SOVIET PROPAGANDA EFFORTS IN SCANDINAVIA/ BALTIC PEACE CRUISE OF THE BATORY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00926A007600490003-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 13, 2001
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: December 17, 1954
• Content Type: REPORT

U.S. Officials Only.
Approved For Release 200 yE DP80-00926AO07600490003-4
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY Sweden
.SUBJECT Soviet Propaganda Efforts in Scandinavia/
Baltic "Peace Cruise" of the Batory
PLACE ACQUIRED
(BY SOURCE)
25X 1 ATE ACQU I RED
(BY SOURCE)
DATE (oF INFO.)
25X1X
.SOURCE
DATE D I STR. /7 Dec 54
NO. OF PAGES 3
NO. OF ENCLS.
SUPP. TO
THIS Is UNEVALUATED INFORMATION REPORT NO.
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF' THE UNITED STATES. WITHIN THE MEANING OF TITLE IS. SECTIONS 733
AND 794, OF THE U.S. CODE. AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVE-
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIDED PERSON 19
1. In August and September 1951+ the Polish M/S Batory made a so-called'
"Peace Cruise", which the Swedish Pee,ce Committee had arranged. Approx-
imately 800 passengers were on board, including 591 Swedee,, 18 Norwegians,
1.10 Finns, and 78 Danes.
2. Itinerary-. The Bato"v left, 9tnelcholm on 26 Aug. 54, and arrived
back re -r 1A 8ep 54, caving visited tie Following places:
Copenhagen, Rostock.Warnemthde,, Gdynia, Helsinki, and Leningrad.
Covarage .of the Bator 's Cruise: The information contained in this
'report comes from.Ny Dag an the other Communist papers. Except for
ressen, the other Swedish papers completely ignored the trip. Ex-
pressen confined its report to a mention of the good food and like topics
and passed over in silence Ny Dag's lengthy descriptions and its emphasis
on the "historic importance" of the cruise.
Although a number of the passengers were duped, as is evident from the
statements they made in interviews and resolutions, the impression on the
mass of the Swedish people was negligible, in part because Ny Dag provided'
the only comprehensive coverage.
The passengers' statements concerning the importance of the cruise and
concerning conditions in Germany (Soviet Zone), Poland, and the USSR
were contained in interviews conducted by Ny Dag and in a resolution approved
by the travelers during the course of a "peace meeting" held in Stockholm
at. the end of the trip.
Approved For Release 2002/01/03 : CIA-RDP80-00926AO07600490003-4
25X1A
 CONFIDENTIAL/US OFFICIALS ONLY
Approved For Release 2002/0'/03: CIA-RDP80-00926AO07
6. Price i? The price of the trip was rather cheap, ranging from 625 to 700 Swedish
krorf,r, everything included, depending on whether three or four people slept in a
cabin. Some typical prices for drinks on board were- vodka, 50 ore per glass;
bottle of Bordeaux, 3 kronor; White Lady, 2.20 kronor.
Food: The food on board was excellent and plentiful. Breakfast consisted of fruit
juice and cereal or porridge, bacon and eggs, omelette, and coffee or tea. Both
lunch and dinner began with various salads, smoked eel, salmon, and other such
dishes, followed by soup, fish or meat, cheese, fruits, ice cream, and coffee.
8. Principal EventR: The tone of the entire trip was set upon departure from Stockholm,
where the travelers were termed "ambassadors of peace" by Dr. Andrea Andreen. In
Copenhagen all passengers attended a meeting and listened to a speech on peace by
Prof. Mogens Fog. In Wismar/Rostock there were more speeches, a soccer game which the
travelers watched, performances by 'amateur youth ensembles', and a dinner at the
club of the Neptun shipyard. There fdlowed a five-day visit to Leningrad where the
voyagers listened to numerous speeches, made a conducted tour of the city, dined at
the Hotel Astoria and the Hotel Europa, went to the opera and ballet, were entertained
by artists sent from Moscow, and visited a tobacco factory and the Kirov Stadium. The
hosts for this stay were the city of Leningrad and the Peace Committees for Leningrad
and the USSR.
