ABSTRACT
The trip in Europe organised in October 1930 by Arthur V. Davis to meet Louis Marlio represented the starting point of a general detente between the Americans and Europeans. Even if he excluded ALCOA’s participation in an agreement, Davis wanted to help a first rapprochement between ALTED and the Europeans finalised with the creation of a new global cartel. He confided to Marlio that both ALCOA and ALTED were in an extremely difficult position, which represented a global threat for the aluminium market. Due to the crisis and the investment strategies of the previous years, the two firms had accumulated about 150,000 tons of unsold stock, equal what they produced in one year. Mario suggested to Davis that ALTED could become a member of AA to manage this difficult situation with the methods of the cartel, before the European firms concluded the creation of ALEUR. However, Davis criticised AA’s modus operandi and its policy on stable prices that, according to him, did not suit the condition of the market, contributing to depressing the sales.1
