Czar Of The Oils
pp. 31-32 · Read in the full issue
Industries
UNILEVER, Unchallenged Inter national Cartel, is Prominent Again
By John Williams.
Honolulu. June 12.
THE most disturbing post-war news for many people of the Pacific and South-east Asia is the recent de cline in world copra prices.
It will embarrass millions of people, but it will fatten the semi-secret international copra cartel which is controlled by joint British-Dutch soap interests, and interests in Australia which are subsidiaries of the cartel, or are associated with it.
Has the Australian Government the honesty of purpose to do something about this situation? Dr. Evatt. the publicised and “crusading” Australian Attorney- General, has the authority to do some thing. Has he the courage?
The American Associated Press, on De cember 26, 1946, released a message from Manila, which said: “Stimulated by high world prices, Philippine copra production available for export in 1947 may reach a record of 750,000 long tons,” (The new Philippine Republic has been banking on copra remaining stable).
In May, 1947, the price of copra fell sharply at Manila. Commented the “Hono lulu Star-Bulletin” on May 30: Copra is a commodity that accounts for 75 per cent, of Philippines export. High prices have brought out at least 25,000 tons more copra than has been believed available.
Now prices in Manila have fallen 50 per cent. The United States, best customer for this product, is well stocked. Require ments are much less. . . .”
During the war, certain American
agencies made a study of the world copra situation. Highly-trained investigators discovered, and put into a report that created a stir behind the scenes at Wash ington, a picture of the world’s greatest monopoly. It is a case history of how relentless interests rig a market for their own selfish ends.
Keystone of the world monopoly is Lever Bros., makers of Sunlight, Lifebuoy, and a host of other soaps. Pepsodent tooth-paste, Lipton’s tea, etc. Research in the intelligence division of the US De partment of Commerce disclosed the vast international ramifications of the Lever network.
It showed how Levers and their Dutch subsidiary, Unilever, operated. Levers won control of the world market as a result of World War I. During that war, they jacked up the price of copra (an im portant source of the vital explosive, glycerin) and in the early years after wards they used their immense profits to secure control of world markets.
GRAPHS designed by the American investigators show that as Levers gained world control, the world prices of copra slumped. In the famous “depression” of the Thirties came the rigged low. At this point, Levers had merged completely with Unilever NV, the gigantic European subsidiary. At the same time, Levers entered the American domestic market, and expanded an Aus tralian subsidiary, which has been pro ducing copra in the South Seas since 1907.
To-day, this Australian subsidiary still controls plantations (notably in the Solomons) and, according to an American consular report, “owns a large fleet of trading vessels” and “the whole of the shares are held by Levers of England.”
“European Finance” of January 31, 1930, published in London, summarised the Lever empire: “The authorised capital of
Unilever Ltd., to-day is 165,000,000 (pounds sterling) and its interests, apart from soap, extend to almost every kind of undertaking, including banking, ship ping, engineering, mining, building, whal ing, seed crushing, chemicals, margarine...
The Australian subsidiary is responsible for the collection of the Polynesian (South Seas) copra. . .”
The British Stock Exchange official year book for 1938 reported that as a re sult of the redistribution of markets as from January 1, 1937, Unilever Ltd. would control all British Empire interests and Lever Bros, and Unilever NV (the Euro pean subsidiary) would control all non- British Empire interests. It added: “. . .
Levers own interests in over 300 associated companies, including controlling interests in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa, and 41 companies in the British Isles.”
In brief Levers can freeze world copra prices at low levels to suit their international machinations.
Lord Leverhulme, governor of the Lever 1J f S arR T? v. th Tv 0 /r fa \ S anc s oils division of the British Ministry of Food in World War 11. The British Ministry of Pood is to-day controlling the purchase and distribution of all copra produced in British countries.
The “Honolulu Star-Bulletin,” or any other source of public comment, does hot publish and analyse these official facts because Levers rigidly control comment Via Levers domination of the advertising fields—newspapers, magazines, and radio —throughout the British Empire and the United States.
Smart editors do not bite the hand that feeds them. In 1946, in America, for example, Levers spent exactly 9,530,518 dollars in newspaper, magazine and radio advertising. Money like that talks—in favour of Levers. In 1945, Levers spent in America on radio advertising alone a total of 7,274,503 dollars. The main Lever programmes were the Bob Hope show, Inner Sanctum, Lux Radio Theatre, A Woman’s Life, etc.
The same story is repeated in Aus-
tralia, where, according to “Newspaper News,” the main trade journal, Levers dominate the advertising expenditures year after year. They spend enough to make the Aus tralian daily press and radio respectful. I defy anyone to find anv thing critical of Levers octopus in the Australian press, go back as far as you like y In the issue of April 16, 1940 “PIM ” in an editorial stated: “. . The British Government’s idea of effectively con ducting the war and. as it has expressed it, ‘protecting’ the masses of people against exploitation’, is to take control of all vital industries, and then permit bureaucratic control of those industries by committees nominated by the rings and combines which formerly were trv ing to dominate them. Under pre-war conditions, the rings and combines were having a pretty good time; under war conditions, they are given almost absolute power.”
True words. Lord Leverhulme sat at the helm of the British Empire's fats and oils during the war; and, also during the war, by secret agreement with Washing ton, the Lever interests did all the buy ing of copra in the Western Pacific for
US requirements. In other words, Levers fattened on Lend-Lease.
To-day’s is a critical situation, not only in the Philippines but throughout the world, wherever copra is produced and is an economic mainstay. As represent ing the dominant nation in the Western Pacific, what is Dr. Evatt going to do about it? This writer can refer him to documented source material in London and Washington which he can use to con vict Levers out of their own mouths.
Breaking up the Lever octopus should challenge the lawyer and judge in him. It is a shut-and-closed case. The docu ments await him.