GAS MASK PRODUCTION AT THE CHOTEBOR METALWORKING PLANT; MISCELLANEOUS POLITICAL INFORMATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82-00457R005600150012-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 16, 2000
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: September 6, 1950
• Content Type: REPORT

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Gas I1taai.. Production at the Chotebor L etalworking
Plant; I,'isce].laneous Political Information
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ELIS ED BELOW
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT NO.
1, The Chotebor iy1etalvorking Plant was founded as Eckhardt and Company in
Prague in 1927. In 1936 the plant was moved to Chotebor (050/A75). During
World War II, filters for German gas masks and oxygen apparatus for the
use of the alehrmacht were manufactured at a rate of 700000 filters and
00 oxygen apparatus units per weeks In addition, 49,Q00 canisters for gas
masks were produced eadh week as well as a limited number of autogenous
welding machine.,. During the war 90 percent of all productive capacity
was devoted to producin ; filters and canisters.
2, In 1944 the factory was ordered to produce airplane engine coolers in coopera-
tion with the Junkers factory. In reality, this production was not begun
until the end of the war. At the end of the war, production was started on
autogenous welding machines and milk cans. Today, about 100 welding machines
are produced each week and about 5,000 milk cans each month. A small number
of miners 2 lamps and oxygen apparatus for use in the mines ? re also manu-
factured.,, Special bottles for the storage of .butane are manufactured at
a rate of about 10,000 per month; the plantar qucta is ;30,,000 per month.
Most of these bottles are exported, largely to France.
3. Production of filters for gas masks was stopped shortly after the end of the
warp In 1947 about 150,000 filters were in storage. A small number of these
have been issued to firs-fighting brigades and about 15,000 sent to Yugoslavia.
:Early In 1948 the iI3.litary Technical Institute in cooperation with the Chotebor
Iitettallworking plant began work on the development of a new type of filter for
a new Czech gas mask. Because of the lack of technical experts, production
has not yet begun on the new filter? Still, production of these filters has
been made part of the Five Year Plan. The Chotebor plant received a credit
1949 to construct a 20,000 square meter building for the production of the
filters at a rate of 10,000 per shift. The rubber parts for the new gas mask
are to be manufactured at the Svit Rubber Plant (formerly Fatra) in Napajedla
(P50/010)
4., It was planned that the new type of filter should be designed in such a way
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o . cellulose and powdered coal. The rare materials for the fil.
that it sight at some future time be further impregnated against new types
of gas not yet known 4 This requirement cannot be met. A substance other
than active coal is being sought for use as the neutral layer for the filter,,,
however, that an effective filter can be made from a mixture
i AvSIFICAT60t+! :iii ~i,/Ct;I"TI Uh w U. S. GFrICIAT,S ONLY
This document is hereby regraded to
CONFIDENTIAL in accordance with the
letter of 16 October 1978 from the
Director of Central Intelligence to the
Archivist of the United States.
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From domestic Czech production and are needed only in small qunatities.
Only the poor quality of tin will have an averse effect on the quality of
the filters.
Drawings of a Soviet model filter were to be delivered to Chotebor for
production. They had not arrived as recently as October 949. Even if
a new filter design were developed and accepted, or if the dre. ings for
the soviet filter were delivered, it would not be i:;occible to o,,.-,in
on a mass production basis for at least a year because of difficulties in
converting the plant from the production of machinery.
In order to tie Czechoslovakia with the Democratic German Republic, Poland
and Hungry in a common economic program and in order to continue to force
Czechoslovakia to export steel and iron to the USSR against the interests
of the countrys# it is necessary that the key positions in Czech industry be
held by person who are completely willing to carry out such a program
It
,
was because of their lack of energy in carrying out tU:is program that Milan
Rein n, Chief of the Office of the Prime i ini.ster, and Evzen Loebls Deputy
Minister of Foreign. Trade,, were purged. It is probable that Vojtech Slesinger9
the brother-in-law of Loebl and manager of Letrans, national trucking corpora-
tior and Fisar, Depaty Minister of Social 'elfare, will. also be removed from
their positions ibr similar :reasons.
. Some of the Corninn.sts placed in important positions in the econo of
Czechoslovakia include Ludvig Frejka (alias Freund), who controls the
economic structure of Czechoslovakia through,the economic commission of
the Communist Party, Jaromir Doiansky, former Minister of Finance who was
recently made Chairman of the Planning Board, and Dr. Jaroslav Kabes9 newly
appointed flinister of Finance. Kabes was formerly secretary to Dolansky
and is still greatly influenced by him. Thus.. Doiansky and Frejka exercise
very extensive control over Czech economy. Both arc loyal Communists.
It is reported that Dr. Eduard Outrata will probably be removed from his
position on the Economic Council because ofDolansdyas distrust of him.
25X1X Comments The USSR ordered Czechoslovakia to produce iron and steel
for export to the Soviet Union and other satellites at 12 kes/kilogram in
place of manufactured articles which Czechoslovakia could export for 30 kcs/
kilo ;ram.
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Approved For Release 2001/03/05: CIA-RDP82-00457R005600150012-5