LETTER TO MR. ALLEN W. DULLES FROM J. EDGAR HOOVER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80B01676R001000010005-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 14, 2003
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: October 18, 1956
• Content Type: LETTER

OFFICE OF THE DIR9cTORApproved For Release 2003/ 9P2,. k8F P8OBO1676R001000010005-7
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
WASHINGTON 25. D. C.
October 18, 1956
Mr. Allen Y. Dulles
Director
Central Intelligence Agency
VIA LIAISON
PERSONAL AND CONFID NT-1,iL
Administration Building, Room 123
2430 E Street, N.W.
Washington., D. C.
Dear Mr. Dulles:
Reference is made to my letter of
October 4, 1956, enclosing a memorandum under
the same date captioned "Communist Party, USA,
International Relations, Internal Security - C."
I thought you would be interested in
the information set forth in a memorandum on the
same subject, which is enclosed herewith,
reporting additional details of the discussion
had between a delegation of the Canadian Communist
Party and Nikita Khrushchev in Moscow on the
Jewish problem in the Soviet Union.
In view of the delicate position of
our sources of information in this matter, it
is requested that the contents of this memorandum
be treated as "Top Secret."
The enclosure has been disseminated
to appropriate agencies of the Government.
Sincerely yours,
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In Reply, Please Refer to
File No.
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
WASHINGTON 25, D. C.
October 18, 1956
COM IUNIST PARTY, U.S.A.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
INTERNAL SECURITY - C
In connection with the information set forth in
our memorandum of October 4, 1956, concerning a recent
meeting of a Canadian Communist Party delegation with
Nikita Khrushchev and other Soviet officials in Moscow,
our confidential sources have furnished the following
additional details which are believed to be of interest.
During the meeting of the Canadian Communist
Party delegation with Khrushchev, the latter engaged in
a personal debate with Joe Sal--berg, one of the Canadian
delegates, on the Jewish question. Salzberg asked
Khrushchev whether or not he believed there was forced
integration of the Jews in the Soviet Union. Khrushchev
answered that he would not speak to Salzberg as a Canadian
but as a communist. He pointed out to Salzberg that it
was necessary to keep in mind that "were are still surroundec
by hostile capitalist states and that while the danger of
war is lessened, there is still a possibility of some
provocation and armed clashes. Khrushchev stated that
the Soviet Union was still trying to raise its technical
level and standard of living, and build its industry, and
so forth. With respect to Salzberg's question as to why
the Jews do not have any opportunity to use their own
language or establish their own schools and their own
culture, Khrushchev answered that the Jews have the same
opportunities as other nationalities and they should use
these opportunities.
Khrushchev pointed out to Salzberg that the
Soviets had given the Jews Birobidjan, an immense country
with untold riches, and yet the Soviets cannot get the
Jews to go there. Further, the Jews insist on returning
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to places from which they originally came. He stated the
Soviets have had to send Russians and other nationalities
to Birobidjan because not enough Jews are going there to
cultivate the country. Khrushchev went on to say that
the Russians are not prepared to give the Jewish people
the rights which other small nationality groups or
minorities do not get. Citing an example, he stated
that during World War II the Armenians were dispersed
through all parts of the Soviet Union, some of them in
Moscow, some in Leningrad and some in other large cities.
He continued that there is no Armenian press outside of
Armenia,, nor special Armenian schools, and that the
Uzbekistan area accepted the Armenians when the Armenians
settled there. Khrushche, stated that if the Armenians
would ask for some special preferences such as their
own press, schools and culture, the Uzbek population
would oppose them. Khrushchev remarked that the Jewish
people were becoming integrated as a part of the Soviet
people and that the old patriarchal family form of
industry is gone since the war has dispersed many people,
including the Jewish people. He stated that most of
them, when they recongregated, did so in a manner diff eren;,
from that of the Jewish people who insisted on retaining
family and community ties.
Khrushchev told Salzberg it is necessary to
keep in mind that the Jews are not of one class make-up,
that is, some Jews do not represent progressive interests,
He pointed out to Salzberg that millions of people in
the Soviet Union, many of whom are still backward peoples,
have been drawn into industry from the villages and some
of these people have within them a latent anti-Semitism.
Khrushchev stated that some of this was brought into being
by the Jews themselves. He explained this statement by
stating the Soviets had established a committee to rebuild
some of the larger cities such as Kiev, Kharkov and Riga.
The chief architects and administrators of these committees
were Jews. These Jews, instead of just accepting the
positions and doing a job, talked about the Jews'
contribution to the rebuilding of these cities. Before
the Jewish newspaper "Einikeit" was liquidated, it
contained stories bragging about the deeds of the Jews
and their contribution to rebuilding the USSR. Thereafter,
letters started to come to Russian newspapers from people
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asking why it was necessary. to send a Jew to rebuild Kiev
instead of a Ukrainian; why it was necessary to send a
Jew to rebuild Riga instead of a Lett, et cetera. Khrushchev
remarked that the boasting in "Einikeit" invited some of
the anti-Semitic protests and inflamed the backward peoples.
Concerning the question of a separate Jewish
culture or, as Khrushchev called it, "cultural separation,"
Khrushchev stated that the demand for it was influenced
by people who are hostile to the Soviets. He stated that
the leaders of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
want the Canadians to consider the whole Jewish question
and the role of Israel. He emphasized that Israel is a
rallying ground for American imperialism, for separatism
and fnr._ Jewish nationalism.
Khrushchev went on to say that Stalin had cause
to take action against the Jewish :Anti-Fascist Committee
in the USSR because of its involvement in the Crimean
incident (referring to the campaign of this committee
after World War II to get the Jewish people in the, USSR
to migrate to the Crimea). Khrushchev stated that if
this plot had succeeded, the Crimea would have become
an outpost for United States imperialism. He stated
the Soviet Government is not going to make a formal
declamation or declination of special rights for
the Jewish people and is not going to give them a special
status. He stated that if the Jews in Russia want to
write books in their own language, these books will be
printed; further, if the Jews want to write plays in
their own language, they will be permitted to stage
these plays. However, before this is done, it will be
necessary to develop a demand for them. As far as
Khrushchev is concerned, there is no evidence of a
special demand for such an expression of separate culture.
Khrushchev remarked that he could not understand
Salzberg'?s reasoning with regard to the need for an
independent status, a national status and an independent
culture for the Jews. He said that there are a lot
of Ukrainians in Moscow and there is no special Ukrainian
paper in Moscow. He stated that if the Soviets have a
special Jewish paper in Moscow, every Ukrainian might
ask why there is not one for the Ukrainians. He advised
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Sal2berg that there was a beginning of integration of
the Jewish people in Russia in the 1930's and what
transpired afterwards, such as the liquidation of
the Jewish press and other cultural activities, took
place in a natural way.
All of the above information is being
classified "Top Secret" and should be treated
accordingly because of the delicate position of
our sources. It is requested that no dissemination
be made of the above information without prior
consultation with this Bureau.
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SIGNATURE RECORD AND COVER SHEET
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