I/EC June 1960, Volume 52, No. 6 APPLIED JOURNALS, ACS 1 155 Sixteenth St., N.W. Washington 6,D. C. Director of Publications, C. B. Larrabee Editorial Director, Richard L. Kenyon Executive Editor, James M. Crowe Assistant to the Director of Publications, Joseph H. Kuney Assistant to the Editorial Director, Robert F. Gould INDUSTRIAL AND ENGINEERINGCHEMISTRY Editor, Will H. Shearon, Jr. EDITORIAL HEADQUARTERS WASHINGTON 6, D. C. 1155 Sixteenth St., N.W. Phone REpublic 7-3337 Teletype WA 23 Associate Editor: Willlam H. Gay Assistant Editors: Joe H. Olin, Joe B. Pullen, Elspeth W. Mainland Manuscript Department Associate Editors: Stella Anderson, Head Katherine 1. Biggc, Reviewing Ruth Reynard, Editing Ruth M. Howorth, Eugenia Keller Editorial Assistant: S. S. Rogers Layout and Production Joseph Jacobs, Art Director Melvin D. Buckner (Art) Leroy Corcoran (Layout) BRANCH EDITORIAL OFFICES WASHINGTON Associate Editor: Robert J. Riley CHICAGO 1, ILL. Room 926,36 South Wabash Ave. Teletype CG 725 Phone Slate 2-5148 Associate Editors: Arthur Pouloc, Chester Placek, James H. Krieger HOUSTON 2, TEX., 718 Melrose Bldg. Phone FAirfax 3-7107 Teletype HO 72 Associate Editors: Bruce F. Greek, Earl V. Anderson NEW YORK 16, N. Y,. 2 Park Ave. Phone ORegon 9-1646 Teletype NY 1-4726 Associate Editors: Willlam Q. Hull, Har Stenerson, D. Gray Weaver, Walter Fedor, Laurence J. White, Louis A. Agnel SAN FRANCISCO 4, CALIF. 703 Mechanics’ Institute Bldg., 57 Post Phone EXbrook 2-2895 Teletype SF Associate Editor: Richard 0. Newhall Assistant Editor: Joseph Sturchio EASTON, PA. 20th and Northampton Sts. Phone BLackburn 8-91 11 Teletype ESTN Pa 7048 Associate Editor: Charlotte C. Sayre Editorial Assistantr: Elizabeth R. Rufe, Barbara A. Conover EUROPEAN OFFICE Bush House, Aldwych, London Phone Temple Bar 3605 Cable JIECHEM Associate Editor: Albert S. nester Assistant Editor: Brendan F. Somerville Contributing Editors: H. Carl Bauman, James 6. Weaver, W. S. Connor, P. H. Stirling Advisory Board: R. L. Bateman, A. S. Brunjes, David M. Clark, James M. Church, Lauchlin M. Currie, Joseph C. Elgin, Sam S. Emison, E. J. Fox, George Harringlon, Guctave Heinemann, Rafael Katzen, Joseph H. Koffolt, F. Drew Mayfield, George Thodos, Richard C. Waugh
The Invisible American Abroad CONJUREup your own personal picture of the American abroad. It may be fact or fiction, depending on your experience, what you have heard, read, or seen. You may think of him only as a tourist, or as a military man, as a government representative, or in business. He is there, and he creates impressions. But what of the invisible American? The one the foreigner tries to reach, and often can, but often can’t. What of our manners a t home, which affect our relations abroad? What about this invisible American who is only a n advertisement in a magazine, a source of information, a purchasing agent, a sales manager, a foreign department? He can be a n ambassador of good will or of ill will, as he chooses. I n the mail a few days ago was a letter from Denmark, from a n engineer whose business is raw materials and machinery for the chemical industry. He mentioned that the 1959 Danish import-export turnover was close to $3 billion (U. S.); that the Danes certainly welcome import when their export is allowed to pay for it; and that their financial standing is very good. But, he says, there is some impression in Denmark that Americans very often consider the Scandinavian countries “undeveloped” and hardly worth wasting time on. We do not wish here to begin a n argument in trade, international finance, tariffs, or similar subjects. We do wish to argue for international courtesy. T h e Danish engineer says, “ I a m the agent for smaller (American) firms like the (a well-known name) Chemical Go., and some of these people are shocking to try to work for. They do not answer letters or cooperate to a n acceptable extent.” I/EC began publishing a n INTERNATIONAL EDITIONalmost a year ago. One of the specific reasons for this was to cater to the American chemical firm which wanted foreign business and to the international readers who had bona fide interest in American chemical products and equipment. As editors, we get many requests for help from abroad. We try to give some acceptable answer to every request, as promptly as possible. I t is sometimes difficult to separate the legitimate request from that made by a person who just wants someone else ‘to do his information seeking for him-but then our foreign friends have no monopoly on this latter approach; we see it often enough right here a t home. A few weeks ago we had lunch with a prominent chemical engineerconsultant who has done much advising abroad in countries which underdeveloped. He returns each year more impressed with their objectives and with the idea that our best service abroad is to help others to help themselves. Next month I/EC will present a special feature on international trade as Chas. Pfizer sees it. John J. Powers, President of Pfizer International, speaking of the role of American industry compared to government aid in the chemical industry abroad, points out that the vital aspects of government-to-government aid lies in the laying of a proper foundation through public works in the fields of transportation, communications, and power. O n this, the superstructure of a n efficient and productive industry can be built by companies both national and foreign, individually and together. I n the last year we have seen much of joint plants and operating agreements between American and foreign companies. These are the big things; sometimes it is the little things that make even more impression. Can we not make international courtesy, by providing prompt answers to legitimate requests for information, one of the distinguishing marks of the American chemical industry?
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Advertising Management REINHOLD PUBLISHING CORP. (For Branch Offices see list of advertisers)
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