BRIEFING OF SENATOR ALLEN J. ELLENDER RE UPCOMING SOVIET TRIP

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP71B00364R000100090009-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 14, 2002
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: September 23, 1968
• Content Type: MFR

Approved For Release 2002/08/01 : CIA- ;y
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Z3 September 1968
DUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Briefing of Senator Alen J. Ellender re
Upcoming Soviet Trip
1. Today, Messrs.I I (DD/1) and
I(DD/P) and the undersigned rrret Senator Ellender in a
office in the Capitol in reesponaie to his earlier request to
actor for a briefing on matters of interest to us which he
might keep in mind during his upcoming trip to the Soviet Union.
The Senator did most of the talking and recalled, in surprising
detail, a number of his experiences on several previous, lengthy
trips through the Soviet Union in the late 1950"s and early 1960's.
2. The Senator displayed a keen understanding of Soviet
agriculture and on his previous trips was apparently a shrewd
observer and a skillful elicitor of information. He particularly
prides himself on his ability, on these: earlier occasions, to gain
access to normally inaccessible top Soviet officials.
3. A copy of his proposed itinerary is attached hereto.
We indicated several key points thereon which are normally
inaccessible to foreigners where we thought his observations
might be of particular interest.
4. We provided the Senator with a copy of the attached.
unclassified list of key Soviet personalities, with brief biographic
sketchea of each whom we thought it worthwhile for him to try to
see.
S. We also touched on sorr,,-e current policy issues which
he might discreetly bring up in discussions with appropriate Soviet
personalities.
25X1A
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6. We cautioned the -Sena or that under no circumstances
should be mention, even In the Embassy or to Embassy officials.
the fact of our meeting with him, or indeed anything regarding the
Agency. The Senator assured us he fully understood the importance
of discretion in this regard.
7. During our conversation, the Senator 25X9
I seersed friendly
toward the Agency a oats definitely comp) -mentary when asked
his reaction to the Director's briefing of the Defense Subcornnittee
of Senate Appropriations out 16 September 1968.
25X1A
JOHN M. MAURY
Legislative Counsel
Distribution:
Original - Subject
I
OLC/JMM:j
Approved For Release 2002/08/01 : CIA-RDP71 B00364R000100090009-9