COORDINATING COMMITTEE RECORD OF DISCUSSION ON A GERMAN PROPOSAL TO EXPORT TELECOMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT TO POLAND

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP62-00647A000200030097-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 11, 1998
• Sequence Number: 97
• Publication Date: December 8, 1959
• Content Type: MIN

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CONFIDENTIAL
December 8th, 1959 COCOM Document No.'3806
COORDINATING COMMITTEE
RECORD OF DISCUSSION
ON
A GERMAN PROPOSAL TO (PORT TELECOP4tNNICATION EQUIPMENT TO POLAND
Docember 3rd, 1959
Present: Belgium (Luxembourg), Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy,
Japan, Netherlands, United Kingdom, United States.
Reference: COCOM Document No. 3775.
1. The CHAIRMAN drew the attention of the Committee to the German proposal
to export radio relay communication equipment and a carrier frequency
telephone installation on loan to Poland. He invited Delegates to give the
views of their authorities.
2. The UNITED STATES Dolegato informed the Committee that he had been
instructed to object to this export since his authorities consider that
the security considerations involved outweighed the requirements of the
special Polish policy. The equipment concerned contained advanced technology.
It would help to alleviate a serious deficiency in Bloc telecommunications
equipment and would be of material help to the Bloc communications network.
Furthermore they did not consider that the location was such that it would
assist communications between Poland and 'Western Europe.
3. The UNITED KINGDOM Delegate said that his authorities appreciated
the careful arrangements which had boon proposed for safe-guarding this
equipment while it was on-loan to the Polish postal authorities but they
regretted they could not agree to this export because of its important
strategic nature.
4. The FRENCH Delegate stated that his authorities raised no objection
to this temporary export. The material in question included radio relay
equipment which was perhaps of a wider band-width than usual but the
terminal equipment was designed to take only 12 channels. The 4 wire
system, consisiting of two wires for transmission and two wires for
reception, was a very simple arrangement and was one of those normally
used on all telephone services. If one wished to adapt the terminal
equipment to take 120 channels, considerable work would have to be
undertaken to provide the additional channels. The Delegate continued
that the equipment in question was simple in nature and there was much
more advanced and more expensive equipment in existence, equipment which
would, for example, change automatically to another channel when the
signal noise level on one channel was too low. The price and the technical
specification of the German equipment showed, however, that it did not
possess this autmmatic refinement. Contrary to what had been said by the
United States Delegate, the Soviet Union had recently developed equipment
incorporating new technical characterisitcs which made the German equipment
old-fashioned. The Russian "Vienna" (meaning "spring") equipment had
600 channels and worked with telephonic band-widths of only 2 kc/s. It
was well-known that this band-width was not suitable for telephone
communications, therefore the I'Viosna" equipment used separate reserve
channels with integrating devices to measure the average telephonic
level of each channel between 2 kc/s and 4 kc/s, thus giving an improved
signal noise level and allowing an increased number of communications.
This equipment represented a standard of perfection which had not yet
been attained in the Western world.
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COCOM Document No. 3806'
5. The ITALIAN Delegate stated that his authorities raised no objection
to this export. He emphasised the fact that according to the German
memorandum the equipment was only to be lent to the Polish authorities. If
the latter subsequently wanted to buy the equipment, the.German Delegation
would presumably submit a fresh exceptions request in the normal way. Finally
the Delegate said that his authorities had also taken into account the fact
that German engiteers would supervise the installation of the equipment and
it would remain under their supervision throughout the period of the loan.
6. The UNITED STATES Delegate asked for how long the loan would be made?
7. There were no objections from the other Members of the,Committoe.
8. The GERMAN Delegate expressed his thanks to the Members of the Committee
for the views they had given and in particular to the French Delegation for the
technical support they had given to the German exception request. He could
not concur with the views expressed by two Delegations that the equipment
could be considered to be of strategic importance. It was intended for
the Polish post administration and not for the military communications system.
He stated that no technical know-how was involved. The quantity of the
equipment to be lent was so limited that its installation would not change
basically the telecommunications conditions in Poland. He pointed out that
Lodz was to the test of Warsaw and thus the improved communications would
be in the direction of Western Europe. It was not yet known for how long
the loan would be made. The German Delegation would not fail to submit a
new request should the Polish authorities want to buy the equipment at some
future date. In view of the foregoing, the Delegate would be grateful to
the United Kingdom and United States Delegations if they would reconsider
their position.
CONFIDENTIAL
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