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Alexander Vassiliev’s Notes on Anatoly Gorsky’s December 1948 Memo
on Compromised American Sources and Networks
October 2005
Translated by Ronald Bachman and Harold Leich, assisted by John Earl Haynes
Additional assistance provided by Alexander Vassiliev
Alexander Vassiliev, a former KGB officer, coauthored The Haunted Wood: Soviet Espionage in America -- The Stalin Era with Allen Weinstein. Under an agreement with the SVR (successor to the KGB), Vassiliev has access to a segment of KGB records dealing with Soviet espionage in the United States.[1] While he could not remove copies from the archive, he could make notes. Below is a translation of Vassiliev’s handwritten notes on a December 1948 memo written by Anatoly Gorsky. Gorsky was a senior official of the Committee of Information (KI), the agency then supervising Soviet foreign intelligence.
Portions of the notes were quoted in The Haunted Wood.[2] The complete notes were made public as a part of Vassiliev v Frank Cass & Co Ltd., a 2003 libel case in the United Kingdom. David Lowenthal obtained a copy and provided it to Eduard Mark who provided a copy to John Earl Haynes in January 2005. David Lowenthal cites the document as: transcript of KGB file 43173 vol.2 (v) pp. 49-55, attached to Alexander Vassiliev to Hartwig, 1 February 2002, in Alexander Vassiliev and Frank Cass & Co Ltd, High Court of Justice Queen's Bench Division Claim No. HQ1X03222, Amended Particulars of Claim.
Russian linguists Harold Leich and Ronald Bachman prepared both a transcription of Vassiliev’s handwritten notes in Russian (Vassiliev’s handwriting is not always clear) to typed Cyrillic Russian and a translation to Latin alphabet English. John Earl Haynes assisted in providing conventional English spellings for names phonetically translated from the Russian. David Lowenthal also reviewed the translations and made suggestions on items. Alexander Vassiliev himself later provided his own translation that assisted in clarifying ambiguities.
Below is the English language translation. Materials in brackets are interpolations. Page numbers given in the text are Vassiliev’s notes of the page of the archival file from which his note was extracted.
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[Vassiliev’s Notes begins in middle of a sentence]
[illegible] middle of 1949 essentially terminated all efforts to seek out recruiters and new agents
[illegible] refrained from reestablishing links with failed agents.
p. 47.
“In its practical operations, the rezidentura has proceeded along the path of least resistance, either recruiting persons widely known for their links to the Communist Party of the U.S.A. (“Jack,” “Guide,” “Lana,” “Rur,” “Kan [Kahn],” et al.) or trying to employ as agents persons from the people’s democracies who are sympathetic to us but do not have access to information of interest.”
The responsibility rests on the deputy rezident “Fyodor.” Because of his preoccupation with fundamental work, “Vladimir” cannot be involved in all [aspects ?] of operational activities.
p. 48.
It is essential to complement your [ illegible] rezidentura with the best cadres of KI workers.
Failures in the U.S.A. (1938-48)[3]
p. 49.
“Karl’s” Group
1. Karl – Whittaker Chambers, former chief editor of the magazine “Time.” Traitor.
2. Jerome – Barna Bukov (Altman), our former cadre colleague. Now in the USSR.
3. Leonard – Alger Hiss, former employee of the State Department.
4. Junior – Donald Hiss, former employee of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
5. 104th – Henry A. Wadleigh, former employee of the State Department.
6. 118th – F. V. Reno, former employee of Aberdeen proving ground.
7. 105th – Henry Collins, former employee of the Department of Agriculture, presently the director of the American-Russian Institute in New York.
8. 114th – William W. Pigman, former employee of the Bureau of Standards.
9. “Storm” – Joseph Peters (aka Isidore Burstein), former member of the Central Committee of the CPUSA.
10. “Wig” (Vig) – Lee Pressman, former legal adviser of the Congress of Industrial Organizations.
11. 116th – Harry Azizov, former employee of a steel-smelting company in Chicago.
12. 101st – Peter MacLean, reporter and photojournalist, not used since ’37.
p. 50
13. 103rd – David Carpenter, newspaper employee.
14. 107th – Felix Inslerman, place of employment unknown.
15. 113th – Harry Rosenthal, employee of an insurance company in Philadelphia.
16. 115th – Lester Hutm [Hume?], former employee of the Frankford Arsenal.
17. “Ernst” – Noel Field, former employee of the State Department.
