THE DANUGRAN AND SEMPERIT CAUCIUC COMPANIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R013100270009-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 30, 2006
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: July 31, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

CEB 1952 as vww
1 p[qp d f,or Release 2006/08/08 : CIA-RDP82-00457RO13100270009-2
CENtRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
CONFIDENTIAL
SECURITY INFORMATION
INFORMATION REPORT REPORT NO.
CD NO.
COUNTRY Rumania
SUBJECT The Danugran and Semperit Cauciuc Companies
DATE OF
~1 I.NFO.
PLACE
ACQUIRED
E RE
DATE DISTR. 31 July 1952
NO. OF PAGES 3
.r NO.OF ENCLS.
(LISTED BELOW)
ra COPY
SUPPLEM
EPORT NOT TO
0 NOT CIRCULATE / R
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECTING, THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
OF THE UNITED STATES, WITHIN THE MEANING OF TITLE 18, SECTIONS 793
AND 794, OF THE U.S. CODE, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REVE-
LAT I ON OF ITS CONTENTS TO OR RECEIPT BY AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS
PROHIBITEDBY LAW. T H E REPRODUCTION OF.THI5 FORM IS PROHIBITED.
STATE
ARMY
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
1. The Danugrar Company, until August 1944, was a joint German-Rumanian
company, in which the German capital was 66 percent and the remainder,
Rumanian. The company collected and distributed grains. Its main office
was in Braila. In August 1944, the company was taken by the Soviets and
placed under the control and administration of the, Office for the Ad-
ministration of.Soviet~Companies, and Properties (CASBI-Casa.pentru
Administrarea Societatilor si Bunurilor Sovietice). After 19468 when
the above-mentioned organization was disbanded, the company came under
the control of the Administration of the, Soviet Properties (ABS?Adminis-
trAtia Bunurilor Sovietice) located at 21 Strada C A; Rosetti in Bucha-
rest. In 1949 the company was enlarged when it absorbed the previously
merged five other former joint Rumani n-German companies in Braila
(The Agromex, Dunarex, Agrex, Muller Cereal Export and the Hildebrand).
In 1950 Banugran was also engaged in joint business activities with the
Roehlirig company. In October 1950, Danugran was itself merged into the
'Semperit Cauciuc from Bucharest, a former joint Rumanian-Austriq.n com-
pany. The general manager of Danugran was, until 1948, Loan Tomov... He
is approximately 50 years old, married, a n d an engineer who studied in
Germany and who speaks German, Rumaniai,:French, and Russian. After
1948 Tomov was transferred to the gold'mines of Baia Mare. Tomov was
not a member of the Communist Party.
2. After August 1944, Danugran was for a while engaged in the'collection
of corn for shipment to the USSR via Constanta, In 1946 the company
collected 1,000 wine tanks which it delivered to a Soviet, commission
presided over by a Soviet captain named Sandagurski .(fni)0 The wine
was delivered to the Soviet Union as reparations. In 1948 Danugran de-
livered 50,000-'Idlograms of pickles in barrels to the division head-
gxarters of.Soviet Unit No o' 02806, ' then located in Braila.
CLASSIFICATION CONFIDENTIAL
NAVY
AIR
25X1
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CONFIDENTIAL
2
The Semperit Cauciuc (Rubber) Company wasp until. August 1944,a joint German-
Rumanian company. After that date it became Soviet property under the
control and the administration of the CASBI (until 1946)and ABS there-
after. In 1950 all assets of the Danugran Company were merged with those
of the Semperit Cauciuc Company. The main offices of the company are
located at 3 Strada Balaceanu in Bucharest. The Semperit Cauciuc also
operates a tire recapping shop located at 26 Strada Barbu Vacarescu in
Bucharest. The offices of the Braila branch of the Semperit Cauciuc
are located in the former offices of the Danugran company. The manager
of Semperit Cauciuc. was, until June 1951, one Nicos Dimatos, a Greek-
Rumanian.
The Semperit Cauciuc is engaged in the sale to Rumanian Q,cverment organ-.
zations and companies as well as Rumanian nationals, of miscellaneous
used items and articles owned by the Soviet forces stationed in Rumania.
For example:
a. From 1950 to 1952, Semperit Cauciuc received from Soviet Unit No.
59399 approximately 300,000 kilograms of u sed tires, mostly of
American manufacture, in sizes ranging from 500/16 and 750/16 to
600/20 to 800/20. In 1951 the company also received from this same
unit 60 vehicles of the following types: Opel Blitz, Mann Diesel,
six and eight cylinder Fords, Chevrolets, Opel Kapitan, and ONC. In
1952, the company has thus far received 40 Praga and Opel Blitz.
trucks tor sale.
The Soviet Unit No. 18904 also turned over used harness and other
leather goods to Semperit Cauciuc for sale.
c. The Soviet Units Nos. 83432, 29488 and 35606 sold scrap iron (from
used vehicles, tanks and arms) to Semperit Cauciuc-.
5. Rubber inner tubes were sold by Soviet units for 35 old lei per kilogram.
Semperit Cauciuc -then resold these items for 135 to 11.0 old lei per
kilogram. Rubber tires sold for 57 lei per kilogram. Scrap iron was
sold for 0.40 old lei and resold for 3.50 to 3.55 old lei per kilogram.
Cast iron was sold at 0.45 old lei and resold for 1.45 old lei per kilo-
gram. The Soviet Army vehicles for sale were priced from 80,000-old lei
to 150,000 old lei.. One five-ton Renault truck sold for 200,000 old lei
and resold for 350,000 old lei. Usually the profit on the resale of the
vehicles ranged from 50 to 75 percent. All profits resulting from the
sale of Soviet Army properties are turned over to the Administration of
Soviet Properties (ABS) with the exception of a seven percent commission
earned by Semperit Cauciuc.
6. Usually old tires are sold to certain shoemakers who made a special type
of moccasin (opinci) and to private owners of trucks and taxis, Since
January 1952, however, private owners are no longer permitted to buy
such items until all government organizations have been supplied with
these items. There is a great demand for these rubber goods. -
7. The Soviet Army vehicles are sold to private buyers. For all vehicles
sold by Semperit Cauciuc the company issues a bi.llcf sale in which it is
stated that the vehicle was the property of ABS and a former "war trophy".
These bills of sale are the documents proving ownership of the purchased
vehicles. The vehicle and the bill of sale is taken to the Control Commission
(Comisia de Verificare) in Galati where the vehicles are tested for
mechanical defects which might endanger public safety. If the test is pass-
ed the vehicles are permitted to operate. A newly purchased vehicle may
be operated only if the owner also possessed a traffic document (Foaie de
Circulatie) issued by the Traffic Division (Sectia de Circulatie)of the
Militia. The traffic document fiscal permit is issued by the Tax: Office
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of the Financial Division of the People's Council and costs 80,000 old
lei per quarter. The licenses for vehicles operated in Braila bear the
letters GL (for the Galati Raion) followed by a number.
8. The Semperit Cauciuc was usually notified by one Gavrilov (the 45 year
old director of the A.B.S.) to contact one of the Soviet units which had
something for sale. The transfer of property from the Soviet Unit to
Semperit Cauciuc was usually done by the signing of a."prices verbal" by
the "responsibles" of the two -1tstitutions. The quantities and prices
were mentioned in the "proces 'verbal".
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