Agency: WC
Originator: CIA
From: HELMS, RICHARD
To: RANKIN, J. LEE
Document date: 05/22/1964
Document type: PAPER-TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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179-40001-10277

Date: 08/12/93

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JFK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY

: WC

RECORD NUMBER: 179-40001-10277

RECORDS SERIES

22:

PP 3

AGENCY FILE NUMBER

DOCUMENT INFORMATION

ORIGINATOR : CIA

FROM : HELMS, RICHARD

TO : RANKIN, J. LEE

TITLE :

DATE : 05/22/64

PAGES

: 2

SUBJECTS

ASSASSINATION, KENNEDY, JOHN, TELEPHONE CALLS TO

US

EMBASSY

DOCUMENT TYPE : PAPER, TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

CLASSIFICATION

RESTRICTIONS

REFERRED

CURRENT STATUS : P

DATE OF LAST REVIEW

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS :

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WAR

SENSITIVE

METHOD

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

WASMINGTON 25, D.C.

AND

Commission No.

тати

FA-I CIA

971

MEMORANDUM FOR: MI... Lec Rankin

SUBJECT:

Anonymous Telephone Calls to United States

Embe any in Canberra, Australia, Relative to

Plenied Assassination of President Kennedy

1. I refer again to paragraph two of your memorandum,

dated 12 February 1964, relative to disseminations to the Secret

Service made by CIA.

2. On 24 November 1963, ClA received from the Department

of the Navy a copy of a cable from the Naval Attache in Canborra,

Australia (IN 67327, Top Secret, later downgruded to Secret),

reporting a telephone conversation the previous day with an

anonymous individual who had described himself as a Polish

chauffour for the Soviet Embassy in that city. This individual,

while discussing several matters of intelligence interest, touched

on the possibility that the Sovict Governmen: had financed the

assassination of President Kemedy. Referenco was made in thie

cable to the receipt of a similar anonymous tolephone call or

15 October 1962.

3. Upon receipt of this cable from Navy CIA took the

following action:

a. Cabled to Canberra asking full details of the

telephone conversation of 23 November and the call made

on 15 October 1962. It should be noted that CIA bad not

previously known of the 1962 telephone call.

APPROVED FOR RELEASE 1993/

CIA HISTORICAL-REVIEW PROGRAM

AS SANITIZED (page 2)

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NSPORT

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b. The ClA Station in Canberra, on 27 November, furnished

all available information on the 1962 telephone call. It appeara

that source on that occasion stated that "Iron Curtain Countries"

planned to pay a hundred thousand dollars for the agsassination

of Preuident Kennedy.

c. On 27 November, the CIA Canberra Station aleo furniebed

complete detail on the anonymous telephore call of 23 November 1963.

d. On 29 November, CLA disseminated this information, as

supplied by its Canberra Station, to the White House, Department

of State, and Federal Bureau of Investigation, with a copy to the

Secret Service. A copy of this dissemination in its exact text

is attached to this memorandum.

4. The CIA Station in Canberra arranged for discussion of the

calle with the Australian security service. In the opinion of the

Australian authorities, the caller was a crank. In any event, they

were not able to identify any Polish employee of the Soviet Embassy,

the automobile described by the caller as the one he drove, or the

license plate number given by him. No further information on this

call has been received. Available evidence would tend to show that

the caller was some type of crank.. This conclusion, however, cannot

be confirmed.

5. Please note that the nature of the information in this

memorandum and its attachment requires the uce of a senaitivity

indicator.

(Signod). Richard Helms

Richard Helms

Deputy Director for Plans

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