This piece began in KTB #153.

In the US, gasoline had been more than $2 per gallon in some areas. In Germany, gas had cost about 2 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 $4/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% 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 WWII? It was the 'Seven Sisters" in 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. This piece began in KTB #153. Executives of Standard Oil are still trying to 'tap dance' around certain questions. The Senators are still attempting to learn why they lied.

Acting Chairman Mead: "Right there, Mr. Farish, do you know of any Standard Oil men who are now in the employ of W.P.B. as dollar-a-year men?"

Mr. Farish: "Senator, I can't answer accurately, no. I don't know this and I state this, that all of the departments in Washington, practically, who are doing war work, or Army work, or Navy work, have called on our organization for help, and we have been severely restricted."

Acting Chairman Mead: "The reason I asked ...........

Mr. Farish: "In our own efforts in furnishing technical men and assistants to work in this general effort of preparedness, I can get you a list, if you would like to know how many. They are asking for more right today."

Acting Chairman Mead: "The reason I asked that is that it seems to me there was an article in a paper recently that a former Standard Oil official is either in the W.P.B. or in one of the branches of the service that has to do with this subject under discussion. Whether his name was Wolf, or Harris, or what it was, it doesn't come to me, and I just wanted to find out if there was anybody that you know of "

Mr. Farish: "There probably is. Somebody stated that there was, but I don't happen to know the gentleman."

Acting Chairman Mead: "Do you happen to know him?"

Mr. Howard: "Yes, Senator. There is a young chemical engineer named Wolf, who was taken by the O.P.M. Chemical Division as advisor or expert on synthetic rubber about two years ago, or a year and a half ago, I should think."

Acting Chairman Mead: "His name evidently was mentioned in the course of these hearings."

Senator Ball: "Is he on a dollar-a-year basis?"

Mr. Howard: "No. I understand he is on regular salary. I can confirm that."

Mr. Farish: "May I go on, Senator?"

Acting chairman Mead: "He is getting what?"

Mr. Howard: "I am sorry. He is a dollar-a-year man, Senator. I thought he was on their pay roll."

Acting chairman Mead: "And he is drawing a salary from the Standard Oil?"

Mr. Howard: "Yes; I assume he is."

Acting chairman Mead: "Would you happen to know how much salary he is drawing?"

Mr. Howard: "Since he is a relatively young man, Senator, I should suppose it might be anywhere from $2,500 up, not very far up."

Acting chairman Mead: "Of course, that is rather vague. Would you furnish it to the committee?"

Mr. Howard: "Yes, sir. Of course."

Acting chairman Mead: "I assume there are some men who get really big pay in Standard Oil."

Mr. Howard: "I have it here, Senator. $5,600."

Acting chairman Mead: "Thank you very much."

Senator Connally: "May I interject here? Your concern is not the only one that has dollar-a-year men in the departments, is it? My information is that the steel men, and the refrigerator men, and everybody else down there."

Acting chairman Mead: "The Senator didn't mean to emphasize steel men."

Mr. Farish: "May I make a comment?"

Acting chairman Mead: "I was speaking for the Senator from New York that time."

Senator Connally: "The reason Senator asked the question was that the implication from the Senator from New York seemed to be that Standard Oil has a man down there ........

Acting chairman Mead: (interposing) "That question has been asked of almost every industry here, so that you are not being shown any preferential treatment.

Mr. Farish: "We appreciate that, Senator. May I make a short statement on that?"

Senator Connally: "Just a minute. I want to finish my question. His name was Wolf or Tiger or Lion or something, and he worked for Standard Oil. Now, as a matter of fact, nearly all these great industries do have dollar-a-year men. I don't approve of the practice at all, but still they are there, and I don't suppose that your company any more than any other company is to be singled out and held up to scorn in the program because that is the practice, I think they ought to be on the government pay roll, and their loyalty ought to be along to the Government of the United States."

Mr. Farish: "May I make a brief statement on that?"

Acting chairman Mead: "As I said before, that question has been asked of almost every industry."

Mr. Farish: "I appreciate that. I would like to .........

Acting chairman Mead: (interposing) "We are not singling you out because you had a Wolf who got into the W.P.B. He may be a very fine man."

Senator Connally: "The implication was that he was just wearing wolf's clothing," (laughter)

Acting chairman Mead: "But was a sheep at heart."