Document:Bilderberg
| In 1966 a small Dutch liberal magazine published an article on how the writers of another magazine were arrested for writing about the Bilderberg meetings. The article contains a general description of the Dutch Bilderberg cluster, and mentions two participants not in any of the official meeting lists, Theodoor E. E. H. Mathon and J. J. Oyevaar. |
Article of unknown authorship dated December 1966Subjects: Lynx 2, Bilderberg/Guests/Netherlands, Bilderberg 1966
Source: De Driemaster (Link)
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A few weeks ago, writers and distributors of the magazine Lynx 2 were arrested in The Hague; a large part of the circulation was confiscated. Lynx is the magazine of the Hague provotariat. The judiciary had, among other things, objected to an article about the backgrounds of the Bilderberg conferences and the activities of Prince Bernhard in this regard. Lynx 2 quoted extensively from a Bilderberg Meeting brochure which indeed states "confidential" and also that it is not for publication, not even in part.
It is an official piece written by the late Dr. Joseph Retinger, one of the initiators of the group, revised by Arnold T. Lamping and published in June 1966.
That "confidential" cannot be the reason for the seizure because that addition was of course only intended for those to whom it was sent. Does such a piece end up elsewhere - via a garbage can or something else - then it is no longer confidential. Publication also does not intentionally violate state secrets, because the Bilderberg group is a loose gathering of influential people from police, economic and social life who have been meeting regularly since 1954.
From the brochure written in English it appears that Retinger in 1952 contacted, among others, Paul Rijkens and Prince Bernhard to investigate what could be done about the growing resistance in Europe during those years against the dominant influence of the United States, since the establishment of NATO and the start of the Marshall Plan.
Such wide-ranging decisions are rarely understood by the general public, the brochure's author notes, so it was not surprising that the new politics came under attack from the outside by elements that saw the advantage of sowing discord in the western ranks. To counter this, the Bilderberg Group was founded: Prince Bernhard became chairman of the first meeting and has remained so ever since. The brochure is written in fairly general terms and of course it is not possible to know exactly what has been discussed in the past, although it is not that difficult to guess. All participants come as private individuals and not as representatives of their governments, parties or concerns. Journalists are not allowed, which makes talking easier.
Any citizen of any country who believes in the need to defend Western ethical and cultural values can be invited to the meetings of the Bilderberg Group, which of course does not mean that for example Mr Jongeling will one day sit at the table with Hermann J. Abs, Rainer Barzel, Beyen, Loudon, Mollet, George F. Kennan, Spaak and Ball.
For one must have some weight, though we be assured that the group does not engage in politics.
What the brochure now makes clear is that the group, in view of the subjects and the participants, is actually concerned with the (lateral) influencing government decisions. That anti-communism - but also anti-isolationism and anti-neutralism - plays an important role there, can be read in the brochure.
It seems to me that Lynx 2 has especially incurred the displeasure of those who believe that Prince Bernhard's assertions cannot be tampered with, that the activities of this group should be considered completely separate from politics.
Let's name some of the items on the agenda: communist infiltration in various western countries; East-West trade; a common approach by the western world towards China and the emerging countries of South and East Asia; nationalism and neutralism as disintegrating factors within the Western alliance; the future of NATO etc. etc.
Also interesting is the list with hundreds of names of those who ever participated in a group meeting. the Netherlands is in attitude heavily represented with Albert G. Aukes, Ernst H. van der Beugel (honorary secretary general for Europe), John W. Beyen, Pieter A. Blaisse, Hendrik N. Boon, P. J. Kapteyn, Eelco N. van Kleffens, Max Kohnstamm, Henri J. de Koster, jonkheer Emile van Lennep, jonkheer J. H. Loudon, Jozef M. A. H. Luns, Theodoor E. E. H. Mathon, Pieter F. S. Otten, J. J. Oyevaar, Jan H. van Royen, Ivo Samkalden, M. P. L. Steenberghe, Dirk U. Stikker, Jan Tinbergen, G. M. Verrijn Stuart, Egbert de Vries, H. F. van Walsem and Jelle Zijlstra.
One cannot deduce from this list alone who occasionally are invited, and who belongs to the permanent core team.
But all activities of the Bilderberg group are coordinated by Prince Bernhard and he also decides who will receive the annual se meetings (the last from 25-27 March 1966 in Wiesbaden) are invited. The Netherlands is more important than many people think.
