POLICY AND ACTIVITIES OF THE NETHERLANDS-USSR SOCIETY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R002300100010-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 20, 1999
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: January 31, 1949
• Content Type: REPORT

CLASSIFICATION
Approved For Release
INFORMATI . 'PORT CD NO.
CO,IUNTRY ' The Netherlands
SUBJECT Policy and Activities of the
Netherlands-USSR Society
,2:, De Groot stated that the Society should strive to obtain a selects but limited
number of members from the intellectuals and the middle-class, but in such
endeavors it should have as little contact as possible with the CPN1a view
shared- by , Secretary of the Soviet Embassy in The Hague, who,
however., warned de Groot against the danger of bourgeois elements gaining
control of the Society.
3-. In line with such a policy and to make the Society more acceptable to non-
Communist intellectuals., at its next congress an effort will be made to reform the
Central and Executive Committees to assure just a bare margin of Communist control. -
Under no circumstances, however, will a basic chance in the Society's attitude
toward the Soviet Union be permitted.
4. On 11 November 1948 three officers of the Society, Engineer S. J. Rutgers, Dr,
J. M. E. M. Zonnenberg and w'arten van der Zee, met with F. S. Gusev and H. S,
Vetrov, Counsellor of the Soviet Embassy, to discuss various aspects of the
Society's propaganda and cultural program,
5Gusev promised the representatives of the Society that y,OKS, a section of the
Soviet Embassy responsible for financing pro-Soviet propaganda and Communist
activities in the Netherlands,. would provide Russian films for the exclusive use
of the Society and Russian plays for presentation by Dutch theatrical companies
without payment of authors' royalties. Gusev also assured Dr. Zonnenberg that
WOKS would arrange to have a Russian ballet company come to the Netherlands at
its expense if Zonnenberg could organize several performances in Amsterdam..
6. In answer to Dr. Zonnenberg'a question about whether anything could be done to
prevent showing the film "Behind the Iron Curtain" in the Netherlands, Petrov
remarked that., as the Russians were guests in the country, they could not involve
themselves in a political question of this nature, As a result, the Executive
Committee of the Society decided to protest against showing-the film, although
CLASSIFICATION
25X1A2g
During a discussion in Amsterdam *n6 December 1948 between Paul deg Groot,
a member of the Executive Committee of the CPN, Sjef Pietere, President of
the CPR, Amsterdam Headquarters, and Marten van der Zee, Secretary and a
founder of the Netherlands-USSR Society, de Groat outlined his views om
what should be the future policy of the Netherlands-USSR Society,
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does not expect the authorities will act in its favor, Coament:
TjUg of 22 January 1949 reported that this fIF has been banned by
The Dutch Government Board of Film Censors. No reason for this action was given.)
7. In efforts to win members through cultural activities, sponsored in part by 7:0KS,
the Society has found that WOKS is very slow to act and that material on the USSR
is available only on a small scale.
The Society has seven sections active in varying degrees in the fields of music,
medicine, education, plastic arts,`eoonomice, architecture and theatre. Current
activities of the sections are reported to be as follows;
a,, WVU: In 1948 two musical evenings were given with a third planned for
December at which Marius F'lothius will make the introductory address:
b. JKLQj: On 14 November 1948 Dr. van der Nolen introduced four films on
Soviet medical care to various Amsterdam surgeons and doctors. The Society
had sent 15 tickets to each doctor of the V.ilherina Hospital which tactic
was so suecesiful it will be used again.. Similar films will also be sham
in the universities.
o. Fd tion: This section is relatively inactive with few members, but Dr.
Yos of the Berlaeus Gymnasium has promised to give to teachers a series of
lectures to be prkered by Airs. Ia Prins,
d.. Y3,ast r elrt:': It is thought by the Society that there would be greater
interest in this activity, if more material ware available. Despite this,
J. Havermans h&s been asked to organize a lecture on the subject to be
given in January 1949.
er : Because of the absence of information on economic trends in the
USSR, this section has bad a difficult time, as speakers are hard to obtain.
f gip: I. Bodegraven and Bcksma (fnu), an architect in RotterdE ,,
have been approached to help build up this section, but both have indicated,
that the work of Soviet architects for propaganda in The Netherlands is
not suitable.
g. Thy: Hermine Heijermans' intention to form a theatrical group in
Amsterdam to .-i-re Russian plays will be supported by the Society which will
also pass the plays on to Pro Pos of the Drama School (Toneelachool) in
Amsterdam,
Approved For Release 1999/09/09 : CIS RDP82-00457R002300100010-8