On our first venture in Wyoming, on the very first one, after we bought the leases, and before starting drilling, we got an offer from another company to sell out for a very substantial profit, without drilling a well--they would do it. Naturally, I told Ed we should do that instead of running a tremendous risk of drilling our own well. Well, he said if they want to buy it it means that we have something there, the usual story.
I was a little more conservative--I said better sell out and try to find something less risky.
He said if we hit it, we are millionaires right away--which was true--we had a huge block, of 12,000 acres, something like that.
Well, from then on, the next venture was in Texas, and we drilled quite a few successful wells, quite a few dry holes, too.

Mr. Jenner.

You returned to Texas?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes.

Mr. Jenner.

What year?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Abilene, Tex., we had the headquarters--that was the center of the small size independent operators at the time.

Mr. Jenner.

What was the name of the hotel at which you stayed?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Wooten Hotel.

Mr. Jenner.

And the partnership was still in existence?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes. Our partnership was broken up after I married Miss Sharples. It was, frankly, a personal thing.

Mr. Jenner.

I think this is a good time to stop, because that is the next phase I want to get into. We can go to lunch.
(Whereupon, at 12:35 p.m., the proceeding was recessed.)

Testimony of George S. De Mohrenschildt Resumed

Mr. Jenner.

The proceeding reconvened at 2 p.m.

Mr. Jenner.

On the record.
Before we start on the next phase of your life, I would like to go back a minute to your father.
You left there about 1931 or 1932?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes; but I came back many times.

Mr. Jenner.

You came back to see him?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes; almost every summer vacation.

Mr. Jenner.

Now, what happened to your father, with particular reference to World War II?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. He was living in Wilno, the same town that I went to school in, during the war, and I arranged for his visa to come to the United States at the time.

Mr. Jenner.

Now, is this at a time when you were in this country?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes; I was in this country, and I knew that--this was before the outbreak of the war. I arranged for the visa to come to America, and he did not take advantage of it.

Mr. Jenner.

That invasion was in September of 1939.
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. 1939; yes.

Mr. Jenner.

And you made these arrangements before September 1939?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Before September 1939. And instead of that, you know, he did not take advantage of those arrangements. Maybe he was too old, decided not to come to the United States. And then there was the German invasion of Poland and the Russian invasion on the other, and he happened to be in the Russian part of Poland, and naturally went into hiding.

Mr. Jenner.

Excuse me. You mean Russian part in the sense that the Russians invaded Poland?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes.

Mr. Jenner.

To meet the Germans who were invading Poland from the other side?
Mr. DE MOHRENSCHILDT. Yes.

Mr. Jenner.

So he then became engulfed by the Russians?

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