LETTER TO MR. J. EDGAR HOOVER FROM WALTER B. SMITH

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01731R002900430035-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 24, 2003
• Sequence Number: 35
• Publication Date: December 1, 1952
• Content Type: LETTER

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 SECURITY DNFO&VIATION - S.T a~3
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION 3_ spa?
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Washington 25, D.C.
COPY
December 3, 1952 PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL
VIA LIAISON
General Walter Bedell Smith D 6 loci
Director, Central Intelligence Agency zd
Administration Building
Room 123
2L130 E Street, N. W.
Washington, D. C.
Dear General Smith:'
I thought you would be interested in the following
information furnished by an informant who has given this
Bureau reliable and valuable information in the past, and
which is purported to represent statements made by Soviet
officials stationed in Europe who informant believes are
important officials of the Soviet Ministry of State Security.
The Korean conflict will not be settled until the
Soviets want it settled and they do not believe that it is
to their advantage to negotiate a quick settlement. General
Eisenhower's trip to Korea is considered as useless. It was
stated that the quicker General Eisenhower gets together with
the Russians to organize central Europe, the quicker there
will be a settlement in Korea. The Soviets stated that
General MacArthur was "right" and that two years ago the
United Nations had a "chance" in Korea but that there is no
chance to win the war at the present time. The Soviets have
"an arsenal of destructive machinery, instruments, and man-
power" only eight or ten hours' flight from Korea, which the
United States "had better" take into consideration.
It was stated that the Russians will be ready for
war ahead of the United States and will know in advance when
the United States is ready to fire the "first gun." It was
indicated that, having this knowledge, the Soviets would
strike first. The Soviets were reported to have thousands of
submarines which are immune to detection by radar and cannot
be "trailed." It was stated that the Baltic Sea is full of
Russian submarines. It was also alleged that the Soviets
have more and better jet planes than the Allies, the ratio
being three to one, and that they have more fliers for each
plane, the ratio being seven to one. The Soviets are also
reported to have more and better armament than the western
nations and have manpower reserves on "every front."
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Informant added that if things continue to progress
as in the past, General Eisenhower will get a "bombshell" in
the Middle East a year from now or a little sooner, and that
Germany will represent a problem for the United States.
The Soviets would rather have seen an election
victory for Governor Stevenson because that would have
lowered the prestige of General Eisenhower in Europe. It
was stated that three out of every five Austrians working
for the United States Government in Austria are agents or
informants of the Soviets. The Soviets sent troops to
Estonia, Latvia, and other areas after General Eisenhower
allegedly stated in a speech that these countries were
handed to the Russians on a silver platter by the Democrats.
It was also stated that the Soviets are "putting
out" a lot of propaganda in France and England in an effort
to "split" those two countries. "Battalions" of propagandists
are reportedly in both countries. These propagandists are not
Russians, but are mostly Nordics, Swiss, Danes, Tunisians, and
Estonians.
I am unable to evaluate the above information, other
than to state that our informant has furnished reliable and
valuable information in the past. This informant can be
expected to furnish valuable information in the future and
for his protection it is requested that this data be treated
as Secret and be given minimum distribution.
The above information has been-furnished to the
Attorney General; Rear Admiral Sidney W. Souers, Special
Consultant to the President; Honorable JamesS. Lay, Jr.,
Executive Secretary, National Security Council; Mr. W. Park
Armstrong, Jr., Special Assistant to the Secretary of State;
Major General Joseph F. Carroll, Director of Special Investi-
gations, Department of the Air Force; Dr. Walter F. Colby,
Director of Intelligence, United States Atomic Energy Com-
mission; Brigadier General Edward H. Porter, USAF, Deputy
Director for Intelligence, The Joint Staff, Joint Chiefs of
Staff; Major General Richard C. Partridge, Assistant Chief
of Staff, G-2, Department of the Army; Rear Admiral Carl F.
Espe, Director of Naval Intelligence, Department of the Navy.
regards,
With expressions of my highest esteem and best
Sincerely yours,
/s/ J. Edgar Hoover
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