ar enventlde 104-10300-10020 7 { SGN OAT ET HCN ner. Gd . 7S at . . ALT Office Memorandum - UNITED STATLs GOVERNMENT vos Brucg Le golies? C/RB/SRS/OS DATE:17 December 1959 : a ae : SUBJECT: KAMKIN, Victor Petrovich , Al-2752 - SSD-90097 A review of Subject's file has been made in connection with a request from the Ct Officer. French Desk, with reference to {nformation from th that Subject's Washington book store, as of the summer © 1959, was of the four book stores iG _, in the United States where subscriptions could be bought for "RODINA", es, the bulletin edited by the Repatriation Conmttes of East Berlin. Ve NRODINA®? (LA PATRIE) » which is distributed in various languages EN and is wailed in sealed envelopes, hag been forbidden distribution in France. (See attached thermofaxe ) Security files reflect that in April 1957 the FBI advised that Victor Petrovich KAMKIN, Elena Andreevna KAMKIN and Nine SAPELKIN had been the subjects of an Internal Security - R type investigation as of 1951 and thatr "There is no derogatory data of a subversi va nature in the files of this Bureau concerning the subject of your . inquiry (KAMKIN), It should be noted, however, that Victor Petrovich KAMKIN is currently of investigative interest to this Bureau and, accordingly, it is requested that any contact of him in behalf ofthe Central Intel Ligenee_Asaney_be-handied: UNS) ns ral mas. SA rouki According to an undated blind memorandum (possibly a Staff C acso bad WefhTthe memorandim), Nina SAPELKIN is elena KAMKIN's sister and as of BENS eneen 4951 was living with the KAMKINe in Tennesses. Nina SAPELKIN was perGaszehs born in Russia 18 August 1912; and was evacuated from Shanghai to ALE Re ‘ fe _«, Samar y Philippine Islands under IRO auspices in April 199 » cpa ster?" accompanied by her husband Semen I. SAPELKIN and their two childrene © She came to the United States in 1951 and lived in Tennessee for a time with the KAMKINs. The SAPELKINs reportedly renounced Soviet citizenship in Shanghai in September or Octcber 1918. The KAMKINs also were born in Russia and KAMKIN attended high school and university in Harbin, Manchuriae Thereafter until « 1915 he was in the printing and publishing business in Chinas and during 196-7 says he was with "Special Services, Section Il, Amph., Marine Corps", working on {ts newspapers "'North China Marinat, In 1947 he was co-publisher of "Free Word? wiich he says was an anti-Soviet newspaper closed by pressure of the Soviet
13-00000 i Consulate. From 197 to 199 he stated that he was the owner of the “Anchor Printing Shop" in which the "North China Marine" continued publication in Tsingtao, China. The KAMKINs came to the United States in 1919 erriving in San Francisco in Marche As of 1957 KAMKIN was being used on an unclassified basis by the CIA library asa publications procurement channel. It is, of course, possible that Subject's interest in "RODINA" is on behalf of this Agency. The other book stores involved in the report to the French ‘Desk were the well known Communist "Four Continents Book Store", (MS~2000), "Imported Publications and Products" (MS-2001-I) and Universal Distributors Company" (#91916). These organizations are registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The Four Continents Book Store ie flagrantly Communist needs no defining; and the "Imported Publications and Products" is reported to be one of the four principal outlets for Commnist politicel prop- aganda in the United States. "Universal Distributors Company" is described as "an official distributor of Communist Party literature" and as "Communist controlled". It is the distributing agency for the Four Continents Book Store. information from a reliable confidential informant reflects that during the summer of 1959 KAMKIN indicated he plannad to open a branch book store in San Francisco to be operated by Se SAPELKIN. The store was to be called Znanie, Russian Book Store, and located at 5237 Geary Street, San Francisco. This S. SAPFLKIN, in all probability, is Mrs. KAMKIN's