Rockefeller Launches Another Businessmen's Club - Celebrating "Splendid" North-South American Ties

David Rockefeller's newest idea for promoting corporate interests in Latin America is an organization called the Americas Society. Formed in August, this group will serve as the umbrella organization for the Council of the Americas and the Center for Inter-American Relations, two earlier Rockefeller projects.

The Americas Society will strive to "promote public awareness throughout the hemisphere of the positive role of private initiative and enterprise in achieving the goals of national and regional development," Rockefeller said in launching the society. It will devote itself to "cultural affairs, public affairs, and business affairs," and will sponsor lecture series, special study groups, and print, film and video programs to be distributed internationally, continued the recently-retired chairman of Chase Manhattan, who will chair the new group.

Other officers of the society include John C. Duncan, chairman and chief executive officer of St. Joe Minerals Corp., John D. Macomber, chairman and chief executive officer of Celanese Corp., and Russell Marks, president of Phelps Dodge International Corp.

Said Rockefeller, "We trust the creation of the Americas Society ... will indicate clearly the commitment of the private sector in the United States to the entire hemisphere. It is the intention of the Americas Society to make clear the splendid relationship among the countries of the Western Hemisphere and to emphasize once again that this relationship is not exclusively economic but rather is based firmly in similar political aspirations . . ."

Responded U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs Thomas 0. Enders, "As you know the administration believes the private sector has a vital role to play in the Hemisphere. So we are pleased that the Americas Society has been formed and we heartily endorse its objectives."