PURCHASING AGENT FOR THE CHINESE COMMUNIST GOVERNMENT

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02652184
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: March 8, 2023
• Document Release Date: September 19, 2019
• Case Number: F-2018-00675
• Publication Date: October 30, 1950

CLASSIFIC'?13.1? medforRelease: 2019/09/09 CO26521841.0, niu-Tv
-..-.......---,------.... -,........... ..........w.l.....uv wps.14.1. i
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY REPORT NO.
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY China/Switzerland/Germany
SUBJECT Purchasing Agent for the Chinese Communist
Government
_-
PLACE � - -
, 7,1�:;-ys,
ACQUIRED SwitTerland, Zurich ' -
DATE OF
INFO. September 1950
CD NO.
DATE DISTR. 53 OCT 50
_NO OF PAGES
NO\ OF ENCLS:.
--------
(LIST
D BELOW)
LJ ,S FILEMENTTO
P1RT NO.
GRADING OF SOURCE
-----frettECTORTIrTREUMINARY
GRADING OF CONTENT
COMPLETELY
RELIABLE
USUALLY
RELIABLE
FAIRLY
RELIABLE
NOT
USUALLY
RELIABLE
NOT
RELIABLE
"t NIsr-17�r
BE
JUDGED
CONFIRMED
BY OTHER
SOURCES
PROBABLY
TRUE
POSSIBLY
TRUE
DOUBTFUL
PROBABLY
FALSE
CANNOT
BE
JUDGED
A.
B. X
C.
D.
E.
F.
1.
2.
3. X
4.
5.
6.
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE ACT 30
U. S. C., 31 AND 32, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE REVELATION
010 ITS CONTENTS IN ANY MANNER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS PRO.
HIBITED BY LAW. REPRODUCTION OP THIS FORM IS PROHIBITED.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
,SOURCE Usually reliable source, from well-placed informant.
1. Gerhard Ludwig Flatow, born on 1 December 1910 in Berlin, has resided for
over twenty years in Tientsin, China, where he is engaged in the export-
import business. Since the advent of the Communist Government in China,
Flatow has acted as purchasing agent for the Communists in Western Nampo
through his office in Tientsin. Flatow arrived in Europe at the beginning
of September 1950 to renew contacts in Switzerland, England, and Germany,
and to follow up deals for which preliminary contracts had been drawn up
in China. He came to Europe with extensive lists of Chinese requirements
in the machine, metals, and automotive fields. He was traveling on a
document issued by the French Consulate in Tientsin which had been validated
for travel in. Europe, including Germany.
2. Flatowfs known business contacts in ibmpe are as follows:
E. Ott & Co., a Swiss export-import firm with its main offices in Hong
Kong but with a branch in Zurich at Ramistr.6.
Otto Wolff, Cologne, Germany.
Hans Luss, who was originally German and was educated in Switzerland; for
many years he was in England where he became naturalized; he is in the
export branch of the Imperial Chemical Industries, Ltd.
3. While in Zurich Flatow stayed at the Hotel Rex, Weinbergstr. 92. He had
originally intended to meet Luss in England but met him instead in Zurich.
With Luss he chiefly discussed a deal whereby Imperial Chemical, tough
Flatow, was to supply the Chinese with immense quantities of copper sheeting.
Since this deal had become publicly known and was about to create a scandal,
it appeared impossible to carry it through for the moment.
4. Around mid-September Flatow intended to go to Germany to meet his contacts
in the steel industry in Dusseldorf and Cologne but was unable to procure
a permit for travel. He then left Switzerland for Italy with Luss, intending
to proceed to England from where he hoped to be able to arrange entry to
Germany.
STATE Em
, NAVY
CLASSIFICATION figragpT4CONTROL - UAS. OPTIC
NSRB
N
ONLY
A
mill.11111=MMININIMMApproved for Release: 2019/09/09 CO2652184