brother-in-law Semen I. SAPELKIN, MS=-5000, who with his wife Nina, nes DAVIDOVA, aka DAVIDOF, was the subject of an FBI Record Check Request in May 1955. (The wife Nina, per the check sh-et, resided at Route 1, Van Leer, Tennessee from 1951 to 1952, which was the KAMKIN's address during this period.) The 1955 FBI Record Check Request on SAPELKIN indicated that he was formerly a painter; that hie wife Nina was a dentist; that both were born in Russia; that he arrived in the United States from France arcund the end of 195), was stateless and had his first papers and that she arrived in San Francisco 5 June 1951. They were residing at 1:05 Harvard Street, N.W., Washington, D. Ce. (which was the address of Subject's book store); and had formerly resided in Tientsin and Shanghai, China. Both their children were born in Mentsin, one in i9h6 and one in 199. An PI check requested in 1957 for USIA indicated that the name Semen I. SAPELKIN appeared in a report from a reliable seurce in May 1950, which dealt with refugees in an TRO camp at Guinan, Samar, Philippine Islands; and, according to the report, ho had been a member of the Russian Residents Association (prcebably Russi.an 1g
13-00000 1te? Enigrants Association) and of the Soviet Club in Shanghai. An ONE name check on KAMKIN, in November 195), reflected the cross-referencing of his name to "Foreign Service Dispatch, Hong Kong #LO2, 22) August, 1952", the subject of which was "Contact of Mr. Veniamt AASILIEVITCH SAPELKIN with the Hong Kong Consulate General"; while régults of a 1957 "K" check based on this same "Foreign Service Iispatch, Hong Kong #402, 22 August 1952, Secret", reads as follows: "Mr. SAPELKIN reported that he had. recently received various commnications frem a White Russian friend of hig, Mr. Victor P. K4MKIN who was formerly head of the Russian Emigrants Association in Teingteo, China. Mr. KAMKIN left China early in 1549 and has resided in the United States since that time. Both SAPELKIN and KAMKIN reportedly had certain contacts with a Eugene GORDENEV, Russian-speaking officer attached to the O=2 Section of the First. Marine Division in Tientsin following the Japansse Surrender in 195. Mr. KAMKIN has now written to Hong Kong asking Mre SAPELKIN to supply certain economic information on North China and Manchuria for the use of the Vimerican Coverrmment®. Mr. KAMKIN indicates that he ie involved in certain intelligence activities.™ fin a letter of 13 July 1950, offering his services to ONI, Subject named GORDENEV as one who could "substantiate my work in China. ONE advised CIA that their records contained no derogatory infor- mation regarding Subject, but that ONI did not contemplate utilize ing his services./ Subject's friend "Mr. SAPELKIN" may well be Mr. VentLamin see Was Vasilievitch SAPELKIN, the Subject of Hong Kong Dispatch, #02, ; eect cea <4 3who in all probability is related to Mra. KAMKIN's brother-in-law, Semen I, SAPCLKIN. Se a jnkarvidy Mes ‘ According to e 1955 RI check conducted on one Alexander S. ORIOFF for G-2, a report of 17 May 1950 advised that ORLOFF (who “ had been described as an "Old Soviet worker") was closely associated with Venlamin Vasilievitch SAPELKIN, an alleged Soviet agent at the IRO Camp at Samar, P. Ie As reported above, Mrs. KAMKIN's sister Nina and her husband Semen SAPELKIN were evacuated to Samar, P. I., from Shanghai under IRO auspices in April 199. Veniamin Vasilievitch SAPELKIN's friend ORLOFF, according to a report of 8 April 1950, was alleged to have influenced a district leader of the IRO Camp at Samar with pro-Soviet propaganda, and to have worked with a number of other pro-Soviet internees in the camp to Sovietize the Russian refugees interned there. According to a report dated 5 May 1950, ORIOFF allegedly was believed to be a Soviet agent. (The report noted that this information originated in the IRO Camp in Samar; that much information originating there had proven unreliable; and that the reliability of this particular information had not been determined.)
