White Notebook #3 1 Translation of original notes from KGB archival files by Alexander Vassiliev (1993-1996) Translated by Steve Shabad, reviewed and edited by Alexander Vassiliev and John Earl Haynes (2007) [Pagination and formatting track the handwritten original notebook. Phrases in English in the original are italicized. Phrases that were transliterated from English to Russian in the original are in Arial font. Marginal comments in the left margin are chiefly page numbers from the archival file while those in the right margin are Vassiliev’s topic designations, his own comments, or notes to himself. Endnotes were added in translation.] ******************************************************************************************************************* File 55298 “Robert” Undated report by Sound on Bruce Minton (“Informator”): Informator, p.20 Bruce’s primary contact – Gregory Silvermaster, an economist at the Treasury Dept. An expert Silvermaster on sociology, has a command of Russian. Lives with Ludwig Ullmann, who is a friend of his. the White trusts Silvermaster and often asks for his advice, especially on matters pertaining to the same S.U. p.21 9/X – 1940 A report on Bruce Minton was received from Sound. (Real name is Richard Informator Bransten1). Comes from a well-to-do California family; joined the CP during the Calif. strike of 1934. Moved to NY, worked at the mag. “New Masses.” Divorced Louise Bransten and married Ruth McKenney. p.22 On assignment from Browder, he issues the bulletin “In Fact” together with Seldes. At “New Masses” at the same time. Repetition. p.23 Bruce meets with S-ter on a daily basis; the latter informs him of Washington news. p.29 Report by Sound from 31.03.42 [On the evening of 26.03, Sound met with Gregg and his wife. His name was entered on Dies’ list, which consists of 100 civil servants who are suspected of belonging to the CP. The FBI systematically checked these people. Gregg’s name got on the list because of his wife, who had belonged to various Spanish and Chinese organizations. Through a lawyer she knew with contacts in the FBI, his wife found out that after 1 January 1942, the FBI had investigated their activities in California. They won’t find anything, b/c in California he worked p.30 for 10 years in a Catholic organization, and the priests and monks have nothing but good things to say about him. Regarding his wife, the FBI has established that she is a Russian noblewoman, who fled Russia to escape the Reds. They found an article in the Hearst press’s archives on the West Coast in which she was described as an unfortunate Russian noblewoman who managed just barely (by the skin of her teeth) to escape the “Red fiends.” The wife said that she did not give this information to the journalists. She had been approached by people who already knew about her, and who offered her an honorarium for a series of articles about her and the Reds. She had declined and asked them not to print anything, but the journalists had not listened. Perhaps her first husband had cooperated with them. S’s friends told him that the FBI was making inquiries about him. p.31 S. paid no heed. He knew that he was on Dies’ list. He had just been given a new job at the Board of Economic Warfare è ordinary investigation. There shouldn’t be any evidence.] “Two weeks ago, after dinner on Sunday, the head of his division – White – a rather respectable White liberal, who strongly opposes the indiscriminate vilification of the “Reds” that is currently taking place in every government department and feels that such a policy is unjust in the highest degree – called Gregg and told him that he wanted to see him. He came to his house, went over certain White Notebook #3 2 official matters pertaining to the Board of Economic Warfare, and then asked Gregg to take a walk with him, so that they could discuss matters that were highly confidential. When they had left the house, White said that he and another high-ranking official at the Board of Economic Warfare had met with a member of the Secret Service division of the Treasury Dept. to discuss matters pertaining to the Board and that during the discussion, the man from the Treasury Department had told them that he knew Gregg had started working on the Board of Economic Warfare. He warned the two officials that Gregg was a bad person and that he could not be allowed to stay, b/c (these, as far as I can remember, were his exact words) he was the “head” p.32 of a Communist espionage group in Washington and virtually the head of a Communist gang made up of civil servants.” He did not go into further detail, evidently b/c the two officials had not insisted that he say any more. Gregg does not know who this person from the Treasury Department was, and in general he does not know anything else about this. He did not try to ask White too many questions, b/c he did not want to seem too concerned. White said that he and the other official had both scoffed at the idea that Gregg was a Communist, and that they were sure of him. He then told Gregg that he was relating this conversation to Gregg because he thinks that the whole affair is very unjust and he wanted to let him know that there were these nasty rumors circulating about him...” p.33 “He said that as far as he knew, not one of the agencies that were investigating him had any incriminating information about him, except for the rumors and various kinds of gossip that were widely used in Washington to vilify all the liberals. He does not know of any instances or cases where anything could have leaked out, but he will continue to look into these possibilities. He says that the people who work with him are not aware of what he does, and therefore it is very unlikely that they could have any evidence against him. The only people there who really dislike him are the 100% fascists and the ‘pacifists’. Everyone else respects and likes him.” p.50 NY – C 19.4.42. [Sound was instructed not to visit Pal and to take a break from his work for 1 1/2 – 2 Clever Girl months.] [Contact – through Clever Girl, who will be finding out how things stand.] p.53 C/t NY – M 2.05.42 [According to “Pal,” the situation with the investigation against him is going pretty well so far, b/c the investigator who is questioning him – is his “classmate” from college.] p.66 Report by “Sound” from 22.5.42 “The FBI has ended its investigation of ‘Pal’s’ file, evidently without having discovered anything. However, the ‘Civil Service Commission” (which, by the way, is headed by a bunch of Trotskyites, most of them renegades from the Comparty) is continuing its investigation White Notebook #3 3 and will not conclude it for at least another two weeks. From the source of information, whom I will mention below, “Pal’s” wife learned that the committee is trying to prove his guilt by any means possible. On that single case, they are using 18 investigative workers, who have been studying the past 27 years of “Pal’s” life. In order to gather information about him, they have sent people to his university – the University of Washington in Seattle – from which he graduated in 1918. They are trying to link him to a woman whom he knew 27 years ago and who, after meeting p.67 ä him, became a well-known member of the Comparty. They are making inquiries at [This could be a every hotel in every city where he had stayed when he was working for the civil reference to Sam service; they are checking all his phone conversations from these hotels. Darcy’s wife, who was “Pal’s” wife reported that these investigations are all being conducted by David responsible for Pal’s Saposs, who sold out to the Dies Committee and provides the latter with exposure as a radical information. Saposs is an opportunist of the worst kind, who is jealous of anyone in 1935 (according to with a better job than his. In particular, he is jealous of “Pal” and his job. “Pal” “Informator” p.25)].2 and his wife had known the Saposses during the Spanish war but broke off the Saposs acquaintance soon after. According to “Pal,” Saposs doesn’t know anything about him. Regarding the source of “Pal’s” wife’s information: Several years ago (apparently in 1936), at a party held by Louise Rosenberg (Bruce Minton’s first wife), “Pal’s” wife met a very attractive young woman, with whom she discussed polit. matters the whole night. They established a good rapport and were in agreement about everything. This woman wrote down “Pal’s” wife’s name and address and said that she would pay her a visit when she came to Washington. p.68 She did not tell “Pal’s” wife her name. Some time later, she called and dropped by to see “Pal’s” wife. Since then, she has frequently corresponded and met with her. “Pal’s” wife cannot identify this woman, although she has often seen her at society events in Washington. One woman told her that she was the daughter of some admiral or other and that she was one of nicest women in Washington. This admiral’s daughter must have contact with the highest sources of information, because she told Helen a great deal of information.