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, because they produce stamps for him. But that is the only
affiliation they have with him.
Mr. JENNER. So this venture in Ghana had no political aspects
whatsoever?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. No.
Mr. JENNER. It was entirely and exclusively business, as you have
explained?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. A hundred percent business.
Mr. JENNER. Except that you were working for the International
Cooperation Administration when you were in Yugoslavia first, that had
no political, capital P, implications whatsoever?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. No; it was purely business.
Mr. JENNER. And your second venture in Yugoslavia for the Cardwell Tool
Corp., that was strictly business?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. No politics involved?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. No.
Mr. JENNER. Have you ever been in any respect whatsoever an agent?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Never have.