heads of state and industry. Many high-level meetings took place with Swiss and US business interested people. Edouard and family stayed in touch with expatriated Swiss nationals while in the US. The Nestle annual Christmas party was given in 1945 after the end of the war. Things were returning to normalcy. Gas rationing had ended. Post-war years Muller was a co-sponsor for the "Declaration of European Interdependence", advocating that "only a continental confederation can coordinate the common political, economic and military interests of Europe and the personal rights of all Europeans." This concept was in an article was presented on March 26, 1945 in Time Magazine. The principal sponsor of the declaration was Count Richard N. Coudenhove-Kalergi, a visiting professor of history at New York University. In the summer of 1946, Edouard and Ellen Muller went to Canada and visited the factories in Toronto and Fulton. Edouard was dismayed by the lack of distribution of Nestle products in Montreal and Quebec and so he redirected his brother-in-law, a Nestle employee who had been destined to go to the Dutch Indies but had been refused by the government, to develop the markets in Canada. Rolf Hemmeler and his family became stationed in Toronto in November 1946. Edouard arranged a reorganization of the Stamford offices by having A. Perrochet and R. de Salis move to the US to perform the task as Edouard prepared to return to Switzerland and the Vevey offices. On March 19, 1947, Edouard Muller and his family returned to Le Havre on the way home on the S.S. America. They had a large reception at landing and then overnighted in Paris to return home on March 29. Muller returned to find internal corporate rivalries within the Vevey offices. He gave a speech at an event he organized at the Casino du Rivage in Vevey called “L’Amerique, un people sur roués”. His speech was noted as demonstrating his kindness, cheer, guidance and leadership. Muller was involved in secret negotiations with the Maggi Group. They worked with Credit Swiss and the federal government and the President of Maggi, C. J. Abegg. Most meetings were in Zurich or Bern. In April 1948, the successful merger was approved by the general assembly of the shareholders and the company changed names from the Nestle-Anglo-Swiss Milk Company to Nestle Alimentana. Retirement On May 21, 1948, the family returned to Connecticut on the S. S.