Mr. JENNER. Of what country?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Of Haiti. Dated in 1961, giving me an opportunity
to present a geological survey of Haiti.
Mr. JENNER. What was that to be for?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. This was to search and study the oil and gas and
all the mineralogical points of the whole country.
Mr. JENNER. Did this have anything, any purpose or intent, other than a
legitimate effort on your part, on behalf of the Haitian Government, to
you as a petroleum engineer and geologist, to discover in Haiti mineral
deposits that might be of economic value to Haiti, and to those who
might be willing to risk their capital to develop it?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. This is the only purpose I have--purely business
promotional project.
Mr. JENNER. And this is in no way linked, directly, indirectly, or in
any remote possibility, with any mapping of this country with great
care for the possibility of its being employed by any other nation or
group?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. No; no other nation could use my maps,
and no other project, except our own commercial and geological
project--nothing else.
Anyway, the whole Island of Haiti has been mapped in complete precision
by the U.S. Government already, and the maps are available right here
in Washington. And my office in Port-au-Prince, actually they are
officers of Inter-American Geodetic Survey.
On one side is the American representative of the Geodetic Survey, and
on the other side I am doing my geological work in the same building.
He helps me with some of his equipment, some of his advice, some of his
maps, and we pursue our own work there.
I employed in the last 8 months since we have been in Haiti an Italian
geologist who came specially to Haiti from South America, with all the
equipment, and stayed with us for several months. I employed a Swiss
assistant. I employed--I am employing an American geologist right now,
recommended by the University of Texas, who is living in Haiti with his
family, and whose salary I am paying; I am responsible for him.
I have also, in addition to that, employed a prospector from Alaska,
an American. And I am employing a group of Haitian engineers and
geologists--engineers, not geologists, because they don't have
geologists. Engineers. And it is a project which--for which the Haitian
Government is supposed to pay me $285,000, out of which they pay
$20,000 in cash, and the rest they are paying from the interest in the
sisal plantation at Mont Rouis.
This plantation started to be operated jointly by Mr. Clemard J.
Charles, president of the Commercial Bank of Haiti, and myself; and now
Mr. Charles is operating it for me, doing all the administrative work,
and I am pursuing my geological work.
Up to now, we found some things which were indicated on the map here.
Mr. JENNER. I don't want you to reveal any business secret, because
I appreciate--all I am getting at is the general description of the
project, and its good faith.
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. That is right. I hope that this will be
sufficiently justified in good faith.
Mr. JENNER. And these documents we have identified are documents which
you sent to Mr. Raigorodsky with what thought in mind?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. With the thought of having him eventually
participate in various enterprises which may come out of it.
Mr. JENNER. Such as?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Such as development of small industries,
development of oil production, development of new hotels and new
resorts, et cetera. Because the country is open to new business and I
think has excellent opportunities for American investments.
Mr. JENNER. All right. Now, you have expressed an opinion, have you
not, as to the activity or lack of activity on the part of the FBI in
connection with the assassination of the President?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Well, I think that they should have sent away
from Dallas every suspicious person, like any other country would
do--when somebody--when an important figure arrives to town, and there
are deranged people, or people who have habits of shooting guns at
targets or ones who have been traitors to their country to some extent,
you know--any controversial people should be not necessarily put to
jail, but sent away from the town.
Mr. JENNER. And you have Lee Oswald in mind, do you?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes; I have Lee Oswald in mind.
Mr. JENNER. You assume that the FBI was aware that he had this weapon,
and he was target practicing with it?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. That I do not know, whether they had that
knowledge of the weapon. But it is not for me to judge them. But I
think they should have known. If they didn't know, they should have
known.
Mr. JENNER. And I take it your opinion, whether they did or did not
know of the weapon, they had other information with respect to Oswald's
attempted defection and matters of that nature which you feel----
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. They must have had that information.
Mr. JENNER. And as an American citizen, it is your view that they
should have done what?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. I think they should have--in my opinion, they
shouldn't have let him come back to the United States--No. 1.
And No. 2, the people like us should have been protected against even
knowing people like Oswald. Maybe I am wrong in that respect.
Mr. JENNER. Well, it is an opinion. That is all I am asking you for.
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. And thirdly, Oswald was known as a violent
character, especially in the last time. He was known, as I read from
the papers, that he participated in pro-Castro demonstrations in New
Orleans. That is what I read in the papers. And so therefore, he should
have been kept away from Dallas when the President was there.
Mr. JENNER. Mr. Reporter, would you mark the Auchincloss letter, dated
February 2, 1964, and its accompanying envelope as De Mohrenschildt
Exhibits 12 and 13, respectively?
(The documents referred to were marked "De Mohrenschildt Exhibits 12
and 13," for identification.)
Mr. JENNER. And the Auchincloss letter of December 12, 1963, and
its accompanying envelope as De Mohrenschildt Exhibits 14 and 15,
respectively.
