WTS investment in Ford-Werke - 1943

by OrphanCrow 24 Replies latest watchtower scandals

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  OrphanCrow

  *thanks to reddit poster Ahilexxx for this information*

  The Watchtower Society was invested in the German branch of Ford Motor. In 1943, their investment was worth $597,595 ($8,363,677.95 in today's value - over 8 million!).

  page 148 of this document:

  https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/Ford.pdf

  

  I am curious as to whether or not the WTS still has investment in Ford Motor. For a 'religion' that collects donations for 'the worldwide work', what the WTS actually does with their money instead of promoting 'the good news' is quite interesting.

  I also notice that the WTS appears to be the only 'religion' that was invested in Ford in 1943. The WTS was just another business looking to optimize the money that they collected from gullible parishioners. Mind you, the WTS referred to itself as a business rather than a religion at the time that this investment was made. Religious status didn't get established until after the war.

  I am curious...how much money does the WTS really have? Where else has the WTS invested their 'donations'? Does the manufacture of vehicles in Germany during WW2 fall under the category of 'worldwide work'?
• 

  sir82

  I have no concrete knowledge, but I do know there is a department in at least one branch which oversees "investments".

  Given that they spends tens or hundreds of millions per year on the care of their "special full time servants", it is reasonable to conclude that they have hundreds of millions or perhaps billions of dollars invested somewhere.

  They would be supremely stupid to have that sort of money lying around in cash only.
  
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  prologos

  Did they diversify and also invested in Opel? GMC's german branch? Ford was ahead of Opel in standardising parts and squeezing the most out of its workers, initially. Henry Ford had also strong anti-semitic leanings. or? PS: Us-owned factories produced great stuff for the german war effort: IBM, another example: NCR (National Cash Register) Berlin's factory produced the timers for anti-aircraft grenades that targeted the Boeing B17 formations flying overhead.
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  sp74bb

  Excellent info...
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  OrphanCrow

  sir82: Given that they spends tens or hundreds of millions per year on the care of their "special full time servants", it is reasonable to conclude that they have hundreds of millions or perhaps billions of dollars invested somewhere.
  They would be supremely stupid to have that sort of money lying around in cash only

  I agree. Of course the WTS would be stupid not to invest the millions/billions that they have "lying around". It is the hypocrisy of the investments that is worrisome. Do the JWs themselves know where their donations are invested?

  The WTS is/was a corporation - a business. Of course they made outside investments...they always have. No secret there...unless you are just a r&f JW who dutifully fills the contribution box

  What is hypocritical is asking for donations to further 'worldwide work' and instead, dumping those donations into 'wordly' investments.
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  sir82

  What is hypocritical is asking for donations to further 'worldwide work' and instead, dumping those donations into 'wordly' investments.

  You have clearly understated the WTS capability to rationalize.
  

  That's not "hypocritical". That's "making friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous riches" (Matthew 6:24).

  You may laugh, but I guarantee if you told 100 JWs about WTS investments, at least 80 of them would quote that scripture, or at least paraphrase it.
  
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  prologos

  OC :--dumping those donations into 'wordly' investments.

  Investments that at the time, 1943 would have guaranteed to be used for anti-allied war production. The Tide was turning against germany, and some prior investor might have foreseen the devaluation of any asset under the threat of imminent destruction, even dismantling under the Morgenthau plan, or "ship all factories to Russia" program? May be WT bought it, because it was put on the market so low? not spirit guided investors.
  
  
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  GermanXJW

  This is a list of the TOP 59 US companies in Germany in 1943.

  This table just shows that the US Watch Tower had invested $597,595 in their German subsidiary and that is was the 47th biggest US investment in Germany present in that year.

  So: no connection between Watchtower and Ford, except they are on the same list
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  Mephis

  GermanXJW is correct. The purpose of the list is to place Ford's German subsidiary (and investments into it) in the context of other American organisations of the same period.
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  OrphanCrow

  Well...I apologize. Damn

  That will teach me for just reading someone else's conclusions...

  So sorry.

  You guys are absolutely right...and the reddit poster (and me...) are wrong