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

## Page 1

179-40001-10298

Date: 08/12/93

Page: 1

JEK ASSASSINATION SYSTEM

IDENTIFICATION FORM

AGENCY INFORMATION

AGENCY : WC

RECORD NUMBER : 179-40001-10298

RECORDS SERIES

08: NUMBERED COMMISSION DOCUMENTS

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 : S

RESTRICTIONS : REFERRED

CURRENT STATUS : P

DATE OF LAST REVIEW : / /

OPENING CRITERIA :

COMMENTS :

COVER MEMORANDUM. BOX CO1

[R]

- ITEM IS RESTRICTED

HH 50955

DocId: 32209939 Rage 1, 100000.

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## Page 2

SECRET

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCES AND

METHODS INVOLVED

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

all available information on the 1962 telephone call. It appears

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

planned to pay a hundred thousand dollars for the assassination

of President Kennedy

c. On 27 November, the CIA Canberra Station also furnished

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

d. On 29 November, CIA 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

calls 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 use of a sensitivity

indicator:

Richard Helms

Deputy Director for Plans

Attachment

NH

50955 DocId.32209939

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METHODS INVOID

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SICRET

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCES AND

METHODS INVOLVED

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

WASHINGTON 25, D.C.

22 MAY 1254

Commission No.

471

MEMORANDUM FOR: Mr. J. Lee Rankin

SUBJECT:

Anonymous Telephone Calls to United States

Embassy in Canberra, Australia, Relative to

Planned 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 ClA.

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

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

Australia (IN 67327; Top Secret, later downgraded to Secret),

reporting a telephone conversation the previous day with an

anonymous individual who had described himself as a Polish

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

while discussing several matters of intelligence interest, touched

on the possibility that the Soviet Government had financed the

assassination of President Kennedy. Reference was made in this

cable to the receipt of a similar anonymous telephone call on

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 had not

previously known of the 1962 telephone call.

SECRET

GROUP 1

Excluded from automatic

downgrading and

declassication

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCES AND

METHODS INVOLVED

HW 50955

-Doord: 32209939

"Page

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## Page 4

SECHET

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCES AND-

METHODS INVOLVED

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

all available information on the 1962 telephone call. It appears

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

planned to pay a hundred thousand dollars for the assassination

of President Kennedy :

C.

On 27 November, the CIA Canberra Station also furnished

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

d. On 29 November, CIA 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

•calls 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 use of a sensitivity

indicator.

Richard Helms

Deputy Director for Plans

Attachment

-2-

SECAZI

GROUP 1

Excluded from automatic

downgrading and

declassificating

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCE IND

METHODS IN!:"

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## Page 5

65660%uE

Attachment

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## Page 6

SECRET

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCES AND

commission No a 91 a

OUT Teletype No. 85691, dated 29 November 1963, filed at Illl hours,

to the White House, Department of State and Federal Bureau of

Investigation, with a copy to the Secret Service

1. Your attention is called to a series of anonymous telephone

calls made to the office of the U.S. Naval Attache in Canberra,

Australia, by a man claiming to have had knowledge about a Soviet

plot to assassinate the late President Kennedy. Our first record

of this matter is a Naval Attache cable from Canberra sent on

24 November 1963.

2. It appears that the caller, who professes to be the Polish

chauffeur of a Soviet Embassy car in Canberra, first phoned in

over a year ago, on 15 October 1962 repeat 1962. At that time he

told a story about five Soviet submarines carrying 400 to 500 Soviet

soldiers on their way to Cuba. One purpose of this troop movement,

he said, was to support the Governor of Mississippi. He added that

there was a plot to pay one hundred thousand dollars to kill President

Kennedy. Behind the plot, he said, were the "Iron Curtain Countries,"

and "Communist men in England, Hong Kong and probably some other

countries."

3. On 23 November 1963 repeat 1963, the day after the

assassination of President Kennedy and over a year after the first

telephone call, a man believed to be the same person phoned the

Embassy again and spoke to the assistant Naval Attache. The caller

referred to his call a year back and stated he had said that the USSR

had put up 100, 000 dollars for the assassination of President Kennedy.

