The Enemy Is Oligarchism

 

In November 1940, the Coordinator of Information (COI), the predecessor to the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS), prepared a classified report titled "Synarchie and the policy of the Banque Worms group." The three-page confidential document began, "In recent reports, there have been several references to the growing political power of the Banque Worms group in France, which includes amongst its members such ardent [Nazi] collaborationists as Pucheu, Benoist-Mechin, Leroy-Ladurie, Bouthillier, and representatives of the big French industrial organizations." The report continued, "The reactionary movement known as 'Synarchie' has been in existence in France for nearly a century. Its aim has always been to carry out a bloodless revolution, inspired by the upper classes, aimed at producing a form of government by 'technicians' (the founder of the movement was a 'polytechnician'), under which home and foreign policy would be subordinated to international economy. The aims of the Banque Worms group are the same as those of 'Synarchie,' and the leaders of the two groups are, in most cases, identical."

The COI report then went on to detail the political agenda of the international Synarchy, as of August 1940:

"(a) to check the 'Revolution Nationale' insofar as its development might entail the creation of a new social order [At the time, France was under the "social order" of the Nazis, following the Spring 1940 invasion and occupation—ed.];

"(b) to check any new social schemes which might tend to weaken the power of the international financiers and industrialists;

"(c) to work for the ultimate complete control of all industry by international finance and industry;

"(d) to protect Jewish and Anglo-Saxon interests."

The document went on to note that there is sympathy for this Synarchist scheme among some key Nazi circles in Germany including "both Goering and Dr. Funk [Walther Funk, who was Nazi Minister of Economics, president of the Reichsbank, and Nazi Germany's representative on the Bank for International Settlements, following Hjalmar Schacht—ed.]... It is alleged that certain industrial circles in Great Britain are also in sympathy with the movement. Some headway is claimed to have been made in securing the adhesion of big U.S. industry to the movement."  (more...)

The Enemy Is Oligarchism