London

• 1865 - International Telegraph Union founded in Paris, the oldest international organization.
• 1875 - General Postal Union founded in Berne, after Britain introduced the postage stamp in 1840.
• 1875 - International Bureau of Weights and Measures founded in Paris, to standardize the metric system.
• 1873 - International Meteorlogical Organization founded in Vienna.
• 1880 - International Congress of Chambers of Commerce.
• 1882 - International Conference for Promoting Technical Uniformity in Railways founded in Berne.
• 1883 - International Convention for the Publication of Patents and Trademarks founded in Paris.
• 1887 - International Copyright Convention in Berne.
• 1890 - International Convention for the Publication of Customs Tariffs founded in Brussels.
• 1895 - International Convention for the Publication of Industrial, Literary and Artistic Property founded in Berne.
• 1895 - Congress of Actuaries founded in Brussels.
• 1897 - Committee Maritime Internationale founded in Antwerp.
• 1905 - Baltic and White Sea Conference founded, became BIMCO the world's largest private shipping association.
• 1905 - Institute of Agriculture founded in Rome.
• 1906 - International Electrotechnical Commission founded in London at the Hotel Cecil.
• 1906 - International Radiotelegraph Union founded in Berlin, adopted the SOS signal.
• 1911 - Association of Accountancy.
• 1913 - International Bureau of Commercial Statistics founded in Berne.

By 1914, British foreign investment total was 4 billion pounds, one-third of Britain's total wealth, the highest of any country, held in the form of bonds and securities rather than direct ownership. Britain not only exported huge amounts of capital, but also manufactured goods, ships, railroads, weapons, and even people, as 2.4 million emigrated from Britain 1900-1914, creating kinship bonds around the globe. Britain had led Europe in adopting the gold standard, and its banks were the clearinghouse for currencies worldwide. The City of London had become the "Square Mile" that was the world's center for banking, finance, stocks, insurance, shipping, and commodity trading.    

Links:

• Number 1 Poultry excavation
• BIMKO
• City of London
• The founding of the IEC
• Vienna and the Modern

Sources:

• quotes from Keegan, John. The First World War. New York : A. Knopf, 1999.
• Hicks, Frederick C. The New World Order, International Organization, International Law, International Cooperation. New York: Doubleday,1920. 496 p.

   

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