GATA supporters in Washington area invited to Lincoln Day conference

Thursday, February 7, 2002

Hi, Chris:

I'm a currency strategist and have read a lot about GATA.
I would like to know what you think would happen in the
short term (this year) if gold spot clips $320. In simple
terms, do you think banks would start to default in large?
This will have a huge impact on spot forex medium-term
strategy. Most of us are already short yen on the
potential of bank default.

If you have time, I would like to have your comment.

L.W.
South Africa

* * *

4:55a ET Friday, February 8, 2002

Dear L.W.:

Thanks so much for your inquiry about what is likely
to happen if spot gold reaches $320. That is, are the
bullion bank shorts likely to default?

GATA has no inside information on this point, but I
long have argued that, if, as we think, the bullion
banks have been encouraged and even underwritten
by governments, and particularly by the U.S.
government, in the gold carry trade, and if some
bullion banks, particularly Morgan/Chase and Goldman
Sachs, are considered by the U.S. government to be
quot;too big to fail,quot; then they will be rescued from a
gold run by the U.S. government's allowing them or
arranging for them to buy the leased gold at prices
well below spot, or by the government's greatly
extending the terms of the leases, thereby preventing
the worst of a short squeeze in gold.

That is, in case of a gold run, the U.S. government
effectively will expropriate the American public of its
gold reserves, and expropriate the gold reserves of
the other peoples of the world, for the private benefit
of the bullion banks.

As the Enron scandal has indicated, that's pretty much
how Wall Street and the U.S. government have been
working together all along: crony capitalism fleecing
the world behind the mask of free markets, when those
markets aren't really free at all.

With good wishes.

CHRIS POWELL, Secretary/Treasurer
Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee Inc.