George W. Bush's grandfather, Prescott Bush, was the Managing Director of the investment bank Brown Brothers, Harriman from the 1920s through the 1940s. It was Brown Brothers, in conjunction with Averell Harriman, the Rockefeller family, Standard Oil, the DuPonts, the Morgans and the Fords who served as the principal funding arm in helping to finance Adolph Hitler's rise to power starting in 1923. This included direct funding for the SS and SA channeled through a variety of German firms. Prescott Bush, through associations with the Hamburg-Amerika Steamship line, Nazi banker Fritz Thyssen (pronounced Tee-sen), Standard Oil of Germany, The German Steel Trust (founded by Dillon Read founder, Clarence Dillon), and I.G. Farben, used the Union Bank Corporation to funnel vast quantities of money to the Nazis and to manage their American interests. The profits from those investments came back to Bush allies on Wall Street. Thyssen is universally regarded as having been Hitler's private banker and ultimate owner of the Union Bank Corporation.

Early support for Hitler came from Prescott Bush through the Hamburg-Amerika Steamship line -- also funded by Brown Bothers -- that funneled large sums of money and weapons to Hitler's storm troopers in the 1920s.

According to Tarpley and Chaitkin, "In May 1933, just after the Hitler regime was consolidated, an agreement was reached in Berlin for the coordination of all Nazi commerce with the U.S.A. The Harriman International Company... was to head a syndicate of 150 firms and individuals, to conduct all exports from Hitler Germany to the United States."

Furthermore, a 1942 U.S. government investigative report that surfaced during 1945 Senate hearings found that the Union Bank, with Prescott Bush on the board, was an "interlocking concern" with the German Steel Trust that had produced:

- 50.8% of Nazi Germany's pig iron

- 41.4% of Nazi Germany's universal plate

- 36% of Nazi Germany's heavy plate

- 38.5% of Nazi Germany's galvanized sheet

- 45.5% of Nazi Germany's pipes and tubes

- 22.1% of Nazi Germany's wire

- 35% of Nazi Germany's explosives

The business relationships established by Bush in 1923 continued even after the war started until they became so offensive and overt as to warrant seizure by the U.S. government under the Trading with the Enemy Act in 1942.

In 1942, "Under the Trading with the Enemy Act, the government took over Union Banking Corporation, in which Bush was a director. The U.S. Alien Property Custodian seized Union Banking Corp.'s stock shares...

"... all of which shares are held for the benefit of... members of the Thyssen family, [and] is property of nationals... of a designated enemy country."

"On October 28, the government issued orders seizing two Nazi front organizations run by the Bush-Harriman bank: the Holland-American Trading Corporation and the Seamless Steel Equipment Corporation."

"Nazi interests in the Silesian-American Corporation, long managed by Prescott Bush and his father in law George Herbert Walker, were seized under the Trading with the Enemy Act on Nov. 17, 1942..." These seizures of Bush businesses were reported in a number of American papers including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

Prescott Bush went on to become an influential Republican Senator from Connecticut who went on to be a regular golfing partner of President Dwight Eisenhower. His attorneys were the lawyers John Foster and Allen Dulles, the later became the CIA Director under Eisenhower

www.copvica.com/

what you have to understand about WWII and the U.S. is that we did not want to fight in that war. war is naturally good for business and we did business with both Nazi Germany and the Allied powers. when you say that the Bush family got into trouble for trading with the Nazis in 1942, you also have to realize that we didnt enter the war until Dec 1941. early 1942 would have been when a lot of these ties with Germany were being broken. i bet it would not be uncommon for a business to get this type of notice from the government.

there are more people of German ancestry in this country than most people realize. in the days when we entered WWII, many outspoken people in the U.S. opposed fighting against Germany because they had not attacked us, Japan did. up until late 1941, we really had no problem with Europeans killing themselves. eventually though, the faction that wanted us in the war won out. some people believe that we knew about Pearl Harbor but let it happen because it was necessary to get us involved in Europe.

just on a side note, German lost by one vote to English when we voted on our official national language.

I may not be very bright but shouldn't a banker with interest in a company that produces such a high percentage of the enemies Metals , wires and explosives have at least an incling of an idea that they just might be used against his government. I hope my banker is clever enough to work that one out.
That reminds me it is allways good to teach your children a trade , you never know where it might take them.

Kismit,
I'm not responding to this particular thread, but to your question in general. Governments usually impose certain regulations on corporations to prevent certain materials/technology from falling into the hands of enemy states.

Capitalist countries are usually lenient on these regulations, as $$ is the bottom line. Many businesses, especially global corporations, got so big by greed and corruption. So I doubt if there is any concern about who they do business with, provided that the business is with a paying customer.

The allmighty dollar $$$$

well said, Homer. the tone of that article is implying that the Bush family are nazi sympathizers- which i believe is totally wrong. they are just really despicable businessmen who will do anything for money

we have lots of those types in america and look what it can get you...

Homer you trully are the greatest . I can allways count on you to play devils advocate.

However I think it is morraly repugnant to make money out of a war , and I believe companies producing such a large percentage of Germany's metals , explosives , wires pipes ect, ect , would be turning a good profit During a war as these are esential materials for building the weapons.
I don't think any one trading with enemy companies(especially one which could be helping to build weapons that could effectively be used against there own country) probably has morrals enough for a start to care wether or not they let technologies slip into the wrong hands . If it pays well that is .
I just find it funny that George Bush Snr . Snr. turned a profit through war .
I teach my children the morals I believe to be important , I wonder what morals have been passed down through the Bush familly.
Please Homer don't think you have to respond to this post .


But I bet you can't help your self

Kismit,
I don't know the full story of this thread, which is why I haven't commented before, but I'm going to have to agree with Schwartz(OMG! I'm agreeing with who?!!)

regardless of whether or not the story is credible, and it's irrelevant in my opinion, the decisions was based on money alone and not anything regarding sympathy towards Nazi's. The American public, before our entry in the war, had nothing against the Germans, even though the Roosevelt administation was scheming against them by siding with the British.

You said you found it funny that the Bush family made a profit during the war, but that is the way it should be, to an extent. Many businesses made a fortune even before the U.S. involvement through the Lend Lease Act, which assisted our allies in their fight against the Nazi's. Who knows, perhaps the Bush family was among them. Are you saying it's wrong to make a profit in all circumstances, or just when business is done with the enemy?

You also asked what morals have been passed down the Bush family. Unless someone knows them personally, that question can't be answered. Keep in mind, the Bush's are multi-millionaire businessmen and politicians. That statement alone might answer your question, but only as it might apply to all multi-millionaire businessmen/politicians

You're right, I couldn' help myself

and tony blairs family funded bon jovi

he whole country participated in nazistic, is that a word?, behavior before during and after ww2. japanese 'housing' camps and eugenics come to mind.

QUOTE (seeker @ Feb 17 2003, 10:44 PM)

and tony blairs family funded bon jovi

ROFL!