SOURCES OF FUNDS OF THE SPANISH COMMUNIST PARTY

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP82-00457R002200170006-7
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
S
Document Page Count: 
2
Document Creation Date: 
November 9, 2016
Document Release Date: 
December 21, 1998
Sequence Number: 
6
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
October 3, 1948
Content Type: 
REPORT
File: 
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PDF icon CIA-RDP82-00457R002200170006-7.pdf195.9 KB
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CL.ASSIFICATIO f COP+'iRCL - U. S. OFFICIALS ONLY Approved For Relea (Q9 fh LCL ~:E 2002200'1ffpM NO. INFORMA T-@ O T CD NO. COUNTRY Spain/France SUBJECT Sources of Funds of the Spanish Communist Psi 25X1A6a NO. OF PAGES 2 NO. OF ENCLS. (LISTED BELOW) 1. Since the activities of the Spanish Communist Party in France are sharply limited at present, source does not believe that the party leaders in Moscow consider the Spanish Communists of sufficient importance to warrant financial support. Source stated, however, that the Communists inside Spain may be receiving subsidies from the Russians, not through the Party headquarters in France, but directly from Soviet agents in Spain. 2. The principal sources of income for the Spanish Communist Party are membership dues and the funds derived from numerous subscription dues. The Partido Socialists Unifieado de Cataluna (PSUC) receives 10,000 dollars sac) month from the Communist organisations in Cuba,/ An additional sum, amounting to 10,000 dollars, is received each month from the organizations in Chile. Mexico and other countries in America. Most of this money, while donated by Catalano in America for the PSUC, goes into the coffers of the Spanish Communist Party. An appreciable income also is derived from the products of forestry developments in the Pyrenees and in some areas in central France, and from the products of the Cooperative A,lpargatera (vandal' making cooperative) in Pau (Basses Pyreiees) which was established and developed by the Spanish Communists. Furthermore, when the Spanish Communist Party came to France in 1939 it brought what was known as the *treasure of the 11th Corps of the Army", half of which was attached by, the French Government. 3. In addition to the regular dues, some members of the party are obliged to pay special monthly assessments, or fixed assessments payable weekly or semi-monthly, ,depending upon their individual incomes. Source states that two Coununist Party members in Montauban are known to be paying a special monthly assessment of 3,500 francs. Presumably, the Central Committee of the Party determines the amount to be paid on the basis of reports from local units. 4. According to an employee who worked at the government-owned Voisin Aviation Factory in Issg lee-Moulineaux from lhte 1946 to mid-1947, a delegate of the French Confederation Geaecal)du Travail (CGT) frequently appeared at the factory on pay day and asked the workers for a donation "foss Spanish comrades". CLASSIFICATION- /COIJTROL - U.S. OFFICIALS ONLY CONFIDENTIAL in = 14. weer ul 16 Civ} r Arcs"' 7i::EL~it\ ocument No C TCrE in Clav Approved For Release 169g/09%8 : CIA'-KbPgi-WWV Fz Ii 0170006-7 CENTRAL E AGENCY to lama 25X1A2g A majority of the 1,000-1,500 workers at the factory contributed from 20 to 50 francs. The requests for donations increased immediately following the strike of the Basque workers in May 1947. Reportedly requests for donations . have also been made by COT delegates at factories in Saint-Gratien (Seine-et- Oise), Bois-Colombee (Seine) and Argenteuil (Seine--et-Oise). These contributions or at least part of them, according to source, are passed on to the Spanish Communist Party and the Communist-controlled faction of tha Unirfn General to Trabajadores (UGT) through the C(T and the French Communist Party, 5. The Communist press is self-supporting. In addition to subscriptions, each member is obliged to sell at least three copies of "Mundo 0brero" and frequent subscriptions and artistic festivals are arranged to obtain funds these funds are sufficient for the maintenance of "Mundo Obrero", "Nuestra Bandera" which is more difficult to sell, shows a deficit. The newspaper published by the Union de Mujeres Espanolas (Union of Spanish Women) formerly supported by the Spanish Communist Party, is now entirely supported by the am. 6. As of early October 1948, an increasing number of members of the Spanish '3ommunist Party in France were not paying their assessments, as evidence of their dissatisfaction with certain party practices, such as., a) The high standard of living of certain Spanish Communist elements in Paris, who according to rumors, frequent expensive restaurants and night clubs. b) The political activity of leaders, both inside and outside of Spain, who are being accused of inability to direct the Resistance, since entire regional, local of provincial organizations regularly fall into the hands of the Slati sh police. e) The fact that almost all of those who have been sent into Spain have been arrested shortly after their arrival. Consequently several Communists who were assigned to the Interior have refused to go, including the Secretary General of the Spanish Communist Party in the Department of Tarn-'et-'C-aronne. d) Frequent and violent changes by the leaders in party policy, This discontent Is directed especially against Antonio MIJE and Francisco ANTON, members of the Political Bureau4 Even Dolores IBARRURI, Secretary General of the Party, is being criticized. e) The difficulties imposed by the Russians in connection with the return of children who were sent to Russia during the Civil War, and upon the correspondence between them and their families. Dissatisfaction on this account is directed against the leaders in Moscow and is particularly prevalent among the women of the Spanish Communi at Party, 7, In 1946 it was calculated that there were some 50,000 Spanish Communists or sympathizers in France. Since that time many members have left France. The Lumber of members still there who have sto,,ped paying dues to the Party is =known. Reportedly, almost all of the Party members of Oloron (Basses Pyronaes) have refused to pay the assessments because they disagreed with directives from Paris. Some members in Bayonne and nearby towns also have stopped paying dues. -"0M@PA R9L -- U. S, OFFICIALS ONLY Approved For Release 1999/09/08 : CIA-RDP82-00457R002200170006-7