A SUSPICION OF BLACKMAIL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70-00058R000300010078-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 13, 2000
• Sequence Number: 78
• Publication Date: March 26, 1966
• Content Type: NSPR

OREGON JOURNAL F JO B 3 B
IN
Portland ore on
Approved For Release 2001/08/ 0 : CIA-RDP70-00058R
MARCH 26, 3.966
CPYRGHT
A Suspicion
BlacT1. 91
k ai
lie "wrote after.. retiring`: as chief'of':th
Central Intelligence Agency. The
clouded case of thedeath.in.Russia o
-the American, Newcomb?Qtt~ reca
Dulles'
Rdcei f'y 'MT Soviet government an
nounced an official finding that Mott,
found guilty in Russia of illegally en
:tering the country, later committed
suicide aboard a Russian prison train.
The United States government has
reserved judgment on the Russian
finding. Mott's mother claims he mug
.have been murdered.
No American official has made the
charge; so far as we know, but it is
impossible to overlook the possibility
that the Russians killed Mott as an ob-
ject lesson of what could happen if the
United States refuses to trade prison.
ers with them.
The U.S. State :Department has said
Mott had expressed hope he could be
hanged for Igor A. Ivanov, a con-
victed Soviet spy facing a 20-year pris-
on sentence in this country. But the
United States refused to go along be-
cause, in the State Department's opin-
ion, Mott was innocent, of the Soviet
charge 'of illegal entry and an ex-
change Would only encourage the Com-
munists to. ''arrest, other .innocent tour-.
CPYRGHT
That per: was mentioned by Allen'
Dulles in his book, "The Craft of Intel-,
.Iligence," in connection with the cele-
brated exchange in 1962 in Which the
United States gave a convicted spy,.
Rudolf Abel, back to the Russians in
trade for U2 pilot Francis Gary Pow-
ers and another American who was
being held by the Soviets on spy
charges.
Dulles said that as chief of the CIA
he approved the Powers-Abel ex-
change, with misgivings, "under the
particular circumstances of this rather
unusual case." But, he warned, "If
the idea of swapping agent for agent
becomes the practice, the Soviet will
be anxious to have a backlog of ap-
prehended agents in their hands.
Hence they will be tempted . . . to
arrest casual visiting Westerners who
have nothing' whatever to-do, with in
telligence.'.
Mott's case fits at least part of that.'
warning: The Russians did not accuse.!
him of spying, but only of crossing the
border illegally from Norway: '
Since Mott's death, the U.S. State
Department has reversed its policy on
isits of American tourists to Russia.
Instead of encouraging the travel as
one means of improving U.S.-Soviet
?elations, the department has begun
warning passport applicants they may
e harshly treated if they get into
rouble in the Soviet Union.
' It's an unfortunate turn in the up'-
nd-down course of Soviet-American
elations. One partial-though certain-
y not complete-remedy would "be for
he Senate to ratify the consular treaty
hich h has 'been negotiated between the
,two governments. It would 'put' U.S. ,
:diplomats in Russia in a somewhat
,s1ronger position to look after the in
terests of Americans arrested. there.
Approved For Release 2001/08/20 : CIA-RDP70-00058R000300010078-2