Published on CIA FOIA (foia.cia.gov) (https://www.cia.gov/readingroom)


THOMPSON, JAMES HARRISON WILSON

Document Type: 
FOIA [1]
Collection: 
FOIA Collection [2]
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
06913781
Release Decision: 
RIFPUB
Original Classification: 
U
Document Page Count: 
2
Document Creation Date: 
July 13, 2023
Document Release Date: 
December 21, 2022
Sequence Number: 
Case Number: 
F-2019-01172
Publication Date: 
February 3, 1961
File: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon THOMPSON, JAMES HARRISON [16111423].pdf [3]123.87 KB
Body: 
:. � � � � ' . -� Assistant Chief' of Staff, Intelligence - Department of the A.rtny 'Atth ISR - � Interagency Source Register., Approved for Release: 2022/08/22 C06913781 . , � . . ,41.4 i let . � � CENTRAL. INTELLIGENCE AGENC WASHINGTON 25, D. �C. '3 February 1963. � SUBJECT: ...THOMPSON, &Ines' Harrison Wilson (SD 5345-C) (recheck) ..1`., ',Reference is rade to the request, atibject�etS. at-ove, Whose: name you -desired .checked egainsVithe.filea�of this cpffice......The' tiles :Contain the follOing biographic information concerning the. subject _ .. Of your. regijesti ' - � .. r . . � ' Subject:vaa born in dreenville,. iDeleware, on 21 March 1906. , .He received' a Bachelor of Arts Degree- from Princeton Univereity and . completed two years of graduate. work at thei University of Pennsylvania. , at =known dates.. Subject 'served from 1941 to Noirember 1943 in the 2 United Stetted. Arm' and from 1943 .to 1946. with the pffice a Strategic � Services. in Bangkok, Thailand,. and Calcutta, India, 4th. the rank ot. - � � ..� Major land Lt. Colonel. In 196.:Sub3eet was atteched�to..the.pffide of . � . the Military Attache As Assistant Attache in 130E14,0Ic;.- , 3. .4.1�Opor'4 of. 17 July 3:952, from a reliable 'finurCei's indicated that *Subject returned te the United'Statett in November 4.946 and severed his connections .With the United States Government in order to engage in private businesa. He returned to Thailand in 194.7;.where .he established a*Successful and unusual businees (silk weaving). As the years passed subject 'a business enterprises bronght him' more and � . more clode3y 'into the activities of indigenous 'bodies of Thailand and. ' � . Indochina, Whose variono nationalist causes Subject sponspred. :In' 1951, during a trip, to the atea, lie cello On, several :high' official's in. Washington to urge that certain activities be sponsored by the �Government. Subject was regarded as a pittrfatio and 1ccra1 American Aungtually endowed ability. to blend itato- the indigenous acme, anti capable of winning'. � 'friends and �influencing � people 'An a 4.01 degree. However,.was-, .:an. � . outspoken critic of American policy, as he saw it, and had 'a strong'. �streak � of independence which would lead hit in .arr, .diretston whicja ifl his Opiaort-.1ragi best for the loca1' people' in whom he -took- an 'interest. � � � . . I � � .. ....SECRET . � . . .. A, � SECRET- � Approved for Release: 2022/08/22 C06913781 Approved for Release: 2022/08/22 C06913781 � UflJRI ,..� a I ,tio This tendency may have manifested itself in Burma. Subject was known to call on the Ambassador of the country in which he was residing to convey his opinions and impressions of local circumstances and affairs which came to his attention. 4.� In a report of 18 Oily 1952, from, a reliable source, it was indicated that Subject had been a prominent American businessman in Thailand from 1947 to time of the report. He was the managing director of the Thai Silk Company, which he created by organizing Thai and Laos weavers in Thailand into a producing cooperative. Source was informed that Subject had been employed periodically by the Economic Commiesion for Asia and the Far East (ECAFE-a United Nations organization) as a consultant for the development of cottage industries, weaving and textile Services, marketing and distribution of home industries products, etc. In this capacity, he visited in India and Burma during the past several months and he had recently been appointed by ECAFE as a consultant to advise the Burmese on the development of cottage industries and the like. This appointment appeared to be of indefinite 'duration. � 5. Subject is rated "good" in reading, speaking and understanding of' French. 6. The Interagency Source Register has no record of a current operational interest in Subject. 7. To date, CD/00 has not submitted a reply to this request. ISRM.2707 2 Approved for Release: 2022/08/22 C06913781

Source URL: https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document/06913781

Links
[1] https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/document-type/foia
[2] https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/collection/foia-collection
[3] https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/THOMPSON%2C%20JAMES%20HARRISON%20%5B16111423%5D.pdf