13-00000 ava. However this may be, it appears that there could be much truth <. inthe allegations. Information in Security files reflects that Me ORLOFF very possibly is identical with a "Count ORLOFF of the 7 Russian Committes", (apparently a committes of TRO), “sho assisted , the Commercial Counselor for the Bulgarian Legation in securing IRO employment for one Bogdana OTTAI, a possible Soviet agent in Paria who was living with and was engaged to marry Kiril VASSIIEV, who was believed to be an agent of the Bulgarian Military Intelligence Service. "Gount ORLOFF" also helped arrange OTTAI's entrance into the United States. Alexander S. ORLOFF and "Count ORLOFF" may well be identical with Alexander ORLOFF, DI~2881, a highly suspect individual of Russian birth, and a former AMTORG employee who was security disapproved by OSS in 1913. This latter individual, per a 1943 OSS investigation, was know as "The Count*, A December 195), Staff C memorandum regarding KAMKIN, reported 7 that unevgluated information dated 1 June 1918 indicated that one K Victor N./KAMKIN was involved in a money printing transaction with . the Japayvése, in which he uged the machinery of the Chihli Press in Tientsin to facilitate the counterfittinge The source of this information had pointed out the possibility that Victor Ne. KAMKIN might be identified in some way with a VY. P. KAMKIN who was nemed . as a character reference by one Vladimir Vasily IVASHKOFF. (IVASHKOFF was not identified.) The memorandum advised that according to a report dated 1 June 19)8 from a U. Se Naval Attache, Nanking, to the American Ambassador, Nanking, V. N. KAMKIN was a printer and publisher in Shanghai and later was in charge of the Russian Publishing Houge/known as Nashe ZNANIE. He was closely associated Sie” with Bernard S./ROGARD of the Chihli Press, who in turn was associated with \alleged Soviet esplonage agent Olga NAKVASIN. According to the Staff C memorandum , a report from the FBI dated 1) August 1953 indicated that a scurce of unknown reliability stated that one Victor KAMKIN, who operated a book store as a possible cover in Tientsin, China, acted as a paid informer of the Japanese during World War IT; and was a paid informer of Ue Se Army Intelligence after the War. With the assistance of the American Military Government in Tsingtao, China, he became Chairman of the Russian Inaigrant Society in Tsingtao in 1948. There seems small doubt that this Victor KAMKIN is identical with Victor Ne KAMKIN, and with Subject, Victor P. KAMKIN who was formerly head of the Russian Immigrant Association in Tsingtao, China, accord- ing to his friend SAPELKIN, as reported in Hong Kong Dispatch #402. Note that Victor N. KAMKIN was in charge of a Russian Publishing House in China knewn as Nashe Znanie; and that the “ branch store Subject intended to open in San Francisco (and may s 4 have opened) was also to be called Znanie (this work in Russian means "Knowledge"). [Bernard 3. ROGARD of the Chihli Press, referred to
13-00000 (sensitive use on another Project}. above as a close associate of Subject and also of alleged Soviet espionage agent Olga NAKVASIN, is the Subject of SSD file #35095. ROGARD is a former U. S. Marine whose parents were Polish-born and who lived in China for twenty years prior to returning to the United States in 1950. He allegedly was pro-Soviet, ie: ridiculed White Russians who did not avail themselves of Soviet citizen- ship made available to them; hired as Editor of his Tientsin Evening Journal, following its resumption after the War, one Leonoff who was an employee of TASS; follewed a Communist inspired line in his newspaper}; and published without ccemment in his Tientsin Evening Journal a letter discrediting American Military Police In fLentsin, comparing them unfavorably with Soviet Military Police in Harbin who were praised in glowing termsg etc. RCGARD, “if used" by Project PILLAR, was to be limited to Category IIg but his wife, @iagim Ibragimoff ROGARD, #79069, had (learance for a "very \ _"~“"Mrs. ROGARD apoears to have had Glearances for ) (responsible positions with lsince . 1953. Her association with the Agency was terminated in May 1959, with the termination of Project(ABEBO) but she gavof is “hard time" for months and refused to sign her secrecy agreement until 30 November 1959. Various relatives_of hers have in the past been | associated with ‘the Agency. Mrs. ROGARD appears to have had mich the same history as Subject. She was born in Russia of Russian-born parents, of Turko-Tartar nationality; left Russia in 1919 for Harbins was sducated in Mukden and Tientsins and was employed in Tientsin in various import-export firms, etc. (No thorough study has been made of the ROGARDS! files.)7 OS:SRS:MDSshiée>