America 's nitrate " King " in London . Quietly , almost secretly , one of the most powerful figures in American finance has arrived in London to attend a conference of British and American Banks ( among the former the Bank of England ) hastily convened to discuss the situation in Chile , with particular reference to the nitrate industry . He is Mr Medley G B Whelpley , President of the American nitrate industry , who at 39 , is the world 's youngest nitrate " King " . He is counted in the United States as among the six foremost financial and industrial leaders . He represents a group of nitrate companies totalling a capital of 375 million dollars . Mr Medley Whelpley photographed in London . 24 June 1932