Beria -- A Story We Cannot Ignore

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83-00764R000500080015-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 22, 1998
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: October 9, 1953
• Content Type: NSPR

au PAGE b-4 - FRIDAY MORNING, OCT. 9, 1953
RED SECRETS INVOLVED
CPYRGBeria A Story We Cannot Ignore
ea
Lavrenti Beria holds information so im-
portant it could affect the future secUUr i
of the world.
Perhaps he did die with these facts. He
may be in prison. But there also is a pos-
sibility he lives with his secrets-hiding in
a remote area of Spain.
Walter Winchell, in a telecast, properly
evaluated the conjecture over Beria when
he said that whether it was true or false, it
is too big to reject without investigation.
The Western world has been dum-
founded at information the Soviets have
the know-how to produce the hydrogen
bomb. Consternation is intensified because
of lack of knowledge as to how far the Reds
have gone in production of bombs and
whether or not they have the long range
bombers to deliver the bombs on the
United States and other Western countries.
Facing this problem, every agency of
the government, and particularly the State
Department, should leave no stone un-
turned in an all-out effort to obtain this
atomic and military information.
It's possible Beria could answer these
questions.
Certainly, the United States ought. not
overlook even a vague possibility that a
possible source for this information may lie
at the end of the trail to the alleged Beria.
Unconfirmed reports hold he wants to
Make a deal for asylum in the United
States in return for up-to-the-mirnrte in-
formation on Soviet atomic, military and
espionage information.
Never has the American State Dep.azl-
Beria claims he will give.
It is clear it is the obligation of respon-
sible government officials and, agencies to
determine the truth or falsity of the claim
Beria wants to give this government all
this vital information.
Fabio Gallo, the international political
figure who claims he is the intermediary
for Beria, has given regular reports on his
purported progress to the United States'
investigative agencies for many weeks.
The investigation culminated in reports
to the State Department by government
agencies during the week of Sept. 13. Yes-
terday, more than two weeks later, no
progress had been announced by the
United States government although the
Spanish Ministry of Police had been con-
ducting an intensive search.
To sum up, Beria, or an alleged Beria,
claims he will give vital atomic and other
inforwat_ion to this country in return for
asylum. He has asked for assurance of
this asylum through secret channels to
United States officials and through pub-
lished stories in The San Diego Union and
newspapers throughout the world. Such
assurance has not been given.
The whole matter well may be a giant
hoax or a nefarious Communist plot some-
how to damage the position of the United
States in world politics. Nevertheless,
that one long chance to bag Beria and all
he knows cannot. be rejecter..
The State Department's clear responsi-
bility to the. people of the United States is
to culminate this matter properly, exposing
ment its Central Intelligence Agency, ca it as a hoax
delivering the ads-the
Aw'yo rF tj Re eas(e,WOd)*7f2YafCtAdRDlPg3'lob9i64ROdb8 ohOO 1 'I4 I rin t
even a remote chance to obtain informa- yond imac;ination.
 (Continued from Page 1)
the United States Embassy in
pain and demanded that Gallo
take him personally to Beria.
Gallo said he could not do that
because this attache could not
produce proper guarantees.
government to handle the case.
Gallo refused to believe him be-
cause he did not have any of
the guarantees and did not cs-
hibit any knowledge of thorn.
Gallo said the attache then so, ;l
that "if you don't co-operate with
me, I'll turn you m-r?r lo
Spanish police, and you know
what they will do to you."
SPANISH HELPFUL
tended complete co-operation.
For six weeks United States
authorities have refused to take
only in the last few days that
they have shown considerable
Gallo, who was titken into cus-
tody by Spanish police after he
had tried to draw away from the
story, evidently in fear of some
retribution, has been released for
another try to bring the case to
an end. The 1;:+.; hecn cen-
sored in Spain, but 1_ ,-f the top
- The story has been investi-
gated now for almost t4'."n months
and the conclusion to this almost
unparalleled inlernational Inc
i terv is not vet it) si h l.
Spanish Police Seek
Aid in Ber- 1 r
ra Case
CPYRGHT By GENE FUSONScdv
San Diego Union Staff WritP,' / LnGt s'a
-,
r 11 FI'anCe. Oct. -1 I b-Atlntic Teleohone
1, IS n
ish police today asked me to ~re. Sting ate,
sanctuary in the If n i t e d
turn to Vla~irid to work within Vicente Reguengo, cef ofi
the bl ~`ea lnf i l l an effort o brings chief political nolieP als
Ca Se
--1
o
th
-- h
e
n,
inks Gerhart Eisler may-'j
rn(to work ~.` f want be in Spain, perhaps with t
hey
tman supposed t
ilin in att
b
empting to esta
o be Beria.
lish
other contacts n-ith the man Ga1.I Beria directed the Red inter-
JO safe rr'prescnted himself
Editor:
l
as
on Page b.?
the
purged leader of the Sm let national espionage rings of which
pn!IrP
is tilt Eisler had
rs 1,11 are convinced' been a member.
L:..,..
claim he knows that Berta es~ 1999 as a stowaway ab
oard the
caged from Rug ,.la an Polish liner I3atory and made his
i is sr-h ...
a a} to Last Germany. He lumped
hail of $23
000
,
in New York in
~ta?v of that year while under
corn'ictio
n for illegal entry.
Identified at one time a the
~'o I Comm s
unist in the United
Stares, Eisler was
ousted last
April as propaganda boss for the
East Germa
ny Communist . r.e
time. Press dispatches said hej
retired from
pubic life to write
h is
GalloTnemoir:s. told Spanish palm he
~ Ment arrangct
e.
, but wa s uliable to effe
11his delivery to thn T?.,;r a
S
: (1?1 Hari failed to for.
tvar I the CPgtlested
guarantees
Of S:ifr,iv i^ l;rtrirrica.
r:allo s,n;rt lip received
operation front 1'niterl nu c0_
grate:; ai
Tie said that one man who iden-
Itified himself as
an attache of
f (Continued on Page' a'2, col.