VULNERABILITY OF THE BAUXITE INDUSTRY IN SURINAM AND TRINIDAD

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00935A000100080001-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 15
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 2, 1998
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: January 30, 1951
• Content Type: MEMO

=? Approved For Release 199 IA-RDP79TOQ935A00010MQ(1M -5
O NTR&L I. EILIGENGE A MY
C JaMaxy' 1951
I14TELLIGE14CE P.IS ?RANDUM NO. 346
SUBJECT:. aorability of the Bauxite Industry in Surinam and Trinidad
e!a2'iption of the IxidustlZo
Bauxii.to min.'s and its a sooiatod activities are being carried on in
throo general areas in Surirazierill enclose all iaportan-
inetallations at lJoengo.
25X1A5a1
does no ve rif`ormra.on Joat
horn may guards arc stationed around the i L Xns or whao tear.' or
not these guards are ar d, In any ocontD
there are guards, they are local colored manna and if they are armds,
the company would not consider then very offeetivo. This op iz,:i.on would
seen to be borne out by the observations of an engineer of the US
Bureau of Ulnas >;nh.o 'visited Surinoac ;in June 1950, He saw only- (ono
person at i.ioengo who night be tormaa guard and described hiti tic
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N
eta man vho opcns3 and closes the gate" (at tie point mere the r.sad
from the village approaches the plant ):
The cb ck at Lbango Is protected by a company w atcb n4 S ico
the Ibengo plant operates on a 24-hour-a-day basis., protection is
greater than at Paranera Half of the 300-foot dock. is of trod oor
structiona The company, has at ibongo a 100,000?-gallon t7ator teik
built on a torrer 100 feet high, The plant is equipped with lmoos,
fire hydrantce and boss carts, and fires drills: are conducted or:ce c.
Montho
(3) Personnel.
Alcoa has recently sent instructions to reestablish a strict
pass systems The company is considering reinstating enployea
photograph system.
(1) Transportation.
There is no knorn Protection of the 4-1/2-mile railroad ftci
Topibo Hill to Paransm., but, unlike Lbongo,, there is an adequate
tsizaking road vt.ioh could be used in an emergency and. the o pt t has
nine Euclid truces which could carry oro from the Onoribo depoi??it to
the Paransm plant if necessary. At in the case of Ibengot,, prot ieior-
is nad9 for stationing one poraon at the Soma but there is no
protection of river transportation, o o that the ba= -.1te is cord lately
unprotected from the time it is loaded on vessels to the tii ;
arrives in Trinidad. In 19620 when the company will begin to c a pleii
the Rorac concession, this matter of unprotected ri a r transportation
will affect trio processes of bauxite shipment from Paranarz9 a the
company will than extract., crush, and wash ore at Ror ec,, ship I.~ by
barge to Pararasa to be dried in the ki.le there, and then resh .p it
from Paraere to Trinidad,
(2) Plant and Dock.
The plant is protected by a $.ibotaar :
they were Chinese nationalso The consul errived and was allomd to, ros .z;
until recalled several months ago by the IIatioraaliat Goverment. Mlle ht
was there, the local Chinese purchased a house for the consul as a 1%erso .
gift (ownership of t be house i a now in doubt) a Information mus root ri d
by the Surinam Government shortly after the roall of the iaationali.rt
consul that a Chinese Cow=mist consul. has been order to report in his
plume Ho has not yot arrived., but if he door, Alcoa is rspprehonsi o of
his possible influence over the 2,000 Chinese.
Pru iees of the Billiton Comte ge
Little infbrma ion is presently available regarding cures 'tthtch
mss have been taken to protect the instal]ationa of the Billiton Caa_ot ,::
maiah produces doughty 25 perocnt of the bauxto in Surinam. It in known
only. that at least pcct of the plant at O vord*cht in - protected by a fen,, o
similar to the one which encloses Alcoa; Paaranau plane
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Se2t3r3.ty Camm=c1*
a? Conolusiona,
Despito certain ccuri r ms urea inntitutod by the Sun Ban to
Comp?tny (ALCOA) and by the XLcoa Steam hip Cod,,. Imcoy the Con tir it
supply of bauxite from Sw--L 3i Is vulnerablo to cabotagoc, Erna paw
teetivo meazuros by these ersmpeniea we insufficient. Little aan br
said concerning the vulnerability of the properties operated by the
Billiton Cody,, since specific informtion. is unavailable. Hoz%v ra,
it my be assumed that prevail; conditions are oompazrablc to Choi at
the properties of the Surinam Beazxito Compaq.
b, Reao nelationas,
Uwe the security i nformtion available is icomploto., as jr rent om-
nandationc for additional 3ccurity measu s Will have to av it a fi'eld
sur7ey. Favorable factors in the situation c-re US-Surinam relations
during World War II and the preaonao of a US naval operating base i1
Trinidad. however, the cooperation of the Surinea Govornuit would
have to be obtained in they dra i g up and inple ntation of a seour Lty
progrmmo
F'notof ral Available im CIA Gr n7.c ,~ ? ?ar
ao Surinam: CIA Nos. 17011, 27162, 27163, and 44055 through 4406-L
b. Terrini dad: Office of Nava]. Intoll:irence, Nos? `14.7319, 453514,
x+53515, 453516, 45^432, 4625 Via, and 462588.
e a sc~o'c~,on~ aJ. urith socurity, has boon proparcd by the CIA oc zpoue
responsible for seouri try mttere,
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