(The documents referred to were marked "De Mohrenschildt Exhibits 14
and 15," for identification.)
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. All these contracts in Haiti have been made
official by an act of Congress of Haiti on March 13, 1963, and signed
by the president of the country and by all the ministers, stipulating
that the price of the geological survey would be $285,000, and the
consideration for it will be the concession of the sisal in Haiti,
originally an American company called Shada, built by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and developed during the war, and later on
sold to the Haitian Government. This concession is given to me for the
duration of 10 years, with an extended duration of 10 years more. I
think that will explain it.
Mr. JENNER. Fine.
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. I could talk for hours about this project,
because it was developed through so many years, and so much effort.
Mr. JENNER. In order that the correspondence be complete, Mr. De
Mohrenschildt has produced for me the response he received to his
letter of December 12, 1963, to Mrs. Auchincloss.
Mr. De Mohrenschildt, since it is a personal letter, I will ask you to
read the letter in evidence. It has a longhand note on it. You might
want to keep the original. So just read it. And just for the purpose of
the record, and not because I suspicion you, I will watch you read it.
It is on letterhead, 3044 O Street, Northwest, Washington, D.C.
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. That is correct.
"Dear George:
"Thank you for your letter and for your sympathy for Jacqueline. Please
accept my deepest sympathy in the loss of your son. How tragic for you.
"It seems extraordinary to me that you knew Oswald and that you knew
Jackie as a child. It is certainly a very strange world."
Mr. JENNER. Hold it a minute. The second paragraph begins with the
words "It seems."
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. "You did not say why you were in Haiti, so I
imagine that you are in our Foreign Service. If you come to Washington
again, I would like to talk with you, and I would very much like to
meet your wife. When you next write to Dimitri, will you send him my
warmest regards, and thank him for his sympathy."
Mr. JENNER. Dimitri is your brother?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. Now, there is a longhand note.
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes.
"I live now in Georgetown. Your letter has made me think a good deal. I
hope too--that Mrs. Oswald will not suffer.
"Very sincerely, Janet Lee Auchincloss."
Mr. JENNER. Dated?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Wednesday, January 29.
Mr. JENNER. All right. You just keep that original.
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Thank you.
Mr. JENNER. I show you what purports to be a transcript of a Christmas
card, 1963, allegedly transmitted by you, appearing at page 3,
Commission Document 703-F. Would you read it, please?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. This paragraph?
Mr. JENNER. The whole card.
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Best wishes
for 1964, George and Jeanne De M.
"Alex is in New York State, supposedly working at some mental hospital.
Gary Taylor takes care of Cousin Lil. Nancy is alive, still kicking. We
are happy here. Appalled at the crimes in Dallas.
"George."
Mr. JENNER. You transmitted that Christmas card with that inscription?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. Now, would you explain your statement, "appalled at the
crimes in Dallas"?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Well, I mean the assassination of the President
and subsequent assassination of Lee Oswald by Ruby, and the
assassination by Oswald of this policeman--three assassinations, one
after another.
Mr. JENNER. All right. By the way, did you ever see Jack Ruby in the
flesh?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Never; no. On TV you mean?
Mr. JENNER. No.
Did you know him when you were in Dallas?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. No.
Mr. JENNER. To the best of your recollection, had you ever seen him
when you were in Dallas?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Don't recall.
Mr. JENNER. Was his name ever mentioned at any conversation that took
place in the presence of Lee Oswald while you were present?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Never.
Mr. JENNER. Was at any time there any conversation, or did anything
occur while you were in Dallas to lead you to believe directly or
indirectly, or to any degree whatsoever, that Lee Oswald knew Jack Ruby?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. No, sir; not one indication.
Mr. JENNER. Did anything occur in Dallas by way of any statements to
you, statements made in your presence, or anything you noticed or saw,
that would lead you at any time while you were in Dallas, to lead you
to believe that Lee Oswald was ever in the Carousel Club in Dallas?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. No.
Mr. JENNER. Did you try to interest Mr. Kitchel in your Haiti venture?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. And he did not join?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. No.
Mr. JENNER. That was a friendly gesture on your part, was it?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes.
Mr. JENNER. I am pleased to say to you that he so regarded it.
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. I am glad to hear that.
Mr. JENNER. That he thought you were in good faith, offering him an
opportunity to participate, and you were not thinking in terms of any
business advantage.
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. No, no.
Mr. JENNER. And that is the fact; is it?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes; of course. I offered this project to quite
a few people, and it so happened that at the time they were afraid of
Haiti, and I am very happy to say that I am now the sole proprietor of
the whole project. It may be all for the best.
Mr. JENNER. I will show the witness pages 4, 5 and 6 and 7 of
Commission Document No. 542. I wish to direct your attention primarily
to the--what purports to be a letter from you to Mr. Kitchel, setting
forth the background of information on a holding company that you were
developing in Haiti. Would you read the letter?