ORGANIZATION AND ACTIVITIES OF THE CZECHOSLOVAK MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN TRADE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R002600450011-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 15, 2011
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: April 18, 1949
• Content Type: REPORT

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/15: CIA-RDP82-00457R002600450011 6`:1-HUM
INFORMATION REPORT D 140.
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT
COUNTRY Czechoslovakia
)ATE DIS
TR, ..O APR 1949
SUBJECT Organization and Activities of the
Czechoslovaks .iinistry for Foreign Trade
IIO. OF P
AGES 2
PLACE
40. OF E
NCLS.
ACQUIRED
LISTED BEL
OW)
DATE OF IN
UPPLEM
EPORT
ENT TO
NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
TH13 HOCCFBEST COnITAINS IRFOOI74TIO* AFrrCTIPlO YOU RATIOMAL n=1185
OF TNS UNITED Ix?ATS8 WITHIN TilC ICM 8R0 OF Tus E?PIOVAGI ACT so
sI. S. C.. 81 AMD 88, AS AURNI)RD. IT3 YRAM5IIF?SHQII OR YNS RCVSLATIOH
OF ITS COMM III MIT tIAIUICO TO AN OUAFTTHOFIUEBS FIMSOZI 19 PRO.
RI61TCD FIT LAID. Bs88DDSCTID$ OF THIS PORt1 is DROHIBETRD.
1. The Czechoslovak Minister of Foreinn Trade, Dr. Gregor, reportedly has no
authority to nao decisions. The real director of this Ministry is Gregor's
de,ut7$ Evzen Lobi, formerly chief of the First Section of the Ministry.
After the CoommunistsI assunrntion of rower, Dr. Tucek, Chairman of the
Forei a Exchange Office, eras appointed chief of the First Section, and at
present he golds both positions. The Foreigli Exchange Offic
is in the Ministr- of Forei ga Trade.
2. T he following
a. First Section. Until the end of 19/ii this 1,ms a Perrit Section. A
request for a permit had to be made on prescribed forms before undo:-
taking any trade abroad. This practice wee ckran. ed, however, after
the Communists took over. As exports are now carried out bc- means of
monopoly concerns tahich, as rational corrpanies, are directl=y subordi-
nate and responsible to the t iinistr- of Foreign Trade, permits are no
longer required. Now every transaction abroad must be reported. This
activity has been taken over by the Second Section, and the First has
been turned into a Planning Section for imports and exports. This See-
tion also supervises the execution of plans, and has authority to in-
tervene directly in industry, through commissions which control work
In factories.
b, Second Sect on. The chief is kirubis,
This Section, whose func-
tion is "cormercial-political", makes all agreements with foreign 50X1-HUM
countries and sees that they are carried out. It also establishes 50X1-HUM
and maintains contacts abroad, as well as with embassies and legations,
There is also a reports department, which wes formerly part of the First
Section.
CLASSIFICATION CO . 4 nT. d TT_ S nT TOT ntlT.v
`STATE >,~ V NAVY rasRt3 DISTR13iJTI4N
NO CHANGE in Class. .~ i
0 DECLASSIFIED
Class. CiA r :_D TO., TS S
D~ Memo, 4 Apr 77
Auth: DDA REG. 77/1763 50X1-HUM
-_ MAY l n 7
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/15: CIA-RDP82-00457R002600450011-6
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/15: CIA-RDP82-00457R002600450011-6
U. S. OFFICIALS ONLY
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
6. F h, a_tiQn. The former chief, Dr. Souckova, who is now a member
of Deruty Minister LBbl's Cabinet, has been replaced by his former
deputy, Dr. W-,ulkan. ? The latter, is extremely in-
fluential, and he has succeeded in preventing the appointrient of a
new chief, so that he has a free hand. This Section organizes the
activities of the Monopoly Trading Companies, as well as representations
abroad and the representations of foreign finis in Czechoslovakia.
d. Si of M. The chief is Bittermann, formerly ri ht hand man of Minis-
ter Dr. Hubert Ripka. This Section is known in the Ministry as the Sec-
tion for "all other matters". It includes departments for customs, eta.-
tistics, communications, and the press. The head of the Press Department
is Dr. Drbohlay, who is also responsible for the journal Zahranicni Obehod
and the Bulletin of the I4ini stry for Foreign Trade. The offices are at
Washin,tonova ulice 7.
On 1 January 19'9, twenty-eight of the Monopoly Trading Companies took over
the entire' direction of foreign trade. Tlie?r are directly subordinate to the
lfinistry, which nominates their directors-general and their deputies, and
fixes the or anization of the companies. The directors-general are directly
-responsible to the Minister (actually to L8bl). These companies have planning
departments which are also directly responsible to the Ministry.
An important organ of the Ministry is the so-called Presidency, which decides
an all political and personnel questions. The Presidency checks on all import-
ant economic problems from the political standpoint, and also decides on appoint-
monts to positions in the Ministry and in the Monopoly Companies and on repre-
sentation abroad. The pro--forma head of the Presidency is Dr. Janda
Actually the most important person is Josef Fcznme. who is head of the
Personnel Department. 50X1-HUM
5. The Presidency also makes decisions on all financial and lecral questions, as
well as the internal organization of the Ministry. The most important factor
in the Presidency is the "Political Cadre", a small circle of reliable Cormma-
nIsts who decide'on purely political que Lions in conjunction with Party. Memr-
bers of the "Cadre" are Pommer, from the Cabinet of Dr. Markus (an important
political personality); Dr. Maro_ulius, Chairman of the Minister's Cabinet; and
Dr. Souekova. The "Cadre" also decides whether a passport for a trip abroad is
to be granted or not.
6. The Ministry of Industry, rather than the Ministry of Foreign Trade, is respor50X1-HUM
Bible for economic espionage. Nevertheless, all trade delegations travellin
abroad must report in detail on the activities of Czech emigrants,
7. Arms exports from Czechoslovakia are directly settled by the Iinistry of Defense.
Requests and reports do not come to the Ministry of Forei Trade through the
ordinary channels, but as secret files,
)N tVbW&f ff ROL - U. S. OFFICIAL.; ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/11/15: CIA-RDP82-00457R002600450011-6