UTILIZATION OF REFUGEES FROM THE SOVIET UNION IN US NATIONAL INTEREST

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP86T00268R000500090034-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 25, 2013
• Sequence Number: 34
• Publication Date: March 19, 1948
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/09/25.
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NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL
WASHINGTON
March 19, 1948
MEMORANDUM FOR: The Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of the Army
The Secretary of the Navy
The Secretary of the Air Force
The ChsArman, National Security
Resources Board
SUJILT: Utilization of tefuees from the
Soviet Union in U6 lational Interest
At the request of the Secretary of State,
the enclosed report on the above subject is circulated
herewith for the information of the other members of the
Rational Security Council.
This report was prepared by the Policy
Planninc Staff of the Department of State, and has been ?
approved by the Under Secretary of State.
blaTI W. 30USRO
Executive Secretary
i;nclosure; PPS 22/1
cc: The Secretary of State (without enclosure)
The Director of Central Intelligence
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P 22/1
POLICY PLAWNIEU. blAF2
Department of tAte
UTILI1LATION OF iiFOUEEs VROA TEL
SOVIET UNION IN U.S. NATIONAL INT.6REST
March 40 1940
THE PROBLa
To increase defections among the elite of the Soviet
World and to utilize refugees from the Soviet World in. the
national interests of the U.S.
1)efinition.otTepms,
a. Soviet Weal, -- That part of ..6urasia, including the USSR,
which extends from the Oder-Trieste line in the west to
herea in the east and which is under Soviet control or
predominant influence.
-- Important government and party officials, mili-
tary officers, the intelligentsia, the managerial class
and highly-qualified technicians.
c. Refugees -- Persons who have recently fled from the Soviet
World for reasons of political dissent, (This classifi-
cation does not include the generation of Russian emigres
immediately following the Russian Revolution.)
b.
ANALY5IE,'
1. The phenomenon of defections from the WIWI has existed
since the iiussian Revolution. i'hese desertions result from the
fact that the Soviet regime rules by oppression and fear.
2. During the confusion of World War II, defections of
Soviet citizens occurred on a mass scale.
3. With the extension of Soviet influence beyond the
borders following the war, there began ,the flight of a new class
of political refugees--those from the knew democracies".
4. The total number of refugees from the Soviet World now
in free urope and Asia is unknown because a large portion of
biZRET
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them are not in DP camps but are underground, living under
false names and forged documents. Estimates of the number
of Soviet refugees alone range as high as 700,000.
5. A continuation of these desertions can be depended
upon to have the following effects on the Soviet World:
a. At a minimum, such defections constitute a drain
on the Soviet World. Leadership and talent are drained by
desertions on the part of the elite. Defections on a
relatively small scale by the elite produce dispropor-
tionately far-reaching effects. Defections by the ordinary
citizen--peasant and unskilled worker--are significant only
if accomplished on a mass scale. This cannot occur so long
as the police controls of the Soviet World remain as effec-
tive as they are now.
b. Such desertions, especially on the part of the
elite and more particularly when the refugee is enabled to
tell his story, serve to explode the Soviet myth. Krav-
chenkoss book and Goueenkols testimony, for example,
neutralized to an appreciable extent the effectiveness of
a major weapon of Soviet aggression--propaganda.
c. Any marked increase in the rate of present de-
fections by the elite would create wide repercussions in
the ruling classes of the Soviet World. All-pervasivedis-
trust and suspicion would be aggravated, denunciations
would be compounded and repressive measures multiplied.
Such a chain of events would have a stifling effect on the
creative capabilities of the Soviet World, damage its over-
all productive efficiency and generally tend to exert a
demoralizing influenee. This would obviously be particu-
larly true of Soviet and satellite official establishments
in the free world where the opportunity for desertion is
the greatest.
6. It has been observed that the spur to desertion is
oppression and fear--fear on the part of the potential refugee
for his personal security. The reverse of the medal is that the
greatest deterrent to defection is the possibility or certainty
that flight will not result in a greater degree of personal se-
curity. The deterrents to desertion are now so great that only
the most desperate citizens of the Soviet World will make the
break for freedom. The two principal deterrents are:
a. The absence of assurance of asylum for political
refugees. A political refugee cannot be sure that be will
not be turned back to the authorities whose oppression. he
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fled. In the case of Soviet refugees, there is still in
operation an agreement under which the U.S. authorities are
obligated to return deserters to the Soviet authorities.
b. The fact that the democratic world possesses no
organization which can provide refugees any assurance that
they will find personal security in a free society. So far
as the U.S. is concerned, the inflexibility of our present
immigration legislation does net make special provision for
political refugees. And if a political refugee is able to
get to the U.S., there is no organization charged with re-
sponsibility for assisting him to find a secure place in
American society.
7. As a result of this situation only a small fraction of
those willing and able to escape from the Soviet World are now
deserting, and the vast number of those who have fled and are new
refugees in free Europe and free Asia are rapidly becoming de-
moralized.
