In the US, gasoline is more than $2 per gallon in some areas & will be there soon in others. In Germany, gas costs about 6 Marks per liter. A liter is a little more than a quart; a Mark is equal to about 50 cents, making gas in Germany equal to about $10/gal. Who is responsible? Obviously, the big oil companies are trying to maximize their profits - but this is not the first time. Who can remember the so-called `Arab Oil Embargo' of 1973? I remember it well, because I was Inventory Control Director at the corporate level of a major petrochemical company and I can assure you, there was no shortage of feedstock or petroleum at all. This contrived shortage allowed the company to raise their prices by 500% per cent on both their industrial chemicals and the consumer products, including a nationally known brand of automotive anti-freeze. These products all use feedstock coming from petroleum and it was never in short supply.

Who gave us WW II? The quick answer is, but that just is not the case. We won't even go into the history of the huge number of ethnic Germans massacred in Poland prior to the German invasion in September 1939. Even so, that was still a regional conflict and Germany never intended a world war. Hitler wanted peace with England, and his U-boat Skippers were under strict orders never to engage any US Navy or American-flagged vessel under any circumstances at all. If it was not Germany or Hitler who escalated this, who did?

It was the `Seven Sisters" in large part. The `Seven Sisters' were the world's petroleum companies, of which Standard Oil was the largest. The Chief Executive Officer of Shell Oil was so pro-Nazi that the British Government had to force him out in order to get fuel for their own military. In an interview in LIFE Magazine in 1940, the Chief Executive Officer of Texaco (Thorkold Reiber) stated that if any German U-boat Skipper saw a Texaco tanker helping the Allies, he had Reiber's permission to sink the Texaco tanker. But perhaps the one that made the most profit out of these world events was Standard Oil, today known as Exxon. When the German Luftwaffe bombed England during the Battle of Britain, they got fuel from Standard Oil. When the RAF went up to protect their homeland, they got their fuel from Standard. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, they had fuel from Standard Oil in their tanks.

CHARLES HIGHAM (35-1984) put all this in his book Trading with the Enemy but there is more - and it is in the records of the United States Senate! What you read in this piece comes directly from the testimony of Hearings before a Special Committee investigating the National Defense Program during the 77th Congress, pursuant to Senate Resolution #71 in 1942. This is from the report dated Tuesday, 31 March 1942.

The Committee met at 10:38am pursuant to adjournment on Friday, March 27 in Room 318, Senate Office Building with Senator James M. Mead presiding. Present were Senators James M. Mead (acting chairman), Tom Connally, Clyde L. Herring, Joseph H. Ball, Harley M. Kilgore and Harold H. Burton. Present also were Mr. Hugh H. Fulton, chief counsel & Mr. Charles Clark, associate chief counsel.

To testify this day were Mr. William Stamps Farish, President of Standard Oil (of New Jersey) and Mr. Frank A. Howard, President of Standard Oil Development Company of New York City.

Acting Chairman Mead: "The committee will please be in order and in view of the fact that we have two witnesses and we may seek information from one or both of them, I will swear them in together. You will both stand up. Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

Mr. Farish: "I do."

Mr. Howard: "I do".

Acting Chairman Mead: The Committee will be in order, and the witnesses will identify themselves to the recorder.

Mr. Farish: "I think he has the identification in the past hearing. I will give it over if you like."

Acting Chairman Mead: "You may give it over."

Mr. Farish: "My name is W. S. Farish, president, Standard Oil Co. (New Jersey)."

Mr. Howard: "My name is F A. Howard, vice president of Standard Oil Co . (New Jersey), president of Standard Oil Development Co." "

Acting Chairman Mead: "Now, Mr. Farish, you may proceed."

EDITOR NOTE - this is his statement regarding Standard Oil's agreement with the German conglomerate known as I. G. Farbenindustrie and its cartel.

Mr. Farish: "Gentlemen of the Committee, I am grateful to you for the opportunity to be heard on behalf of the Standard Oil Co. (New Jersey) in the matters you are investigating. I shall try as far as I can to confine myself to facts and make my statement as short and direct as possible. As I have read the hearings before the Committee and the report of them in the daily press, certain specific charges against the company stand out. It seems to me that the press and others have gone beyond the evidence which the Committee has heard, perhaps, and probably through misapprehension. I list the charges to which I refer as follows:

1. That as late as 1939 Standard was engaged in an effort to establish relations with Japan contrary to the interests of the United States and without the knowledge of our Government. This charge is entirely untrue.

2. That after the fall of France, Standard assisted German interests to establish hydrogenation plants in occupied France. This statement is untrue.

3. That Standard made shipments to Italian and German air lines in Brazil, contrary to the wishes of the State Department. This is also unfounded.

4. That the German corporation D.A.P.G., the subsidiary of Standard, planned in 1938 or 1939 to erect at Hamburg a plant for producing aviation gasoline. This is true and as a German corporation, operating in Germany with which country we were not then at war - it could not have been done otherwise.

5. That in July 1941 Standard received from I.G. an offer of $24,000,000 in gold to be delivered at Lisbon for its Hungarian properties. This is true; and under advice from the State Department and the Economic Defense Board the offer was not accepted.

6. That in 1933 Standard entered into an arrangement with I.G. called the Hague agreement - adjusting their relations to the situation brought about by the war in Europe; in which it be noted the United States was not then involved. This arrangement I shall explain fully. It was both reasonable and expedient, and in the interests of the United States.

7. Finally, that Standard had delayed, or retarded, or stifled the development of synthetic rubber in this country. This statement has not a shadow of foundation. The facts and the record are exactly to the contrary. I shall speak from the record in discussing it.

Let us deal with these subjects in the order I have given, reserving until last the question of rubber, which seems to be the greatest present interest."

EDITORS NOTE - please remember, these men could possibly owe their allegiance to Standard Oil and their income more than to the United States? Could be. There will be more of this most interesting Senate Committee hearing in KTB #154 next month. But you might want to think about this the next time you see gasoline prices going up - again.