COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES WITHIN SOVROMTRANSPORT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00046R000400350003-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 21, 2009
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: March 4, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2009/09/21 : CIA-RDP82-00046R000400350003-6
INFORMATION REPORT FORMATION R
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Laws, Title
18, U.S.C. Sees. 793 and 784, the transmission or revelation of which In any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
DATE OF INFO.
PLACE ACQUIRED
DATE ACQUIRED
Rumania
Communist Activities Within
Sovromtransport
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DATE DISTR. 4 March 1955
NO. OF PAGES 5
REQUIREMENT NO. RD
SOURCE EVALUATIONS ARE DEFINITIVE. APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
ARMY review completed.
STATE I ARMY NAVY g AIR FBI AEC
(Note: Washington distribution indicated by
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COUNTRY Rumania
SUBJECT Communist Activities Within
SOVROMTTRANSPORT
DATE OF INFORMATION
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DATE DISTR. 26, Jan. 1955
NO. OF PAGES 4
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THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
kground
1. In 1946, the Rumanian Maritime Service (SMR - Serviciul Maritim
Roman) was reorganized, renamed "SOVROMTRANSPORT" (SRT - Soviet-
Rumanian Transport), and remained as a Rumanian State enterprise.
At this time, ocean-going merchant marine shipping consisted of
only two vessels over 2 000 tn* and a few small craft averaging
about 500 tn. From 1946 until 1954, SOVROMTRANSPORT expanded in
both personnel and shipping. F_ -1 25X1
in July 1954, SOVROMTRANSPORT had 10 vessels over 2,000 tn. each
and four other sea-going craft of approximately 500 tn. each.
there were about 300 personnel available to 25X1
SOVROMTRANSPORT to operate the sea-going vessels. These persons]
in the 35-45 year age-group, averaged six to eight years of school-
ing, 15 years maritime service, were all Rumanian nationals. and
were predominantly Greek Orthodox; about 90 percent were married
and their families resided in Constanta.
2. From 1946 until 1948, there was considerable unemployment among
Rumanian merchant seamen due to the shortage of available shipping
and because SOVROMTRANSPORT had only two, large ocean-going vessels
in operation. During the same period, all adult Rumanian personnel
were required to align themselve6 with a political party. The
Communist Party initiated an intensive recruiting program
which offered work on these two SOVROM'TRANSPORT vessels to Party
members of the merchant marine. Although the majority registered
with the Rumanian Socialist Party in order to avoid Communist
advances, approximately 20 percent of an estimated 1,000 seamen
did join the Communist Party, prl.max"i.ly to be assured -of a ship's
berth. During this period, the Communist Party also inaugurated
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a job-assignment program for those persons who had been documented
as authorized seamen. In order to qualify as a fully-documented
seaman, a person had to belong to the Communist Party and be issued
a permit to leave the country. This permit was issued only to
politically-reliable individuals and allowed seamen to work on
SOVROMTRANSPORT vessels visiting foreign ports. The job-assignment
program consisted of dividing the fully-docuent. seamen into five
groups and rotating the groups aboard the two vessels.
In 1948, when the Socialist Party merged with the Communist Party,
a large surplus of avtible documented merchant seamen resulted;
and, frdr19'48 until 1950, as more ships were made available to
SOVROMTRANSPORT, each ship was assigned a permanent crew which
was selected on the basis of political reliability. From 1950
until 1952, the i3suanoe of permits to leave the country was ex-
tended to include individuals who, though not Party members, wo-,re
mature in age, married, or had material reasons for not fleeing
Rumania. This action became necessary because the Rumanian Govern-
ment realized that a greater number of qualified personnel were
needed to operate the. SOVROMTRANSPORT vessels than could be found
within the Party's ranks. In late 1952, permits to leave the
obuftry were even issued to younger unmarried merchant seamen not
associated with any political part
Strength
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aboard three SOVROMTRANSPORT
vesse s each ship averaged a 46-man crew and had a proximately
16 crew members, or one-third who were Communist Party members.
Three of these were convinced and active members one of the three
d
er of the crew tc
always included a political offioer. The remain
o the 300 individuals associated with SOVROM- 25X1
TRANSPORT, only 18 could be classified as active, convinced Com-
munists, 75 as nominal Communist Party members, and the remaining
207 as not associated with any political party or expressing
a negative attitude towards the policies of the present Rumanian
regime.1
Purges and Recruiting of New Members
In 1952, all members of the Communist Party in SOVROMTRANSPORT were
required. to report before a Party committee and, in the presence of
s
v
W
reliability of Party members and 25X1
approximately 20 to 30
percent of the Communist Party members in SOVROMTRANSPORT were purged 25X1
at that time. The individuals incldded in this category did not lose
their right to work with SOVROMTRANSPORT but were merely dropped fror
the Party rolls.
