GENERAL CONDITIONS IN BUCHAREST

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A004000540004-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 18, 2009
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: April 23, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2009/06/18: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA004000540004-4
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SECRET
FIAALM~
COUNTRY Rumania
SUBJECT General Conditions in Bucharest
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
REPORT
DATE DISTR.
NO. OF PAGES
Q1
23 April 19514
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY sit REVERSE)
1. With the beginning of warmer weather and a thaw, the morale of the Rumanian
people has visibly improved. It had obviously sunk to a very low ebb when
the second blizzard hit Bucharest on 17 February 1954, scarcely two weeks
after the first one. People were walking around in a daze, spending long
hours searching for food and waiting in line to get their Aragaz containers
filled, if Uhey could get to the dispensing stations. Snow clearing
"volunteers" were quickly swung into action and in just about a week the
main boulevards were cleared. It was reported in Bucharest that the town
of Giurgiu was flooded and had to be evacuated.:
2. Food is still in extremely short supply. Practically all that is available
in the State stores are dried herrings at 18 lei a kilo and Jams at 7 lei
a jar. The peasants exploited the food shortage to the fullest, coming into
the city and selling onions at 7 lei a kilo and chickens at 80 lei each. The
average worker in Bucharest has been subsisting entirely on bread and sauer-
kraut pickled at home for the past month.
The transportation system of trams and buses in Bucharest, which was inadequate
before the start of the blizzards, is now only functioning at about a third of
its former inefficient level even though the lines have been cleared.
the Rumanian 25X1
wvernment was ma a ser o s o rove a rood s uction through
trade agreements. he reason for this was that facto production
suffering was as a o the to et 25X1
e ma
problem and worry of the Rumanian Government was the uman an peasant and how
to make him produce.
STATE X ARMY X
AIR X f FBI I IAEC
II
Approved For Release 2009/06/18: CIA-RDP80-0081 OA004000540004-4