4. Giving what he claimed were further details about the

assassination, the caller said that about two weeks before (which

would have been in early November 1963) he was present when an

Australian man, 35 to 40 years old, and tall, was dispatched by

the Soviets to the United States carrying a case about 35 to 40

centimeters long, 50 centimeters high, and 8.5 centimeters wide.

The name Vasyl Two was used in some connection with this man.

He was put on a plane in Sydney and while the caller drove the two

Soviet

escorts back to Canberra, their shortwave radio in the car

was going constantly. A shortwave radio was going in the Embassy

SECRET

Excladed from automatic

dowegrading and

declassification

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCES AND

METHODS INVOLVED

50955 D601d:32209939

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## Page 7

DECRET

WARMING. PADTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCES AND

METHODS NADIMED

also when they arrived there. Over these radios, one of these Soviets

transmitted numbers and "points." They remained in the Embassy, and

that morning (apparently 23 November 1963), a message came through

and toasts were drunk in Russian Vodka and the Russians present said,

"we have achieved what we want."

5. The

caller then gave "information" about the Soviet role

in sinking a U.S. Navy nuclear submarine and on Soviet subversion in

Indonesia. He would not identify himself, and when he described the

car he drives (as a navy blue 1952 Buick, license plate New South Wales

CCC 01ZZ) he added they often change plates, have fifty sets in reserve,

and can change them in five seconds.

6. The caller added some vague information about a woman

employee of the American Embassy he things works for the Soviets.

The conversation concluded with the caller promising to write a letter

to the Naval Attache at the American Embassy.

7. The caller spoke good English and his accent and voice did

not change throughout the conversation, so it was assumed that he

was not disguising his voice.

8. Australian authorities working on this case consider the

caller to be a crank.

They state that Soviet offices in Australia

do not use anything but Soviet chauffeurs; they have no record of

their using a Polish chauffeur. They are continuing their investigation.

SEGRET

-2-

GROUP 1

Excluded from automatio

dewnprating and

declassification

WARNING NOTICI

SENSITIVE SOURCES AND

METHODS INVOLVED

---

## Page 8

SECRET

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCES AND

METHODS IN VED

CENTRAL INTELLICENCE AGENCY

WASHINGTON 25, D.C.

2 2 MEY 1354

i =.

Commission No.

971

MEMORANDUM FOR: MI. J. Lee Rankin

SUBJECT:

Anonymous Telephone Calls to United States

Embassy in Canberra, Australia, Relative to

Planned 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, CIA received from the Department

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

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

reporting a telephone conversation the previous day with an

anonymous individual who had described himself as a Polish

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

while discussing several matters of intelligence interest, touched

on the possibility that the Soviet Government had financed the

assassination of President Kennedy. Reference was made in this

cable to the receipt of a similar anonymous telephone call on

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 had not

previously known of the 1962 telephone call.

Wow.5. 10

SECRET

GROUP 1

Excluded Iron automatic

downgrading and

declassilication

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCES AND

METROOS INVOLVER

NW

50955

Dotra: 32209939

Page

8

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## Page 9

SEENET

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCES AND

METHODS INVOLVED

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

all available information on the 1962 telephone call.. It appears

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

planned to pay a hundred thousand dollars for the assassination

of President Kennedy•

c. On 27 November, the CIA Canberra Station also furnished

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

d. On. 29 November, CIA 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

calls 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 use of a sensitivity

indicator.

lichaidthetin

Richard Helms

Deputy Director for Plans

Attachment

-2-

SECRET

GROUP 1

Excluded from automatic

downgradar and

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCE IND

METHODS IND

HH 50955

DocId: 32209939

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9

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## Page 10

Attachment

WDocid:42209939*

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## Page 11

SECRET

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCES AND

Commission No.