6. In early 1954, the Communist Party again initiated a reoruitin
ro.ram amon ersonnel of SOVROMTRANSPORT.
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_ 3 -
Privileges Granted to Party Members
Prior to 1952, only Party members were considered for
promotion because of their political reliability. After 1952,
because of a change in promotion policy, experience, education, and.
ability were considered and promotion possibilities were equalized
for all personnel. This change seemed'to put Party members at.a
disadvantage because most promotions were given to men with the
necessary occupational experience and technical abilities required
for the new positions. These men were, for the most part, not
communists.
8. From 1946 until 1950, the only other known opportunity offered to
Party members which was not available to non-Party members, was the
chance to participate in smuggling activities as part of a ship's
drew; sailing in Mediterranean waters. During this period, all
Communist Party members aboard SOVROMTRANSPORT vessels were allowed
to bring blaokmarket medicines, cigarettes, and nylon stookin a into
Rumania without custom control difficulties,
Political Education
9. Each SOVROMTRANSPORT vessel had a library. All personnel were expected
to take an active interest in the library andN,it was a known fact
that the Political Officer checked the library cards to determine the
ones who did not take advantage of this "educational" opportunity.
At various times, personnel were notified of selected reading require-
ments and were required to attend discussion periods of this selected
reading. In this regard, the usual, procedure taken by crew members
was to take out one book on each voyage, keep the book throughout
the trip, dog-ear the pages of the book without reading the contents,
and then sleep during the discussion periods or swing the.conversa-
tion to other subjects..
10. Every day aboard-ship, both in and out of-the home port, there was a
scheduled meeting for all personnel during which the Political Officer
talked about the 'genefits of Communism.. Soviet-Rumanian relations
ship;,,, freedom of the .peoples, etc. These lectures usually lasted
one hour. The audience was, not very attentive.. The only members of
the crew who seemed to be impressed were the newly-assigned young boys.
it was amusing to watch the change in attitude of
the youths after they had made a few trips to Western countries. This
educational program had no effect upon the older seamen for they
had "seen the world" and knew what it was really like outside the
Soviet sphere of influence. When the ships were in Constanta, the
usual subject of these meetings concerned improving work to improve
the country.
Communist Organizations
11. Each SOVRONTRANSPORT vessel had a Union of Working Youth (UTM - Uniunea
Tineretului Muneitoresc) group, composed of individuals from 16 to
24 years of age. Only those individuals who had belonged to this
nation-wide youth organization for a period of time took an active
interest in its program;a'u' possibly only two or three members were
really interested.
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12. Every adult employee of SOVROMTRANSPORT was required to join the
Rumanian Association to Strengthen Friendship with the Soviet Union
(ARLUS - Asociatia Romana pentru Strangerea Legaturilor cu Uniunea
Sovietica). Approximately 75% of the personnel of SOVROMTRANSPORT
were members.
The activities of this association consisted of a
lecture program aboard SOVROMTRANSPORT ships once each month at 1300
hours. Each lecture lasted for about one-half hour and dealt with
news from the USSR, building progress, factories and their accomplish-
ments, etc. All material for these lectures was kept by the Political
Officer on the ship. there was very little interest
13.
Nature of Attitude Towards Communism of Employees
SOVROMTRANSPORT could be classified as follows: 1
the attitudes of the' 300 persons employed by 25X1
Attitude
Intense dissatisfaction
Strong dislike
Resigned dislike or distaste
Voided approval
No voiced sentiment
Changes in Attitude Towards Communism of Employees
14. The typical change in attitude, from voiced approval to strong
dislike, took place even among SOVROMTRANSPORT employees who-were
Communist Party members. Most of the individuals joined the Com-
munist Party in order to obtain special benefits. SOVROMTRANSPORT
Communist Party members who failed to receive a promotion, special
medical. or educational benefits became disillusioned and dis-
appointed. Although they remained card holders, they refrained
from taking any active part in the Communist Party program,
15. Another change in attitude from no voiced sentiment to a strong
dislike was noticeable among those individuals who had their first
opportunity to travel outside of Rumania and the Soviei, sphere of
influence. This attitude change usually took place after several
voyages.
1. L Comment: The figures given in paragraphs 4 and 13 are
gener4l es a
2.
Individuals
100
150
05
20
5
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