From: John Conover <john@email.johncon.com>
Subject: Interesting filler ... maybe
Date: Tue, 6 Aug 1996 16:58:02 -0700
Of course, the attached chronicle of events may all be un-related,
(and it would be difficult to verify/substantiate the causal links
after a half a century,) in which case it would make a nice theme for
a Tom Clancy novel ... or filler for grocery store tabloids. But it is
kind of interesting what you can find on the Internet these days.
John
--
John Conover, john@email.johncon.com, http://www.johncon.com/
Today, 6 Aug., 1996, the U.S. Department of the Treasury,
(http://www.ustreas.gov/treasury/,) issued a press release that it was
re-opening the investigation into Nazi funds, (from World War II,)
that were transfered to Swiss Bank accounts prior to the end of the
war. (Re: news broadcast of CNBC, at 11:00 PST, today.) The press
release mentioned that "... tens of millions of dollars ..." were
involved. Whether that is the estimated current value, or 1945 value,
was not made clear. (Compounded interest over a half of a century
would, indeed, be substantial.)
On 27 Feb, 1996, a decrypted document was de-classified by the NSA,
(http://www.nsa.gov:8080/docs/venona/venona.html, and look for June
21,) of an encrypted KGB transmission from the Soviet Embassy,
Washington, to Moscow, concerning what the Americans knew about how
such funds were being transfered into Swiss Banks.
The document, (available from the NSA URL,) has an interesting
history:
1) On 26 Feb., 1945, the OSS (forerunner of the CIA,) station
chief in Bern Switzerland, (Allen Dulles, later the CIA's first
Director of Central Intelligence,) or one of his staff, sent a
report to OSS headquarters in London, which was to be copied to
the U.S. Department of the Treasury's agent in the U.K.,
concerning the method used to transfer Nazi funds out of
Germany. Allegedly, (from other sources,) Mr. Dulles enjoyed the
confidence of both Swiss Banking authorities and Swiss
intelligence agencies, (which at the time were some of the most
formidable in the world-re: "The Craft of Intelligence," Allen
Dulles, Harper & Row, 1963.)
2) On 21 Jun., 1945, the contents of this report, (obtained
illicitly in the U.S.,) by (probably,) Harold Glasser, (re: the
NSA document,) was sent, via encrypted wireless transmission, from
KGB Washington, to KGB Moscow. This transmission was intercepted
by the forerunner of the NSA, partially decrypted, and
distributed-to whom, and when, is not divulged. Note that the
method of transmission implies that it was probably requested
information, and regarded as high priority, from the USSR-probably
Lavrenti Pavlovich Beria, or one of his staff, (re: the NSA
document reference to the "8th Department," which would have been
a functional organization, reporting directly to Beria, at that
3) On 16 Nov., 1956, (or, possibly, later,) the decrypted document
was redistributed-the distribution list is intentionally
obliterated on the de-classified document-but it was probably
bound in a binder, (perhaps for distribution, perhaps as
administrative classification system,) of which at least 205
copies were distributed, each consisting of at least 220
pages. (Obviously, the recipients of this binder were probably
analyzing what the Soviets were up to, since they would have had
access to the original document provided via Switzerland-instead
of the decrypted, and incomplete, version, which is in the NSA
archives that are available on the Internet.)
There can be some interesting *_SPECULATION_* concerning these
events. (Re: recent KQED/KETH airing of documentary concerning the
Allied/U.S. Army attempt at preservation of European art treasures
during the closing stages of the war-from personal recollection, title
unknown.) Note that any moneys found could, possibly, still be seized
as the property of the Allied Governments, since they have legal right
of claim, (under spoils of war.) Additionally, these funds are
probably "family fortunes," (as opposed to Nazi German Government
treasury,) since the German treasury is thought to have been found,
(in a salt mine, south of Berlin in the Harz Mountains, by the
U.S. Third Army,) and contained many tons of gold bullion, (which was
promptly shipped, with no authority-it was the Soviet Sector-to the
continental U.S., with no documentation, other than verbal orders-re:
the documentary.) Also found in the salt mine was the largest
collection of art ever assembled-re: the documentary. This, also, was
sent to the continental U.S. (It is rumored to have been much of
Herman Goering's "confiscated" art collection, from all over Europe,
and was later returned to the "rightful" owners-the bullion wasn't.)
The dates of the Harz mountain affair coincides, approximately, with
what would have been dates of the request for information to the KGB,
U.S.