BOOK ON COLONEL ABEL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000100020001-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 29, 1998
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: July 20, 1967
• Content Type: MF

Sanitized - Approved For Release :
20 July 1967
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MEMORANDUM FOR: Chief, CI, Research and Analysis
SUBJECT: Book on Colonel Abel
1. I received a letter of 8 July from one Louise D. Bernikow
saying that she and Mr. Burton Silverman are working on a book to
be published by Simon & Schuster about Rudolf Abel. She said she
had been working on the book for a year, researching the Abel case
and interviewing as many people as 'he could. She said s .e had,.
recently spoken with Mr. William Tompkins, who had been most
enthusiastic and helpful and had suggested that; she write to me.
I arranged to see Miss Bernikow and Mr. Silverman on 18 ;uly,
and Mr. Pforzheimer was with me.
2. Mr. Silverman started off by explaining his interest .n
Colonel Abel, which had arisen out of the fact that Abel had been
his neighbor in Brooklyn apparently from about 1952 until the time
of his arrest. It seems that Mr. Silverman, who is a painter, and
Abel were on good terms, and Mr. Silverman mentioned that Abel
had been a member of his wedding party. An indication of their
relationship is given in Mr. Silverman's story that when Colonel
Abel left for the West coast in 1955 for what Silverman thought was
a short trip and stayed away for an extended time, Mr. Silverman
said he was about to call the Missing Persons Bureau when Abel.
returned. He asked Abel what had happened, and Abel told him a
long story about having a heart attack somewhere in the southwest
on his way back from California and that he had been hospitalized
and had some of his belongings stolen in the hospital. Mr. Silverman
asked Colonel Abel why he had not written or called about his problems,
and Abel said he had not wanted to bother anyone.
3. Miss Bernikow said that she had formerly been a model
for Mr. Silverman and during the modeling periods she would try
Wo make conversation, and at one time Mr. Silverman told her about
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a neighbor who had been arrested as a spy. She said she found
this so interesting that she suggested they write a book, and this
started them on their research. I told them that basically Abel
had not been our problem as the case really started with his arrest
and, therefore, was the responsibility of the Department of Justice
and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I said of course we were
interested in Colonel Abel and his career but since he had not been
our direct responsibility I (lid not think we would have a great deal
of information which would be useful to them.
4. Mr. Pforzheimer discussed with them the various Russian
publications which had been put out since the Russians had surfaced
the Abel case, and they seemed to be thoroughly familiar with these
and to have done a very complete job of research. They are getting
their own translations of the Russian articles but do not plan to try
5. They had several points on Hayhane: they wanted to clear
up. The first one was that after he had reached _ he had first'
reported to his superiors in accordance with instructions and then
had made contact with the CIA man he had known previously, who
told him to go to the I said I had no information to support
this and had always een o e understanding that he had just been a
walk in to the They said that had been their understanding
too and they ha no Pput much credence on the prior contact with the
CIA man. They did not ask any questions about CIA's role at this
time or the return of Hayhanen to the United States They then asked
about the facts concerning Hayhanen's death as theyfere curious about
the report that h had been killed in a turnpike crash. I said I had
heard this from Mr. Donovan and Mr. Tompkins but they told conflicting
stories and I know of no facts to support anything to do with death by
automobile accident, as I had understood that Hayhanen had died of
They said they would probably discard the
rnpi e story a though they had thought of traveling the length of the
New Jersey Turnpike quering all the police and attendants tv see if
they could get any clue as to a possible accident involving Hayhanen.
They also asked if they could get the date of Hayhanen's death and
of his widow's return to Finland. I said I might be able to get the
date of death and if so would let them know, but that probably the
Immigration people would have the information on her return to
Finland.
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6. They asked if we could confirm the Russian stories
about Abel's career. Mr. Pforzheimer and I said we doubted we
could confirm or deny specific statements of fact. Mr. Pforzheimer
warned them that frequently the Russians would embellish stories of
this nature or might have reason to distort them in one way or another.
They also asked if we had any information about his current activities
and situation and whether he was, as they said they had read in
Mr. Dulles' book, head of the American section of the KGB. I said
it was my recollection that Mr. Dulles' book had not said he was
head of the American section but would, if the KGB had any sense,
make a good head of that section. I said we had no information about
his current activities other than the Russian pronouncements and his
correspondence with Mr. James Donovan.
7. I asked whether they had not gone to the FBI, and
Mr. Silverman said they had gone but. iund the FBI representative
reluctant to discuss the Abel case. Apparently, however, they got
all the cooperation they wanted from Mr. Tompkins on the actual
trial.
(I notice she uses the French or continental 7 which is written with
a crossbar on the stem.) Mr. Silverman's only comment about
what had happened after the arrest was that no one had come and
talked to him even though he was an old friend of Abel's and he felt
a little left out. I did not specifically ask him whether he had been
interrogated by the FBI or any other arm of the Government.
FOIAb6 her address as
8. We left it that I would chock to ;oe if we had airy usable
information which would check or confirm their research bu't 1-was
very doubtful there would be anything that would be helpful, and we
would have to retrieve material from Archives in any case. They
said if we had anything they would be glad to agree to use it without
attribution, particularly as they were not planning to footnote their
book. They said it was not intended to be so much a formal biography
as a portrait and interpretation of Abel as a man.
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9. My own impression is that these are pleasant young people
and probably quite, bright. They obviously have done a great deal of
work and seemed to know pretty well what they a8 e about. Apparen'+:ly
Miss Bernikow, who is now according to her comments teaching
English in New York, is the main figure in this project. She gave
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LAWRENCE R. HOUSTON
cc: HIC
Asst to DCI-Mr. Goodwin' 3
General Counsel
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