DEAR (SANITIZED)

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP69-00642R000100090016-7
Release Decision: 
RIFPUB
Original Classification: 
C
Document Page Count: 
4
Document Creation Date: 
December 9, 2016
Document Release Date: 
May 31, 2000
Sequence Number: 
16
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
January 28, 1954
Content Type: 
LETTER
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon CIA-RDP69-00642R000100090016-7.pdf220.03 KB
Body: 
Approved For Release 2000/08/25: CIA-RDP6 )0001' 9~1j0,~ ~l issw U- -,,a THE FOREIGN SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AMERICAN R4BASSY Moscow. January 28, 1954 Recd: Feb. 8, 1954 S FFICIAL - INFORMAL Mr. James A. Brammell, Special Assistant, Office of Libraries and Intelligence Acquisition, Department of State, Washington 25, D. C. Dear Mr. Brammell: May I thank you for your two lettesrs concerning the maps and books we have shipped to you. I appreciate very much such indications that the material sent from here is found useful and does not simply fall into the dark recesses of some library. Since the shipments to which you refer in your second letter were sent, I have collected a few more maps and I enclose a.list in case those sent through channels are slow in w .-riving. I sent these maps by air with the idea that you could exanine them and instruct me which, if any, are needed in more copies. It appears that as for books, the stocks of any given map in the Moscow stores are very all and quickly sold out. so that your requests for additional copies must reach me quickly if I am to obtain them. This situation is illustrated by th requests contained in your second letter, since the store from whic-i I got the "Pribaykale' I Zabaykal'&" is now out of it. I did get the "Pamir I Tyan-shah" and will send it and the 1s8,000,000 by sea. Please let me know whether this arrangement meets your approval: ie., the first few copies of each new snap to be sent by air and additional copies, upon request, to be obtained and forwarded by sea. I appreciate very much your f nctio Ang as a collector and disseminator of these maps since it relieves this and of a good bit of fiscal and other bookkeeping which would be involved in ssj- buying separately for each agency and mailing directly to them,. I %iope that this arrangement can be State Dept. declassification & release instructions on file FEB 10 1954 s~A- Approved For Release 2000/08/25: CIA-RDP69-00642R000100090016-7 Approved For Release 1 /g5 : CIA-RDP69, 642R000100090016-7 Vale adhered to so that Mx?s. Cannon' s office ?+il.l filter out requests for Soviet maps and turn them over to your e3ction. I only wish such an arrangement were in operation for the whole publications field. With regard "to the number of copies to be bought of any one map, I myself find it very difficult to reach a'y firm conclusion. The clerks in the central store all recognize me now, they know that I buy in quantity for some institution and that I'm a foreigner, yet they are downright eager salesmen (by Soviet standards). 'ley regularly drag out now maps when I come in and bring them to my attention. It would thus seem to make little difference Vz'ethor I buy one copy or ten. Still, I can't help feeling that to buy everything available in large numbers would in the end draw the attention of the Soviet security agencies to tfacteriel. that the U. S. Government is very arixiou5 to get this cartographic Like any security agency. they could then be expected to revise the classt.- fication on maps and perhaps restrict 3 valuable VUZ maps and the political-administrative series to official channels, leaving us only the school maps. I might mention that a store from which I once got quite a few maps now says that the VUZ maps canxiot be sold to persons without a .permit. The central store does not obse: any such rule but I would not want to provoke them into establishing it. So my suggestion is that I cone inste to buy four or five of everything, including things you don't particularly -.#ant, and return for further copies of anything. that you or v W other Government department finds particularly valuable. We are bringing to the attention of every Embassy officer who does a any travelling the addresses of provincial map stores which are given in the back of the catalog. This has already produced several items (i.e. a a map of "Routes of Comnmication which some Air people bought Novgorod and the newer edition of "White Russia" which I came across in Brest- Litovsk. We would, of course, appreciate your support in connection with our repeated appeals for travel funds and can promise. I think. to pay dividends on any such iarrestment. I would like to emphasize this because the rap selection is Moscow is very haphaard and limited. It will also be haphazard and limited in provincial stores. but by covering a lot of the latter we should eventually run across most of the maps on your want list. An Air officer. for eaeample, bought "Khabarovsk Kral" not too long ago in Khabarovsk; it does not seem to twi a ever been available here. The service attaches and I inform each other whenever a new map appears on the market. They regularly buy several copies of everything and your office should thus, presumab . be relieved of any obligation to keep the Pentagon supplied with these Soviet maps. CONFIDENTIAL Approved For Release 2000/08/25: CIA-RDP69-00642R000100090016-7 We have received the cylinders you sent. They will be very useful for transmitting when I have only a small nnber at a time. When there are 20 or 30 sheets the roll is too hilky for the cylinders and seems quite adequate protection in itself. I have not seen the atlas for geography teachers to which you refer in your letter. The other items I am aura I can locate and send. Very truly yours: ,/ James F. Leonard James F. Leonard Approved For Releasee(19M : CIA-RDP6 0642R000100090016-7 *Wow Transmission List dated January 4, 1954 And a later list of items sent by sea. copied nips 2/8/54 Approved For Release 2000/08/25: CIA-RDP69-00642R000100090016-7 Approved For Release 2000/08/25: CIA-RDP69-00642R000100090016-7 MISSING PAGE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT MISSING PAGE(S): Approved For Release 2000/08/25: CIA-RDP69-00642R000100090016-7