Evening star., 1949-10-14
Intelligence Agencies
Press for Key Data on
Russian Intentions
BY John P. Leoeoeos
North American kewspope Alliance

sets of facts on Soviet Russia,
probably the most security-con-
scious country in the history Of
the world.
The essential information would
cover the following:
/. Exactly how strong in equip
ment, supply and transport-and
for what period of time-are the
Russian armed forces?
2. How far has Russia DEVELOPED
the industrial mass production of
atomic bombs?
3. What is the consensus, if
any, in the Politburo mind as to
what flgurative line must be
crossed by the West and what
conditions must exist before start
ing a war?
4. Who will succeed Stain and
who are the real rivals for the
job?
S. Who, if anyone, is being
groomed by the secret communist
international to take over the
United States in case of war as
has been the custom to date in
every European country?
Germans Have Best Chance.
The job sounds impossible. The
penalty to individual agents for
trying and failing is silence and
death. But still Russians are men,
AND men talk. That's the hope of
intelligence in attempting to crack
secrets whose foreknoWledge may
safeguard the peace of the world
or. at the very least, the safety
OF the United States.
American officials have an
nounced that agents are now on
DUTY inside Russia. However, this
may or may not be bluff. Suf-
f1ce it to add that Germans. Brit
lsh and French are also hot after
the same mysteries which no
empire has ever been able to
guard forever.
The Germans, indeed, through
the Social Democrat Party (SPD)
perhaps have the best chance of
getting there first. The SPD
pipeline into the Russian zone of
Germany is the envy of the Allies.
How far the line stretches farther
on to Moscow is unknown. But
intelligence does not forget that
Germans-and, in these last dec
ades, German Communists =
have been part of Russian life
for centuries.
Outer Defenses Softened.
American private initiative and
organization. fabricated with the
ready money now available, are
already being used to soften up
the outer defenses of the Commu-
mist citadel. Characteristically, it
is the files of many United States
business corporations which are
being Of great use in this regard.
Knowing clients whims, hob
bies. failings, propensity for
women, if the girl friend herself
Is 1ndiscreet, the addiction for
having ones palm creased,
favorite wine or food, all these
plebeian facts aid intelligence.
With many Communists in official
positions in the satellite states
responding more to hopes > of
power and wealth than Marxist
idealism. there are interesting
possibilities to play with.
Speaking Of business corpora
tions. it has been revealed that
commercial treaties between East
ern and Western European coun-
tries have been a principal means
of financing Communist Partiesl
In the West. Western Communist
supported banks and firms fire.
quently, especially during the
period of Red popular front"
coalitions, received exclusive trad
ing rights with the East.
Switzerland Watched.
When the Cominform was in
Belgrade, for instance, Yugoslav
timber, bought for as little as 100
lire a auintal (220 pounds) was
sold in Italy for 800 lire. The
commissions from the sales helped
finance key strikes.
Switzerland, the country where
the Nazis used to hide their as
sets, is watched intently for trans
actions from Eastern Europe and
for the movements of it's Russian
and Communist visitors. It is
suspected. but not proved. that
the Reds have funds cached away
there. The unusually well-in
formed Swiss are cooperative in
a cagey way with Western intel
ligence but at the same time do
nothing that will irritate Russia
as a customer.
Overriding attempts to infll-
trate through the Iron Curtain,
the top intelligence echelons set
themselves another task. 1t is to-
read the inscrutable Russian
mind, neither to overestimate nor
to underestimate the capacity of
the Russians, and to know or
divine Russian intentions and
ways of thinking which, histori-
cally, have always been peculiar
and strange to Western man.
Russian history, Communist writ
ings from Marx through Lenin
to Stain. even Russian novels,
are exhauStively studied.
Perhaps three well-buttressed
indications have emerged that
may give clues to actions of the
present moment.
No. / is that the Russians are
fervid patriots who will fight des-
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