LETTER TO MR. ROBERT FARR FROM ANGUS MACLEAN THUERMER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01731R001900040014-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 22, 2003
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: May 1, 1972
• Content Type: LETTER

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20505
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
1 May 1972
This is in r6sponse to your letter of April 17, 1972 to
General Walters.
The matter with which you are dealing is not one which is
of concern to this Agency, and I fear we cannot be of assistance
to you. With respect to equipment which is-available in the
United States, may I recommend that you visit the American
Consulate nearest you. Perhaps their World Trade Guide will
assist you in your search for equipment manufactured here.
Angus MacLean Thuermer
Assistant to the Director
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STAT
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Executive Registry
7; t : 9
'lajor General Vernon A. Walters,
Dcput?r Director,
United.States Central Intelligence
Agency,
McLean, Virginia,
United States of America
Corning 1973 - THE TECHNOLOGICAL SPY
A report on industrial espionage, and
the information revolution.
OUCUMENTARIES INC.
ROBERT FARR ' E. VAN ZYL, Associate
Mitarbeiter (Contrihutar) an: DETROIT NEWS, DIARIO POPULAR, DIE ZEIT, ELEGANCE,
ELSEVIER'S, EUROPA, GEKKAN ECONOMIST, KdLNER STAOT ANZEIGER, L'EUROPEO, NEW ZEALAND
HERALD, NEUE RU. ZEITUNG, PERSONALITY, RIAS, SCIENCE SERVICE, TELEGRAP.
send STAN
0
address
18 April 1972
Dear General Walters:
of t h_e CIA.
Congratulations on your recent appointment as Deputy Director
I wonder if you can help me -- or refer me to someone who
erha
p
ps
can help - in obtaining further information about the industrial intelligence
activities of Japanese nationals working with. their IMinistrv of Industry,
particularly in the United States.
I have been making an in-depth study of the activities and
techniques of Japanese nationals I do not call them agents,although many
of them obviously do the work of espionage agents - in the business comm-
unities of DUsseldorf,Germany and Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and I am
conducting further research in other communities where they are apparently
quite active. I am also anxious to find out as much. as L can about
the Japanese efforts to steal business markets and proprietary secrets
in the United States, in preparation for a research trip to America later
this year.
I seek this information for possible use in a book I have in
preparation.
Last fall I wrote an essay, THE TECHNOLOGICAL SPY, which originally
was published in Europa magazine, and has since been reprinted in 19 other
publications. I enclose a photocopy but you may note errors in this version
which resulted from the editor deleting definitive and qualifying statements
from my original manuscript to cut down the length prior to publication.
As a result of this essay, I have been commissioned by two New
York publishers - Stein and Day (hardcover) and New Americar Library, a
division of Los Angeles Times (paperback) - to write an authoritative book
on industrial intelligence and security problems. This book will be published
next spring. Publishers in several other countries have already acquired
rights to publish the book as viell.
Japan's aggressive "corporate state" policy has fostered industrial
espionage activities for that country, motivated not so much by profit as by
national need - as you perhaps know. The Ministry olf Industry, working through
Japanese businessmen around the world are doing a remarkable job of
not only acquiring market information and technological knowledge from outside
but in gearing Japanese cartels to change to meet situations in which they can
gain economic advantages by taking fast action.
I am very much interested in obtaining reliable information
and case histories relative to Japanese industrial intelligence activities
in the United States. I would like to find out the names of the key Japanese
nationals in the USA who are engaged in these activities, what kind of
LITERARY AGENT: Curtis Brown Ltd., 13 King Street (Convent Garden) London VJC2E BHU., Telephone: [phone], CABLES: Browncurt, London VJC2E 8HU.
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Maj. Gen. Walters -? Page
organization they have, their methods. of communication with Tokyo,and
some of the techniques they use to gather data, such as the "huiman sea"
method which is employed effectively by them in Europe.
Any references or data you can provide to me on this general
subject of Japanese industrial espionage will be very welcome.
Of course, my book is not limited to the Japanese intelligence
operations, but will deal with the growing problem of industrial espionage
and counter--espionage, business security, and the lack of legislative
controls in most countries to restrain such activities. For example, if
a person obtains employment with.a firm in Britain to use his position to
steal proprietary secrets, he can be charged with theft if he steals a
document, but if he photographs it there is no offence committed...if it
is a business document.
I. hope that my book will point out the ultimate destructive.
consequences of the unrestrained growth of industrial espionage in terms
of destroying economies: and free. enterprise by breaking down mutual
respect - without which trade cannot exist.
Any information supplied to me by you or any other source
will be treated in strict confidence. Unless specific authorization is
given to use names, I consider such information as, "off the record" and
give my sources complete anonymity. In addition all sources will have the
opportunity to review the pages of my manuscript based on information
supplied by them prior to publication,to check. for both. accuracy and policy.
I; will welcome. any assistance that you or your colleagues can
give to me. in this matter.
May I hear from you in the near future?
urs mos sincerely,
RF:ecl Robert Farr
Enclosure
P.S. I am also interested i,n obtaining a list of manufacturers and suppliers
of electronic surveillance equipment in the Uni:ted.State.s, similar to
those described in THE TECHNOLOGICAL SPY. Do you know ~,wth_ere. such. a list
might be obtained? RF.
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_- JNC:LASS1Fil;I~~~ 7 i~ raTiA1, SECRET
OFFICIAL ROUTING SLIP
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NAME AND ADDRESS
DATE
INITIALS
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Asst, to the Director
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(Mr. Thuermer)
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xxx
ACTION
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PREPARE REPLY
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RECOMMENDATION
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SIGNATURE
Remarks:
Please make appropriate reply on
behalf of Gen.. Walters. Since the
inquiry deals primarily with foreign.
industrial espionage in the U. S. , it
is clearly not in CIA's jurisdiction.
Please send us a copy of the reply.
Thanks,
K' r1
FOLD HERE TO RETURN TO SENDER
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DATE
EA /DDCI_
24. 4. 72
ii"iCLASSIFIED CONEH)FNTIAL
SFCRFT
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