9Tia

OUT Teletype No. 85691, dated 29 November 1963, filed at Ill7 hours,

to the White House, Department of State and Federal Bureau of

Investigation, with

a copy to the Secret Service

1. Your attention is called to a series of anonymous telephone

calls made to the office of the U.S. Naval Attache in Canberra,

Australia, by a man claiming to have had knowledge about a Soviet

plot to assassinate the late President Kennedy. Our first record

of this matter is a Naval Attache cable from Canberra sent on

24 November 1963.

2. It appears that the caller, who professes to be the Polish

chauffeur of a Soviet Embassy car in Canberra, first phoned in

over a year ago, on 15 October 1962 repeat 1962. At that time he

told a story about five Soviet submarines carrying 400 to 500 Soviet

soldiers on their way to Cuba. One purpose of this troop movement,

he said, was to support the Governor of Mississippi. He added that

there was a plot to pay one hundred thousand dollars to kill President

Kennedy: Behind the plot, he said, were the "Iron Curtain Countries,".

and "Communist men in England, Hong Kong and probably some other

countries."

3.. On 23 November 1963 repeat 1963, the day after the

assassination of President Kennedy and over a year after the first

telephone call, a man believed to be the same person phoned the

Embassy again and spoke to the assistant Naval Attache. The caller

referred to his call a year back and stated he had said that the USSR

had put up 100,000 dollars for the assassination of President Kennedy.

1. Giving what he claimed were further details about the

assassination, the caller said that about two weeks before (which

would have been in early November 1963) he was present when an

Australian man, 35 to 40 years old; and tall, was dispatched by

the Soviets to the United States carrying a case about 35 to 40

centimeters long, 50 centimeters high, and 8.5 centimeters wide.

The name Vasyl Two was used in some connection with this man.

He was put on a plane in Sydney and while the caller drove the two

Soviet escorts back to Canberra, their shortwave radio in the car

was going constantly. A shortwave radio was going in the Embassy

SECRET

GRUE 1

Excladed foc automatie

downgrading and

declassification

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCES AND

METHODS INVOIVED

50955

* DocId: 32209939

Page 11

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## Page 12

WA

"IS AND

also when

they arrived there. Over these radios, one of these Soviets

transmitted numbers and "points."

They remained in the Embassy, and

that morning (apparently 23 November 1963), a message came through

and toasts were drunk in Russian Vodka and the Russians present said,

"we have

achieved what we want."

5. The caller then gave "information" about the Soviet role

in sinking a U.S. Navy nuclear submarine and on Soviet subversion in

Indonesia. He would not identify himself, and when he described the

car he drives (as a navy blue 1952 Buick, license plate New South Wales

CCC 0122) he added they often change plates, have fifty sets in reserve,

and can change them in five seconds.

6. The caller added some vague information about a woman

employee of the American Embassy he things works for the Soviets.

The conversation concluded with the caller promising to write a letter

to the Naval Attache at the American Embassy.

7. The caller spoke good English and his accent and voice did

not change throughout the conversation, so it was assumed that he

was not disguising his voice.

8. Australian authorities working on this case consider the

caller to be a crank. They state that Soviet offices in Australia

do not use anything but Soviet chauffeurs; they have no record of

their using a Polish chauffeur. They are continuing their investigation:

SLORET

• 2=

GROUP 1

Excluded from automalle

Gowngrating and

declassification

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCES AND

METHODS INVOLVED

HW

50955

DocId: 32209939

Page 12

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## Page 13

SECRET

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCES AND

METHODS INVOLVEO

CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY

WASHINGTON 25, D.C.

22 MAY

1964

5-221

Commission No.

MEMORANDUM FOR: Mr. J. Lee Rankin

SUBJECT:

Anonymous Telephone Calls to United States

Embassy in Canberra, Australia, Relative to

Planned 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, CIA received from the Department

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

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

reporting a telephone conversation the previous day with an

anonymous individual who had described himself as a Polish

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

while discussing several matters of intelligence interest, touched

on the possibility that the Soviet Government had financed the

assassination of President Kennedy. Reference was made in this

cable to the receipt of a similar anonymous telephone call on

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 had not

previously known of the 1962 telephone call.

