W. Averell Harriman Quotes

We were talking about really getting Europe on its feet. It was our hope that there would be a breakdown of trade barriers in Europe first, and then eventually a breakdown internationally, which would help increase trade with Europe.

Conferences at the top level are always courteous. Name-calling is left to the foreign ministers.

It was fear. He didn't want to see a united Germany. Stalin made it clear to me – I spoke with him many times – that they couldn't afford to let Germany build up again. They'd been invaded twice, and he wasn't willing to have it happen again.

I think Stalin was afraid of Roosevelt. Whenever Roosevelt spoke, he sort of watched him with a certain awe. He was afraid of Roosevelt's influence in the world.

As far as the Russians were concerned, I felt the reverse; they had adequate gold, if they wanted to buy, and they weren't dependent upon international trade. I felt they were more self-sufficient.

This was the period when I used all the influence I had to get the British to abandon their export trade, and as much as possible convert all of their manufacturing facilities to the immediate needs of the war, including civilian, as well as military requirements.

How could you justify giving Holland twice the amount of money that you gave Belgium? Well, finally, I put it up to them. They said that they couldn't do it; it would destroy them. I said they had to do it. And I finally got support from Hoffman on it.

We became convinced that, regardless of Stalin's awful brutality and his reign of terror, he was a great war leader. Without Stalin, they never would have held.

Roosevelt was the one who had the vision to change our policy from isolationism to world leadership. That was a terrific revolution. Our country's never been the same since.

There's a myth that Roosevelt gave Stalin Eastern Europe. I was with Roosevelt every day at Yalta.

The war changed everybody's attitude. We became international almost overnight.

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I have to say I really was surprised on my first world tour. It was amazing to see what we've always dreamed of, right before our eyes.

It was always sort of my dream to make handbags and I wanted a handbag that was very sharp, very structured, very tailored… I wanted a bag you could put all of your things in it, you can open it, you could close it, you could hid all your tricks, but it's not all lumpy.

If there was no ladies, I wouldn't wanna be on the planet. Ladies, friends, and music – without those three, I wouldn't wanna be here.

It's okay to eat fish because they don't have any feelings.

I grew up listening to Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf and lots of blues, R&B and Motown.

W. Averell Harriman Quotes

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