sentences:  The December 1967 acquisition of the Hollandsche Bank-Unie (HBU) with its strong position in South America gave the international network a more balanced structure.The Dutch branch network of ABN Bank was expanded substantially from 1964 onwards in step with the growing significance of retail banking.The acquisition of "Bank Mees & Hope" in 1975 reflected ABN Bank's diversification strategy since the chief strength of BMH was international commodity finance.