SECRET

GROUP 1

Excluded troni automatic

downgrading and

ceciassilication

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCES AND

METHODS INVOLVED

• NY 50955 DocId: 32209939 Page 13

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## Page 14

SECRET

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCES AND

METHODS INVOLVED

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

all available information on the 1962 telephone call. It appears®

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

planned to pay a hundred thousand dollars for the assassination

of President Kennedy •

c. On 27 November, the CIA Canberra Station also furnished

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

d.. On 29 November, CIA 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

calls 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 use of a sensitivity

indicator.

Richard Helms

Deputy Director for Plans

Attachment

-2-

SECRET

GROUP T

Excluded from automatic

downgrading and

declossilicotion

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCE IND

METHODS INV. "D

HW 50955

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## Page 15

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCES AND

CommissIon 1047/ a

OUT Teletype No. 85691, dated 29 November 1963, filed at 11l7 hours,

to the White House, Department of State and Federal Bureau of

Investigation, with a copy to the Secret Service

1. Your attention is called to a series of anonymous telephone

calls made to the office of the U.S. Naval Attache in Canberra,

Australia, by a man claiming to have had knowledge about a Soviet

plot to assassinate the late President Kennedy. Our first record

of this matter is a Naval Attache cable from Canberra sent on

24 November 1963.

Z. It appears that the caller, who professes to be the Polish

chauffeur of a Soviet Embassy car in Canberra, first phoned in

over a year ago, on 15 October 1962 repeat 1962. At that time he

told a story about five Soviet submarines carrying 400 to 500 Soviet

soldiers on their way to Cuba. One purpose of this troop movement,

he said, was to support the Governor of Mississippi. He added that

there was a plot to pay one hundred thousand dollars to kill President

Kennedy. Behind the plot, he said, were the 'Iron Curtain Countries, "

and "Communist men in England, Hong Kong and probably some other

countries."

3. On 23 November 1963 repeat 1963, the day after the

assassination of President Kennedy and over a year after the first

telephone call, a man believed to be the same person phoned the

Embassy again and spoke to the assistant Naval Attache. The caller

referred to his call a year back and stated he had said that the USSR

had put up 100, 000 dollars for the assassination of President Kennedy.

4. Giving what he claimed were further details about the

assassination, the caller said that about two weeks before (which

would have been in early November 1963) he was present when an

Australian man, 35 to 40 years old, and tall, was dispatched by

the Soviets to the United States carrying a case about 35 to 40

centimeters long, 50 centimeters high, and 8.5 centimeters wide.

The name Vasyl Two was used in some connection with this man.

He was put on a plane in Sydney and while the caller drove the two

Soviet escorts back to Canberra, their shortwave radio in the car

was going constantly. A shortwave radio was going in the Embassy

ESOUP 1

Excluded from automatic

downgrading and

declassifization

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCES- AND

METHODS INVOIVED

AW 50955 DocId:32209939 Page 15

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## Page 16

ALCRET

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCES AND

METHODS INVOLVED

also when they arrived there. Over these radios, one of these Soviets

transmitted numbers and "points." They remained in the Embassy, and

that morning (apparently 23 November 1963), a message came through

and toasts were drunk in Russian Vodka and the Russians present said,

"we have achieved what we want."

5. The caller then gave "information" about the Soviet role

in sinking a U.S. Navy nuclear submarine and on Soviet subversion in

Indonesia. He would not identify himself, and when he described the

car he drives (as a navy blue 1952 Buick, license plate New South Wales

CCC 0122) he added they often change plates, have fifty sets in reserve,

and can change them in five seconds.

6. The caller added some vague information about a woman

employee of the American Embassy he things works for the Soviets.

The conversation concluded with the caller promising to write a letter

to the Naval Attache at the American Embassy.

7: The caller spoke good English and his accent and voice did

not change throughout the conversation, so it was assumed that he

was not disguising his voice.

8. Australian authorities working on this case consider the

caller to be a crank. They state that Soviet offices in Australia

do not use anything but Soviet chauffeurs; they have no record of

their using a Polish chauffeur. They are continuing their investigation.

SECRET

- 2-

GROC? 1

Excluded trom automatic

downgrading and

declassification

WARNING NOTICE

SENSITIVE SOURCES AND

METHODS INVOLVED

AW 50955

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