Friends in High Places: The Bechtel Story : The Most Secret Corporation and How It Engineered the Wo by Laton Mccartney (books to read to be successful TXT) 📕

survey Mexican oil fields and facilities. 14 Garde reported in detail on what they saw to Secretary of State Cordell Hull. Quietly, he also briefed Bechtel, who within days of the mission’s return to the United States contacted Hull to volunteer BechtelMcCone’s services in upgrading the Mexican petroleum infrastructure. Six weeks later, in October 1942, Garde filed a report to Degrolyer spelling out what needed to be done to beef up the Mexican fields. One month after that, this time wearing his Bechtel hat, Garde submitted an engineering study based on his work on the Degrolyer mission to a Mexican Shell company-Compaii.ia Petrolera La Nacional, SA-which consisted of one American lawyer working out of a room in Washington’s Shoreham Hotel. On the basis of that engineering study, Compaii.ia 120

THE COMPANY AND THE COMPANY

Petrolera La Nacional secured $20.8 million in funding from the United States and hired BechtelMcCone to build a new refinery and pipeline system.

Snodgrass, meanwhile, had not been idle. In December 1943, he and several of his fellow Degrolyer Mission colleagues (among them a smoothly polished State Department official named Alger Hiss) spent three weeks surveying oil potential in the Middle East. They found oil aplenty, and in their report asserted that “the national security of the U.S. may depend on availability of Middle East oil.” The report, whose highlights Snodgrass passed to Bechtel, paid special attention to Saudi Arabia, recommending that the United States do everything possible to develop the kingdom’s oil-producing capabilities forthwith. It was that report, drafted largely by Snodgrass, which had led to Bechtel’s collaboration with Aramco.

Snodgrass himself spent the remainder of the war as head of the PAW’s foreign-refinery division, working with the military and the State Department in devising plans to secure oil installations against sabotage and attack. According to PAW records, he also furnished “military agencies with maps and other data concerning refinery installations in enemy territory”-information that was critical in planning bombing attacks. What refineries were left standing were under Snodgrass’ purview as well. In tandem with the Army and Navy, Snodgrass, according to PAW records, drew up “secret plans for the rehabilitation of facilities… occupied by enemy forces.” Snodgrass was happiest, however, as a field agent. After Germany’s surrender, he flew there and personally coordinated the transfer of German oil assets for use in the Pacific campaign.

The end of the war also meant the end of the PAW Snodgrass, however, did not lack for employment. The administration had barely closed its doors when he was hired by Steve Bechtel, who appointed him, in the words of his letter of introduction to Abdullah Suleiman, 15

“Executive Representative in charge of all affairs and relations between the Saudi Arab Government and International Bechtel, Inc., pertaining to operations in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and elsewhere.”

Such, at least, was Snodgrass’ title. In fact, he functioned-both for the CI A and for Bechtel-as a Middle East intelligence agent.

His main contact in Washington was Richard Sanger, then head of the State Department’s Saudi Arabian desk. Routinely, Snodgrass would brief Sanger on Bechtel’s activities in Saudi Arabia and receive information useful to Bechtel from Sanger in turn. Soon Snodgrass started asking Sanger for favors as well. Initially, they involved small 121

FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES

items, like arranging priority air travel for a party of Bechtel engineers soon to leave the United States to prepare a detailed study of Saudi Arabia’s transportation needs. 16 As time went on, however, Snodgrass’

needs became