended were Sir Arthur Salter and Sir Alan Anderson; [Alberto] Pirelli was for years the principal Italian participant; Chamber was first international organization to endeavor to get broader movement of trade; it made valiant fight against trade barriers; it studied customs regulations, shipping problems, shipping routes, and various types of taxation problems; what made meetings most important was that they brought together leaders of industry, banking, commerce, and government from all over the world; with beginning of second world war meetings were impossible, but after the war Winthrop Aldrich accepted Presidency of the organization; some of the work of the Chamber has been taken over by various inter-governmental organizations and by affiliated organizations of the U.N., but the Chamber will continue to play an important role, for it is an entirely private matter, not connected with government in any way, thus providing a free forum for discussion.
Keywords
Messersmith, George S. (George Strausser), 1883-1960.