Personalities:
a. Bengt Gunnas: Secretary of the Swedish Peace Committee.- He Trent on the
cruise, saw tall arrangements, and addressed the'passengers in Leningrad.
b. Anton Strand: Apparently a member of the Swedish Peace Committee. He went
on the cruise and saw to all arrangements (along with Gunnas).,;,
c. Dr. Andrea Andreen: Soviet Peace Prize winner and member of the "neutral
commission" whi-a onfirmed" that the UN had waged bacteriological warfare in
Korea. She-spoke to the Batory passengers upon their departure from Stockholm
at the beginning of the cruise and termed them "ambassadors of peace".
d. Prof. Mogens F : Chairman of the Peace Partisans in Den.rk.-.He spoke to
the Batory voyagers at Copenhagen on the theme that contac'i. between peoples forwards
the cause of peace and that the peoples must force the Greatowers to the conference
table in order to achieve a relaxation of international tension.
e. Karl Mewis: Secretary of the SED*in Mecklenburg_~' He", 64dresse'd the Batory
passengers" atWismar/Rostoc:k?
f. Heinz Willmann?. Secretary (eneral of the German Peace Movement.. He addressed
the Batory voyagers at Wismar/Rostock.
g. Irene Qlaammakw Stewardess on the Batory. The Batory's woman passengers held
numerous conversations with Olszewska, who spoke at length of conditions in Poland.
h. Mikhail Koottovv: Chairman of the Soviet Peace League.. He addressed the Batory
travelers in Leningrad.
i. Erna Watso Representative from the Danish Peace Committee She addressed
the Batory travelers in Leningrad.
J. Christina Porkkala: Representative from the Finnish Peace Committee. She
addressed the Ba o y'travelers in Leningrad.
k. Solveig'Sudman: Representative from the Norwegian, Peace Committee. Addressed
the Batory trams s in Leningrad.
1. R. Dew sinisky: Representative from the Polish Peace Committee. Addressed
the Batory travelers in Leningrad.
m. Dr. Peter Varenius: Chairman of the Swedish Peace Committee. At the "peace
meeting" held for the Batory passengers upon their return to Stockholm Varenius made
the speech of welcome.
*Socialist Unity p rty (Germany - Soviet Zone)
CONFIDENTIAL/US OFFICIALS ONLY
Approved For Release 2002/01/03 : CIA-RDP80-00926AO07600490003-4
 Approved Fo5Re ~~ 1TTAQLIUl/0 , F RgP $0926A00760
0171
10. Soviet Propaganda Themes: The cruise in general was featured by low prices,
plentiful and good food, lavish (although highly-organized) entertainment,
numerous mass meetings at which Peace Committee representatives spoke, and
guided tours. The following USSR propaganda themes were: evident in speeches,
meeting ', and conversations.
a. Peace-. Each speaker emphasized the necessity for closer. contacts
between peoples to further the cause of peace by forcing the Great
Powers to confer and to achieve a relaxation of international tension.
be Community of interests among the Baltic countries: This was linked with
the peace theme and identified the USSR as a Baltic power. Emphasis was also
placed upon the desirability of bringing about closer economy and cultural
relations among the Baltic Sea peoples. It was also stated that action by
the Baltic Sea countries for a peaceful solution of the German problem and
action for the establishment of guarantees (not specified) for Europe's security
would be of great importance to the st.bilization of the international situation.,
c. Absence of personal restrictions in the countries visited: The German
(Soviet n_e7-'-1?eOp 'P le s Police were. presented as the best of friends with
the people". In Leningrad! it was emphasized that the travelers were quite
free to go out alone, that nobody was interested in any passenger who cared
to walk around alone without escort, and that there were no passport or
customs control.
d, titit+rrien'e right-F. n Poland. The,---stewardess Olszewska stated to the women
passengers of the T)=a.tory twat the Polish Women's League worked first for
peace and that Poll eh women wore' very happy to talk with Swedish women
professing the same ideals. She also said that the Polish .constitution had
established equal wages for women in Poland and that the Polish state encouraged
vocational training for girls. She emphasized that married women with children
could leave their children in the care of creches at the establishments where they
worked. Although creches do not yet exist at all establishments in Poland, they
are to be found in the major ones., Women with 'children receive full pay and: are
excused from work during the child's illness. Pregnant women receive three months'
exemption from work and a complete layette. for the child..
e. The benevolent Polish state and constitution. See the item on women's rights in
f. Excellent wor.ltin. conditions in Polish hospitals: The normal working day is
said to be eight'(F hours. In sanatoria the norms working day is said to be
(7) hours; and in X-Ray departments and TBC sections five (5) hours daily and
five (5) days per week. After 25 years' service every nurse receives a full
pension irrespective of his or her age. To date, there has been set no maximum
age for service.
End
LIBRARY SUBJECT & AREA CODE:;
I) 9-rly&, gIM(NM)(IM)
11q- `74- HIM(FM)
114, '7 ?9-" 41M(NM)L3 M)
114, `? M q I m Cf--m)
CONFIDENTIAL/US OFFICIALS ONLY
Approved For Release 2002/01/03 : CIA-RDP80-00926AO07600490003-4
 Approved For Release 2002/01/03 : CIA-RDP80-00926AO07600490003-4
Next 6 Page(s) In Document Exempt
Approved For Release 2002/01/03 : CIA-RDP80-00926AO07600490003-4