Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. I get sometimes into heated discussions and
sometimes I say things which maybe you don't think. But I may have
insulted some other people's feeling, because I don't have a hatred
against anybody. I don't hate communism--hell, let them live.
Mr. JENNER. You don't hate it for somebody else, but you don't want it
yourself?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. I don't want it myself; no.
Mr. JENNER. Your whole stay in Yugoslavia, however, was in connection
with the International Cooperation Administration?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. No; I am glad that you reminded me of that. I
developed an idea, being in Yugoslavia, of forming a joint venture to
use Yugoslav workers and American equipment.
Mr. JENNER. What workers?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yugoslav workers, who are very good and very
inexpensive, to do some drilling in Arabic countries, and using
American equipment. One of my clients is John Mecom in Houston, who,
among other things, controls Cogwell Oil Well Equipment Co. in Wichita,
Kans. And he has been having a hard time selling his equipment lately.
So one day we were discussing in Houston what could we do to promote
the use of his equipment. And we came to a conclusion that it might be
a good idea to form a joint venture, American-Yugoslav joint venture,
using cheap Yugoslav labor, and very good labor, to drill in Arabic
countries, because there is a great future of doing this, you see.
And John Mecom sent me to Yugoslavia in 1958 to look at the possibility
of forming such a venture.
Mr. JENNER. Excuse me. Was this the same year you were in Yugoslavia
for the International----
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. No; the next year. This was in 1958.
Mr. JENNER. Were you then married?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. You had married your present wife?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes; I think so. I hope I am right on my dates.
Yes--I think we were married then. Anyway, I went by myself to
Yugoslavia.
Mr. JENNER. I think you married your wife, Jeanne in 1959, did you not,
in the summer?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. You are probably right. Maybe I was not married
at that time. Now, don't take those dates 100-percent sure. I can
correct them later on when I look at the papers. My mind was so busy
with Oswald that I don't keep my mind on the dates of marriage.
Mr. JENNER. I haven't reached Oswald yet.
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. I know. It will be a long discussion. I think I
expressed my point of view pretty well.
Mr. JENNER. I do want you to get into this 1958 Yugoslav venture.
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. Tell us more about it.
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. All right.
John Mecom said, "George, you go to Yugoslavia and fix a contract
for me 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?"