REPARATIONS, RAW MATERIALS, CONSTRUCTION AND SMALL INDUSTRIES OF RUMANIA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00047R000300410001-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 17, 2013
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: September 24, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

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CLASSIFICATION/CONFIDEIMAL/SECUIZITY
CENTRAL INTELLIGENcEIERFI?N
INFORMATION REPORT
COUNTRY Rumania
SUBJECT Reparations, Raw Materials, Construction and
Small Industries of Rumania
PLACE
ACQUIRED
DATE
ACQUIRED
DATE OF INFORMATION
THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS IRPORMATION AFFECTING THE RATIONAL DEFENSE
OP THE UNITED STATES, wirmix THE MEANING OF TITLE IS, SECTIONS 793
AND 794, OF THE U.S. CODE, AS AMENDED. ITS TRANSMISSION OR REV,
LATION OF ITS CONTENTS 10 09 RECEIPT ST UN AU TN. INTO PERSON IS
PROHIBITED OT LAW. THE REPRODUCTION CI THIS FOAM IS PRONIOITED.
DATE DISTR. _st. Sep lcAal
NO OF PAGES $01
NO. OF ENCLS.
LISTED BELOW)
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
1. USSR - Rumania - Reparations
a.
I cannot categorically state that
she has or has not paid her reparations to the USSR. Rowever, I assume that the
reparations have not been paid. My belief is premised upon the wide disparity
which exists between the value of the leu and the value of the ruble which would
preclude the possibility of Rumania meeting the payments on current diplomatic
exchange rates.
b. In order to illustrate my contention that Rumania has not been able to meet the
reparation I can recall that in 1947 the USSR took as reparation from Rumania
great amounts of grain. The Soviet Union then shipped this grain to Odessa.
A short time later the grain was reshipped to Constantal where the USSR, under
the guise of assistance to Rumania, sold Rumania the grain at approximately ten
times the price she had credited Rumania with during the original reparations
transaction.
c. Although 100 lei equalled one ruble in 1947, this transaction was actually con-
summated at the rate of 1000 lei for one ruble.. As I recall the Rumanian govern-
ment repurchased this grain at the cost of one ruble for one kilogram.
Highway Construction
a. I cannot recall any highway work or road construction after World War II. There
is actually one main highway in the country. It leads from Constanta to Arad
via P1oest4 Brasov, and Cluj. This road, which is paved, has four lanes between
Bucharest and Ploesti Jith the remainder being only two lanes in width.
Railroads
a. Rumania has only single track railways. The chief rail junctions are located at
Bucharest, Constanta, Ploesti, Brasov, Rasboeni? Cluj, Arad, and Oradea-Mare.
While each of the above rail centers has large maintenance and repair shops I
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cannot further speak authoritatively concerning them. At Brasov, however, there
were from 22 to 25 rail sidings and a large repair shop.
"
b. The rolling stock in 1947 was, ill very poor condition and in dire need of repair
and fumigation. There was such a shortage of rolling stock, particularly in
passenger cars, that people even rode on top of these cars. I can recall that
one time while enroute from Brasov to Arad I had to stand up for 16 hours.
c. These railways in 1947 employed the old steam-driven engines. There were very
few Diesel locomotiVes,
Flat cars in "1947 were,by and large requisitioned by the USSR military forces in
Rumania. The USSR utilized this rolling stock for moving Soviet troops and equip-
ment. I can recall that in Brasov near the railroad station the Soviets constructed
massive barracks. These barracks enveloped the railway tracks so that the flat
cars were pulled into the barracks where USSR military personnel could be dis-
charged without being seen by the public. I know for certain that in 1947 these
barracks were filled with railroad cars which were loaded with Russian military
equipment which could move at a moment's,irtice. ,These barreicks were:,alway.s
guarded by UtSR Military Poliee-andTersOhnel.
By way df digression - many of the schools in Eastern Rumania in 1947 were con-
verted into small hospitals for Soviet use, They were constantly filled
convalescing Soviet soldiers. I can recall a number _of occasionswhen "6* 1
Soviet soldiers who appeared quite ill but who nevertheless were forced to drill
with complete military gear and packs.. In most oases the disease contracted by,,
USMmilitary personnel was one of the venereal'diieases.
