BEHIND THE SECRET
BEHIND THE SECRET ¥Bg Biographical Data the following fy^jed entry, tJvtailed biographical information is available in -js» Centra in the Comintern. f'^nj evidence shows that this document...
...Zabotin, states that:— "We are definitely interested in obtaining people from the departments mentioned...
...The methods of approach varied with the person and with the position...
...Because of the emergence of this fact, it was necessary for us to ascertain where each of the persons whose conduct was being investigated stood with regard to Communist ideology and Communist associations...
...The first page of each dossier kept by Colonel Zabotin on his Canadian agents was a mimeographed from headed " reyixt ration card...
...it is just the name that is abolished...
...Whereupon within a f*w weeks the three Canadian scientists sure found engaging actively in the espionage operations...
...aifi aspect of Comintern activities is illustrated by the "Kitczak passport" case...
...Q. In 1945 Rogov typed or had typed the statement that they had Comintern records still available to refer to...
...Zabotin for espionage purposes he had to propose the name, with particulars to Moscow...
...Moscow would then Ulsiraph Zabotin permission or refusal te as* this particular "candidate...
...Zabotin later headed in Canada...
...3 of 1.8.45":— I. Requirements which a person living as an "illegal" lutwt meet (nationality, citizenship, occupation, educaih)n, knowledge of languages, family and financial con*nWsana, etc...
...Moscow would then check independently, inferentially through one of the other agency systems before approving or withholding approval...
...Occasionally these groups were visited by higher Party official who kept in close contact with them and obviously reported to Colonel Zabotin as to the ability of "candidates" to become full-fledged agents...
...It became manifest at an early stage of this Inquiiy, and has been overwhelmingly established by the evidence throughout, that the Communist movement was the principal base within which the espionage network was recruited...
...Go mens* was questioned further about the above mtry in Can's dossier:— • ¦' Oft* every Communist there is a file at the Comintern It .Moscow...
...A preliminary feeling out of the selected recruit, before the latter realized the sinister purposes for which he was being considered, could also be made within the framework of normal Communist Party activities and organization...
...parltWnvnjt ttmttina that none of the initiative for JM* irtmefmrmmue^n teas mpptied by the three eeienueu ths»nsef...
...It was, as indicated, of paramount importance that the ideology of the prospective agents be clearly established and that their natural inclinations, be thoroughly investigated, so that the mode of approach and the method of persuasion might be varied accordingly...
...Gouzenko, in his evidence on the Comintern, spoke generally of it as a headquarters staff controlling the activities of Communist Parties in other countries in various aspects, including political aspects...
...Q. It would have been possible—I am not saying it is so—for the Comintern to have been abolished as an organization and all the records still kept...
...Two of the three scientists were members in the Natio lal Research Council in Ottawa...
...In some at least of these groups dues were collected and the money used for various purposes including assistance to Communist Party leaders, and the purchase of Communist literature...
...Q. Kogov knew the Comintern had not been abolished and that all the records were complete there...
...The way in which persons who were in a position to furnish secret information, or who might be used as contacts, nnd who had some inherent weakness which might be exploited, were selected and studied, clearly establishes this...
...There is no evidence that liefore the end of March, 1946, any member* of this group contemplated espionage against Canada or any other illegal activity—though they did ttike pains to keep their political views and the existence of their study-group secret from the associates with whom they worked...
...The ingenuity that is shown in the method employed to get prospective agents into the "net" indicates that the system has been thoroughly worked out to cover all eventualities...
...A good illustration of the ease with which the diitrio, in Moscow was able to obtain espionage agents fiom the secret membership of the Canadian Communist Party in selected Canadian organizations is provided by the reeeareli group consisting of Durnfoid Smith and Mazerall, under the leadership of Lunan...
...f'^nj evidence shows that this document referring in ¦Msent tense to the Comintern, was prepared by Q»L Sogov early in 1946...
...A. That is right, and all the personnel is still kept in Moscow...
...The organization of the Federal and provincial counterespionage services...
...A. He knew very well the Comintern existed in Moscow...
...Th* evidence It that Moscow would first make an independent check, which according to Gouzenko was done through one of the parallel systems of networks...
...8. Conditions of adaptation and living in the country...
...To outsiders these groups adopted various disguises, such as social gatherings, music-listening groups and groups for discussing international politics and economics...
...q. The Comintern was supposed to have been abolished before 1945...
...He testified that he had there enciphered and deciphered telegrams te and from many other countries disclosing the use of local Communist Parties for espionage purposes, in networks similar in general outline to that which Col...
...I »* * Msra expedient methods to slip tftto ths country...
...But the Soviet Military Intelligence organization de sired "to have additional spies in Canadian scientific research organizations...
...More dc,(ailed information is on the files at the Comintern...
...P* TrnnsMi Mm eh**n*ls of Influence of th» English IjptaWssMwt en th* foreign policy of Cansda...
...His detailed evidence dealt however with the role of the Comintern specifically in espionage activities, since it was in one of the espionage branches that Gouzenko himself had direct personal experience...
...A. That is right...
...Sometimes Moscow would take the initiative in suggesting to Zabotin some Communist in Canada to lie contacted and enlisted for espionage work...
...Zabotin found already in existence in Ottawa, Montreal and Toronto numerous study groups where Communist philosophy and techniques were studied and where writings of Marx, Engels, I^enin and later authors were read and discussed...
...Zabotin and his assistants, undertook in 1944 to obtain illegally a Cansdisn passport for n Soviet agent located in California, and at the end of August 1945 did in fact obtain this passport by forgery sad bribery, it was needed to replace a Canadian passCrt, about to expire, under which the Soviet agent had mliving in the United.States since 1938...