8. There has thus far been no systematic and concerted
effort on the part of this Government to utilize refugees from
the Soviet World in the furtherance of U.S. national interests.
No combined effort has been made to screen the elite among the
refugees for information regarding the Soviet World. No overall
study has been made of the possibility of utilizing either the
elite or the mass of these refugees in U.S. national interests.
9. Meanwhile, information in the U.S. regarding, the USSR
is incomplete. The Soviet satellite areas like the USSR are
tending to become a terra incognita. Soviet expansion has meant
therefore that the area of American knowledge regarding Eurasia
has been shrinuing instead of growing. The deficiency in Ameri-
can knowledge of the Soviet World can be classified in three
categories:
a. ThlGovernmeAt is inadequately informed regarding '
the Soviet World; even in official intelligence there are
large and vitally important gaps.
b. Scholars enc writers specializing in the Soviet
World are more poorly informed than the Government and, what
may be even more important, are not in agreement regarding
the basic facts regarding the Soviet World. Many of these
moulders of public opinion accept and propagate in varying
degrees myths about the Soviet World.
c. 711 public is, of course least informed regarding
the true nature of the Soviet World. In our type of
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democracy, this makes difficult the formulation of dispas-
sionate and realistic policy and increases vulnerability
to Fifth Column operations.
10. We are ill-equipped to engage in the political and
psychological conflict with the Soviet World, now forced upon
us. Our information program, for example, is suffering from
an acute shortage of personnel who have specialized knowledge
of the target areas of the Soviet World.
11. Among the refugees in this country and Western Europe
are political leaders from the Soviet World, men like Mikolajczyk,
Nagy and G.M. ])mit row. These men and lesser political figures
among the refugees are the potential nucleus of possible Freedom
Committees encouraging resistance movements in the Soviet World
and providing contacts with an underground. No systematic study
has been made by this Government of whether these political leaders
might, by private or official means, in this country or elsewhere,
be enabled to further U.S. national interests.
12: As for the mass of refugees in Free Europe and Free
Asia, no significant proportion of them can be brought to the
U.S. They must migrate elsewhere or remain where they are. No
systematic study has been made by this Government of whether the
mass of refugees can be utilized in U.S.. .national interests during
the present crisis and whatever may eventuate therefrom.
CONCLUSIONS
It is in the U.S. national interest to take measures which
will encourage the desertion of the elite of the Soviet World.
There is also obviously a need to utilize refugee resources a-
vailable in free Europe and free Asia to fill the gaps in our
current official intelligence, in public information, and in
our politico-psychological operations.
RECO
IDI
ATIONS
In the national interest and as a matter of national policy,
it is recommended that:
1. So far as is practicable and desirable, this Government
should promptly remove present deterrents and establish inducements
to defections on the part of the elite of the Soviet World.
SANACC, including a representative of the Department of Justice, is
charged with undertaking a study of this subject and making specific
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recommendations of measures to be taken.
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2. The Departments of State, Army, Navy, and Air Forces ?
and the CIA should promptly begin in free Europe and Asia a
systematic and combined program of screening refugees from the
Soviet World and acquiring documentary material regarding the
Soviet World with a view to obtaining intelligence regarding
the USSR and its satellites. SANACC is charged with the-formu-
lation of this program.
3. During the screening, selection should be made of:
a. Not more than 50 qualified social science scholars
from the Soviet World to be brought to the U.S. Selection
should be made by a representative of the Social Science Re-
search Council or some other qualified body of American
scholars. The selection should have the approval of a repre-
sentative of the Department of Justice and of the representa-
tives of the Departments mentioned in 2. above.
b. Such physicists, chemists and other specialists in
the physical sciences and technology as can make a needed
contribution to American knowledge in these fields. The
procedure for selecting these scientists and their ultimate
disposition in the U.S. is to be determined by SANACC.
c. Not more than 50 qualified specialists to be
brought to the U.S. for use as broadcasters, script writers,
translators, etc., by the 'Voice of America and other propa-
ganda activities. Selection should be made by a representa-
tive of the State Department, with the approval of a repre-
sentative of the Department of Justice. SABACC, including
a representative of the Department of Justice, is charged
with studying the security and legal problems involved in
bringing these three categories of selected refugees to the
U.S. and with recommending measures necessary to facilitate
their movement to and residence in the U.S.
4. The Government should encourage and, if necessary,
support the efforts new being made by American scholars and edu-
cational institutions to establish in Washington a social science
institute composed of refugee and American scholars for the purpose
of doing basic research studies on the Soviet World. The Do art-
merit of State (UIR) is charged with maintainieg contact with the
academic world in this enterprise.
5. SARACC, including a representative of the Department of
Justice, is charged with undertaking a study and submitting recom-
mendations regarding the possible utilization of refugee political
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leaders in U.b. national interests.
t. ? A study should be made of whetnor the mass of refugees
from the Soviet Iiorld now in free Europe and Asia can be effec-
tively utilized to further-U.S. Interests in the current struggle
with the USSR and whatever may eventuate therefrom. CIA should
be requested to prepare a report and recommepdations on this
subject.
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