4. Telepommunioations
_
a. The telecommunications system is, very,poor. Prior to World War-IIthe system
WaSOWed,by 3 P Iorgan Rumania, by and large an agrariari*A6:616n.r.1*.sesa0-.7
few telephones outside_the:larger-cities.
. ,
b. In 1942 or 1945,te1ephones.were for. the first time converted tb,tha automatic ,
or dial'type, Thi conversion took place onlY in the-verY isrge'cities.
c.
. Long distance calls as late _as 4947 .Fere an prdeal, ,It, was very diff,icult4'97,..the
Operators to PCake:the necessary connectione. 1 knoW,that.nD.radio systemszsuch as
we have inthe US Were employed in Rumania and that only the direct line system
was utilized.,
d. In calling 'fr.*, BraSOV'tO BUCharest. onp:Pouid expeCt a time lapee Pt:eeven:to
eight hoUra. Constant-interference-Made lort diatance callimoat difficult.
?
e. The tyloP$ of telephones used Were of .1/S and.,Germen,origin? .primarily S1.4mena-
* SahUkert and
. Manufactured GaS
,
ai Prior-to-nationalization?
Oil Company.
Fuel-.1Jood
manufactured gas was produced primarily by the America
.;;;.
a. Fuel wood is existent' in large quantities in?Rumania. iriMary SOurceS a're the
aarge forests in the Carpathians and in Transylvania. In fac%lumbering was in 1947
-one-of the major industries.
portion2r.of Rumania lumber in:ij47.was ekportedtO the:*).
c. PropOrtIonatelY,
other types.
,4t1-
ould 'State' that pine e*isteein far lailier duantities than
CONFIDENTIAL/SECURITY INFORMATION
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CONFIDENTIAL 6EC:NRITY INFORMA=ON
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T. Minerals
? Lignite, magnite? 51c.1
Resita,, Rumania
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and brown coal are plentifUl,.particular1y around.
_ _ _
_ ,
b. So far as I,inew none of the'foll6Wing.mineralswere native. to RUmania:in Sufficient
quantities:- molybdenum, nickel, cobalt; chrome-, 'beryiliumi thagnediut,-tin,
mercury, wolfram, cadmium or zirconium. I know of no uranium deposits nor do I
- recall-any semiMallesble metals.
?
3. Electrical Equipment
a. Electric wire products which were Made at'Firola-vere:very ScarCe.' The telephone
wire produced at Farola in l9.7 was bare, that iil.itiaat not insulated'.
b. There were no electric locomotives, the emphasis WasLnponjsteam engines'and:turbines.
(BrOwn-Boveri locomotives were imported from Switzerland). .
c. Rumania in 1247 had no electricalinessUring instruments-.
4-
. Electric lamps and light bulbs were made. by Philips and, Minerva in Bucharest, both
foreign concerns:. The light bulbs Could be reliediiponlor approimatelY:tWo
thousand hours of use. '
e. Radio receivers were primarily of foreign origin, witikaome assembly within the
country.
f. Dry cell, batteries were manufactured by the Durra and Galvan companies of Bucharest.
.The. dry..were of very poor quality but this didn't matter since there wasn't
a great need for them.
?Wet Cell batteries were by and large imported, mostIiiirom--Germaniwith'Ant6lite--
aha Bosch the only two utilized.
g.
Esslionm t_.i2nen-lun
a. So far as I know no radios were produced in
non-existent throughout the country. There
operated on the Middle and long bandi. The?
located 18 kth outside BrasoV -this station
Petroleum Refineries
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Rnmania. _Ham operations were practically
were two stations in Bucharest Which'
-strongest :radiO-station-in Rumania was
.had-a-250'meter'antenna
, ?=^ ,
There were three catalytic cracking plants.- One:waS.,lobate4.atploesti4:,-one in Moroni
and the other at Brasov. By-products of the plant atAcaabv.weiq paraffin, vaseline,
and bitumen.
-4 Atomic Energy
a. 1 heard of no atomic research
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no uraiiinlimines at that time.
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