18. “Rupert” – V.V. Sveshnikov [Sveshchnikov ?], former employee of the War Department.
19. “Richard” – Harry White, former assistant of Treasury Secretary Morgenthau, died in ’48.
20. “Aileron” – D. Silverman, former chief of planning, statistics department of the AAF [literal translation: “VVS” for Military Air Force?]
21. “Ruble” – Harold Glasser, former chief of the Monetary section of the Treasury Department.
“Redhead’s Group”
1. “Redhead” – Hedwiga Gompertz [Gumperz] , Vatsek’s wife, sent to the U.S. in ’38 to carry out fieldwork assignments, traitor since ’48.
2. “Vatsek” [Watsek?] – Paul Massing, scientist at Columbia University’s Institute of Social Research. Traitor.
3. “Oscar” – Oscar Bernstein, lawyer, used for organizing covers for our workers in the U.S.
4. “Prince” [“Kniaz'”] – Laurence Duggan (aka 19th), former employee of the State Department. Suicide.
5. “Ruff” [“Ersh” “Yeursch”] – Franz Neumann, former consultant in the Department of Research and Analysis of the OSS.
6. “Vardo” – E. Y. Zarubina, our former cadre colleague. Now in the USSR.
p. 51
“Buben’s Group”
1. “Buben” – Louis Budenz, former member of the Central Committee of the CPUSA, former editor of the newspaper Daily Worker, presently a professor at Fordham Catholic University.
2. “Bob” – Robert Menaker, traveling salesman to a variety of trade firms.
3. “Liberal” – Frank Palmer. Place of employment unknown. Former member of the CPUSA, broke with the Communist Party in ’37. “Buben” was recruited with his assistance.
4. “Chap” – Franklin Zalmond, without specific assignments, husband of “Rita.” Used as a courier.
5. “Rita” – (aka “Satyr”). Sylvia Caldwell, technical secretary for a Trotskyite group in New York.
6. “Harry” – Rabinovich, our former cadre colleague, [resides] in the USSR.
“Sound” and “Myrna” Groups
1. “Sound” – Jacob Golos (Raisin), our former illegal colleague in the U.S. Died in ’43.
2. “Myrna” – Elizabeth Bentley, former vice-president of the company United States Service and Shipping Corporation. Traitor since ’45.
3. “Tan” – Harry Magdoff, former employee of the Commerce Department.
4. “Ted” – Edward Fitzgerald, former employee of the Commerce Department.
5. “Mole” – Charles Kramer, former adviser to Senator Pepper.
6. “Izra” – Donald Wheeler, former OSS employee.
7. “Sid” – Allan Rosenberg, former employee of the Foreign Economic Administration [Literal translation: International Economics Administration].
8. “Dan” – Stanley Graze, State Department intelligence employee.
9. “Arena” – Gerald Graze, Dan’s brother, former Department of Defense employee.
10. “Boy” [Boi]” – Charles Flato, former employee of the Foreign Economic Administration.
11. “Raid” – Victor Perlo, former employee of the War Production Board.
12. “Robert” – Gregory Silvermaster (also Pal), former employee of the Reconstruction Financial Corporation in the Department of Commerce.
13. “Vim” – (aka Page), Lauchlin Currie, former aide to President Roosevelt.
14. “Pick” [or “Peak”?] – Frank Coe, former chief of the monetary section of the Treasury Department.
15. “Acorn” – Bela Gold, former employee of the Commerce Department.
16. “Zhenya” – Sonia Gold, former secretary to the chief of the Monetary Research Administration of the Treasury Department.
17. “Tino” – Irving Kaplan, former employee of the Foreign Economic Administration.
18. “Sax” [“Sachs”] – Solomon Adler, former employee of the U.S. Treasury Department.
p. 53
19. “Pilot” – Ludwig Ullmann, former employee of the U.S. Department of War.
20. “Buck” [“Bak”] – David Weintraub, former employee of the UNRRA [United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration].
21. “X” [“Iks”] – (aka Informer]. Joseph Katz, our old agent/group leader [gruppovik] co-owner of a glove factory, a front that we set up, is currently forming a company in Italy to cover our illegal courier line between Europe and U.S.
22. “Adam” – Eva Getzov [Getsov, Getzoff], employee, Jewish Welfare Board.
23. “Hare” – Maurice Halperin, former employee. OSS.
24. “Koch” – Duncan Lee, former employee. OSS.
25. “Muse” – Helen Tenney, former employee. OSS.
