LACK OF US DOLLARS ON PURCHASES AT PRAGUE FAIR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00926A003400040009-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 14, 2006
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: September 29, 2003
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP80-00926AO03400040009-2
CLASSIFICATION Co TFD)ENTIAL/uS OFFICIALS ONLY
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY 25X1 REPORT
INFORMATION REPORT CD NO.
COUNTRY Czechoslovakia
SUBJECT Lack of US Dollars on
Purchases at Prague Fair
25X1
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE-
ACQUIRED
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE ACT 50
U S C.. 31 AND 32. AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR THE REVELATION
OF ITS CONTENTS IN ANY MANNER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON 15 PRO-
HIBITED BY LAW. REPRODUCTION OF THIS FORM IS PROHIBITED.
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DATE DISTR. 1 AiAy 1951
!,.
NO. OF PAGES t'
NO. OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
The 1950 Prague Fair was not as successful as similar exhibits in the past,
primarily because of reduced participation on the part of Western European and
ITS ax>anufactlarers of industrial :qv nt.
2. Next to the Czechoslovak exhibits., the ,greatest space was taken by the USSR.
The Soviets had several large marline tools on exhibit in addition to earth
moving equipment, such as bul ,iozers, tractors aid trucks.
3. Usually at an exhibition of this sort the manufacturers participating give
demonstrations of their equipment aM;(d cs:rT,% on actual operations. The Soviets
did not have air of their equipment in operation, with the exception of some
of the earth moving equipment. U. of the Soviet equipment looked strong and
massive, but did not have the finis or the apparent modernity of Western
European products.
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CLASSIFICATION CO1 FIID L/(CTS OFFICIALS ONLY
high speed thread-
ing machine which aroused great int a+est or, the part of Czechoslovakian visitors
to the Fair. One of the officials of Artieie ., a new Czechoslovak national.
corpporatior in charge of all drilling operations in the country, wanted to
buy 10 for threading pipes for drilling oil well casing. How-
ever, the order was never ons?)ated as
the firm was not able to arrange such payment.
(stated that they were having-a
most difficult time economically but,, of course, there was no such thing as a
strike. They were entitled to purchase certain rationed articles at state stores
STATE
ARMY
NAVY
AIR
LI
V
^
Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP80-00926AO03400040009-2
 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP80-00926A003400040009-2
CONFIDEIIAL/US OFFICIALS ONLY 25X1
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at connaratively reasonable prices, but consumer goods were in extremely short
25X1 supply unless they patronized the legalized black market stores and paid prices
t
ores.
generally four times higher than those in effect at the legitimate state s
the were working harder than they ever had, but there were
no strong complaints
CONFIDENTIAL/US OFFICIALS ONLY
Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP80-00926A003400040009-2