...These study groups were in fact "cells" and were the recruiting centres for agents, and the medium of development of the necessary frame of mind which was a preliminary condition to eventual service of the Soviet Union in a more practical way...
...When it was found that the "candidates" fulfilled all these requirements, they were definitely recruited as "agents" and tasks were then assigned to them...
...Such reports obviously facilitate selection of Canadian Communists for invitation to engage in espionage activity, and assist the Russians in determining the method of approach...
...One of Zabotin's main objects when he started his operations, was to recruit persons willing to supply ferret information, A belief in, or a sympathy with, or a susceptibility to the Communist ideology was a primary requirement in the persons to be recruited...
...The earlier fassport had been appropriated by Russian agents from n Canadian member of the International Brigade in Spain during the Civil War there, and the Soviet agent In California had been living in the United States under the name and with the passport of this Canadian...
...The exception was Emma Woikin, who was not, so far as the evidence discloses, of the above class...
...Lunan reported of them to Rogov that fcr/'«»¦» be approached them for espionage pinposes: They already feel Ihe need for maintaining a trrt high degree of xecurity and taking abnormal precautions at their normal meetings (about once in two weeks), since they sre definitely not labelled with any political affiliation...
...9. Methods of work of the counter-espionage...
...Lilienthal has been urging a closed Senate hearing on Atom-Bomb spying by secret networks in this country...
...7. Conditions of entry into the country and of moving about in the country...
...e. g. a telegram from Mscow to Col...
...for such purposes as the latter considered necessary...
...There is evidence that The Director in Moscow intended to develop further, and extensively, this practice of planting agenth, under cover of false documentation, net only in other countries as pseudo-Canadians, but in Canada also...
...The psychological reports would then lie passed up through the pyramid of cells and made available to senior Communist...
...and that it not only supplied personnel with adequately "developed" motivation, but provided the organizational framework wherein recruiting could be and was carried out safely and efficiently...
...T» pro*Id* for seeur* living quarters snd financial Nstmaa davltnl the period when the "Illegal"- gets acNnsssjsjsd wtaa the local set-up and conditions...
...Thus one of the pages in the Russian dossier on Sam 6irr contains the following list of assignments, headed *f«#« No...
...Apparently these reports were prepared on various individual Communists by other Communists who had got to know them through joint membership in a study-group...
...fCeatianed Mat w*sfc) I HE sctivlties of foreign agenta is a matter of intense interest with me," David M. Liliehthal, chairman of the United States Atom-Bomb Commission tdTd Washington correspondents this week, the sew leader has also learned that Mr...
...li Ways of legalization (organisation of a commercial undertaking, joining a business firm as s psrtner, *ltsM of firm, joining as a member any office, joining the NhUfty at a volunteer, accepting employment...
...The technique revealed by the documents is as follows: a senior member of the Cansdisn Communist Psrty, such as Sam Carr, the National Organizer ef the Party, or Fred Rose, the Quebec Organiser, would propose certain Communists to one of Zabotin's Russisn colleagues as potential espionage agents...
...Her motivation was a sympathy with the Soviet regime based, as she said, on "what I have read...
...In every instance but one, Zabotin's Canadian espionage agents were shown to be members of or sympathizers with the Communist Party...
...Prior to coming to Canada in the summer of 1943 Gouzenko, as we have already, pointed out, had worked for a little over a year in the "Centre" of The Director in Moscow e*f the Military Intelligence organization...
...a ThK director in Moscow sometimes took the initiative in indicating those Departments or Agencies of the Canadian Government in which he particularly wished espionage agents to be developed from smnng the Canadian staff...
...The evidence is that Moscow made this suggestion on the basis of lists of non Russian Communists whose names and dossiers, perhaps unknown to themselves, were kept on rile in Moscow...
...Before a new agent could be employed>by Col...
...Zabotin would get details about the "candidate," including his "posaibiliti**"—that Is, place pf work and the kind of information to which he had secosa—and would send this to Moscow...
...Dactimsmts which sn "illegal" must possess (pssa*?•«, different kinds of certificates, references, recom'¦Mdatton tetters, etc...
...for every Communist in the whole world (here is a Ale at the Comintern at Moscow...
...Gaptenko defined the Comintern as follows:— ^'flie Communist International, the Comintern, is ' the staff headquarters which directs the activities * of the Comrauriist parties all over the world...
...A. That is right...
...ThK evidence shows that the espionage recruiting agents made use in their work of reports, including psychological reports, on Canadian Communists which had been prepared as, part of the routine of the secret "cell" organization of that Party...
...One or two have even opposed the introduction of new members te our group on the grounds thai it would endanger their oh n security...
...A, Supposed to be abolished in 1943, but it is not so, Q. It is not abolished...
...It has been established that Sam Carr, National Organiser of the "Labor-Progressive Party," acting on instructions from Moscow delivered through Col...
...For this purpose too the assistance of lam Carr was enlisted...
...Thue within a ehort period of time what had been merely a political dineueeion group, mad* up of canadian eeienUHe ai member* of a canadian pelhieal party, ^ »n» tranefornnd on inetruetiow from jkjppetw tat* as aeUve espiesMf* organ****** tvrMssj npwwtt canmda on behalf of a foreign power...
...See The New Leader editorial on Page, 1...
...Let Frank, after the staffs have been set up in final form, recommend one or two candidates for our study...
...The interview between Rose and Lunan, leading up to the meeting between Lunan snd Rogov, resulted ir the latter giving Lunan instructions to enlist Hslperin, Durnford Smith and Maserall as espionage agents...
...The effcient functioning of the Comintern organization is further shown by the highly systematized interest of The Director in Moscow in each non-Russian agent, and in the recruiting of new agents...
Vol. 30 • February 1947 • No. 5