26. “Flora” – Ruth Rivkin, former employee, UNRRA.
28. [27.] “Mon” – Bernard Redmont, former employee of the Rockefeller Commission [Office of the Co-ordinator of Inter-American Affairs headed by Nelson Rockefeller].
28. “Mirage” – Robert Miller, former employee of the State Department.
[29. missing number] “Dear” [“Dir”] - Mary Price, former secretary of American journalist Lippmann.
30. “Gor” [“Hor”?] – Joseph Gregg, former employee of the Rockefeller Commission.
31. “Teddy” [Fedya] – William Remington, former employee of the War Production Board.
32. “Cautious” [Watchful, Careful] – Julius Joseph, former OSS employee.
33. “Echo” – S. Schuster, staff member of the Central Committee of the CPUSA.
34. “Irma” – Ray Elson, former vice-president of “United States Service and Shipping Corporation.”
p. 54
35. “Green” – John Spivak, journalist, before ’41 used on the Trotskyites.
35. [“35” is repeated, actual 36] “Vadim” – A. V. Gorsky, former rezident of the MGB USSR in Washington, [resides] in the USSR.
36. [37] “Lyucya” [Lucia, Lucie ?] – Pravdina, former employee of the Ministry of Trade [Amtorg], wife of “Sergei,” the rezident in New York, [resides] in the USSR.
37. [38] “Sergei” – V. Pravdin, former rezident of the MGB USSR in New York. Now in the USSR.
38. [39] “Stock” [“Shtok”] – our cadre colleague M. Shaliapin [Shalyapin], [resides] in the USSR.
39. [40]“Gennady” – G. B. Ovakimian, former rezident of the MGB USSR in New York, [resides] in the USSR.
40. [41] “Albert” – A. I. Akhmerov, former illegal rezident of the MGB USSR in New York, [resides] in the USSR.
41. [42] “Elza” [Elsa]– Akhmerova, Albert’s wife, American, Soviet citizen, [resides] in the USSR.
42. [43] “Mushroom” [“Gruzd,” a type of milk mushroom] – Willard Park, employee of the Rockefeller Commission.
43. [44] “Charlie” – Cedric Belfrage, former employee of the English intelligence rezidentura in New York. Presently a journalist.
The “Berg” – “Art” Group
1. “Berg” – Alexander Koral, former engineer of the municipality of New York.
2. “Art” – Helen Koral, Berg’s wife, housewife.
3. “Son” [“San”] – Richard Koral, son, student.
4. “Long” – Norman Hite [Hight, Haight?], engineer for the firm “Sperry Gyroscope Company” in New Jersey.
5. “Smart” – Elliot Goldberg, engineer for an oil equipment company in New York.
6. “Huron” [“Guron”] – Byron T. Darling, engineer for the Rubber Company.
7. “Teacher” [“Uchitel’nitsa,” female ending] – Melamed, teacher in a music school in New York.
8. “Cora” [“Kora”] – Emma Phillips, housewife.
9. “Lock” [Lok] – Sylvia Koral, former secretary of the code section, Office of War Information.
10. “Siskin” [“Chizh,” a type of bird] – Eduardo Pekino [Pequeño?], businessman in Caracas, Venezuela.
11. “Express Messenger” [“Gonets”] – Richard Setaro, journalist/writer, former employee of the Columbia Broadcasting System, presently in Buenos Aires.
12. “Artem” – A. Slavianin, our cadre colleague, [resides] in the USSR.
13. “Twain” [“Tven”] – S. M Semenov [Semyonov], rezident, technical intelligence for the KI in Paris, presently on leave in Moscow.
14. “Aleksey” [Alexey] – A. A. Yatskov, our cadre colleague, [resides] in the USSR.
15. “Julia” – O. V. Shimmel, our cadre colleague, [resides] in the USSR.
16. “Shah” – K. A. Chugunov, our cadre colleague, [resides] in the USSR.
-- A. Gorsky (December ‘48)
[End of Gorsky Memo]
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[1]For simplicity, the title KGB will be used in notes and commentary to refer not only to the KGB but to its predecessors (GPU, OGPU, NKVD, NKGB, MVD, KI, MGB and so on) as well..
[2]Allen Weinstein and Alexander Vassiliev, The Haunted Wood: Soviet Espionage in America--the Stalin Era (New York: Random House, 1999), 296–97. The quoted portions are from the first ten lines of the document translated below.
[3]“Collapses in the U.S.A. (1938-1948)” would be another way to translate this.