to use the American equipment in conjunction with Yugoslav labor, and possibly use some Yugoslav engineers, to drill in Arabic countries especially in Egypt." This is a little bit beside the point. But Marshal Tito is very close to Nasser, and it is very easy to send Yugoslav workers to Arabic countries today, and they actually do it all the time. They send the workers there, they do some jobs there. And they use German equipment, and sometimes Italian equipment. So why not use American equipment?
I heard about the very big deal in Egypt that could be gotten with that type of combination. However, before going to Yugoslavia I went to see the ex-head of ICA here in Washington. He was Ambassador in Yugoslavia when I was there. Riddleburger. And I told him about this project. And I asked him, "Do you think it will be workable? Will it be acceptable in Washington?"
And he said, "I think that sounds like a good idea."
It is nothing terrible to form a joint American-Yugoslavian venture--form a corporation.
I went to Yugoslavia and did get a contract of that type, a contract in the form of an agreement to be signed later on, just a project.
I came back to Texas, discussed it with Mr. Mecom, and he said, "George, I have changed my mind. I don't think I would like to do business with those damned Communists."
So the project fell through. And eventually quite a few corporations of that type were formed, between the French and the Yugoslavs, Germany and Yugoslavs, and Italians and Yugoslavs.

Mr. Jenner.

You were in Ghana in 1957, was it?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. I think later than that. I think 1960, probably, or 1959.

Mr. Jenner.

What led you to go to Ghana?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. I have clients in New York by the name of Lehman. The first name is Rafael Lehman, who owns the Lehman Trading Corp. I have done some work for him in Texas. A wealthy man of American and Swedish origin, who owns, among other things, stamp concessions all over Africa. They have rights to issue stamps for the Government. And this is one of those ventures that are very profitable, because they practically give the stamps gratis to the Government, and sell the stamps to the philatelic agents. And he has, I think, about 11 African countries under contract to produce stamps for them. And one of them is Ghana.
And while there--he travels around Africa all the time--he found out that there were some oil seeps in the northern part of Ghana, indications of oil. And he asked me to go there and investigate. And eventually we took a concession in the northern part of Ghana. We still are supposed to have it, this concession.

Mr. Jenner.

Was it published when you went to Ghana that you were a philatelist?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. When we arrived in Ghana?

Mr. Jenner.

Yes.
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Sure.

Mr. Jenner.

Explain that.
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. That was a trick, because I was representing the philatelic agency, Lehman, but we did not want to let it be known to Shell Oil Co. that I was a consulting geologist.

Mr. Jenner.

Don't you think Shell Oil Co. would know that George De Mohrenschildt was an oil geologist?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Well, we didn't want it to be known, anyway, because I even didn't go through--I didn't spend any time in Accra. I went right away to the northern provinces. How did you know that I went as a philatelist? You have to say that sometimes in the oil business you use certain tricks. But that was intentional on the part of Mr. Lehman, because Shell Oil Co. is supposed to have the real entry to all those countries, as far as concessions go.

Mr. Jenner.

Did this venture of yours in behalf of Lehman Trading Corp. have anything--was that political in any nature, and I say political with a capital P.
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. No; of course they have to be friendly with Nkrumah,

« Previous | Next »

Found a Typo?

Click here

Last Update: Wed, 3 Aug 2016 21:56:34 CET