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SOVIET ESPIONAGE IN CANADA
The inquiry of the Royal Canadian Commission ap-
long ago from a political party into an agency net of the
pointed to investigate the facts relating to and the circum-
Soviet Government."
stances surrounding the communication, by public officials
and other persons in positions of trust, of secret and con-
Organization of Soviet Embassy-Secrecy of
fidential information to agents of a foreign Power revealed
Activities
much concerning Soviet espionage. As early as 1924, an
organization, directed from the Soviet Union and operat-
From testimony and from Soviet Embassy documents
ing with Communist sympathizers in Canada, was at work
given by Gouzenko at the hearings of the Royal Commis-
in the Dominion. Although the network in Canada was a
sion, it was revealed that the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa
self-contained unit directed from Moscow, there were in-
operated in five divisions. These are as follows: (1) the
dications of connections with networks both in the United
Embassy proper-the Ambassador and his staff-report-
States and in Europe.
ing to the Commissariat for Foreign Affairs; (2) the Com-
The report makes the pointed statement that the activi-
mercial Section, headed by the Commercial Counsellor, re-
ties of the espionage network in Canada cannot be con-
porting to the Commissariat for Foreign Trade: (3) the
sidered merely acts of over-zealous Soviet employees anx-
Political Section, headed by Goussarov, Second Secretary
ious to inform their government. On the contrary, the
of the Embassy, which communicated directly with the
network must have been the result of long preparation by
Central Committees of the Communist Party in the U. S.
trained and experienced men who journeyed to Canada for
S.
R.; (4) the NKVD 36 Section, directed by Pavlov,
a
the express purpose of carrying on spying activities and
Second Secretary of the Embassy, which sent its messages
who employed all resources at their disposal, with or with-
to NKVD Headquarters in Moscow: and (5) the Military
out corruption, to fulfill the tasks assigned them.
Section, under Colonel Zabotin, Military Attaché, which
communicated with the Director of Military Intelligence
Igor Gouzenko
in Moscow.
Each of these sections was entirely independent of the
Of prime importance in the analysis of the Report of the
others, each having separate code clerks, who operated
Royal Commission of Canada on Espionage Activities is
independently, using a different cipher which was un-
the consideration of the factors which brought about the
known to the others and sending their messages to differ-
"defection" of Igor Gouzenko, code clerk of the Soviet
ent headquarters in Moscow. Only the last three sec-
Military Attaché in Ottawa.
tions named above are known definitely to have taken part
In furnishing his information to the Canadians,
in the clandestine activities.
Gouzenko stated that, during the two years that he had
The operations were cloaked with the greatest secrecy,
spent in Canada, he had been greatly impressed with the
both within the Embassy, as well as in the relations with
complete freedom which existed thero-freedom of in-
the agents, and by the agents themselves in their mutual
dividuals and freedom of elections in comparison with the
contacts. "After reading, burn" was a standard instruc-
mockery of the elections in the U. S. S. R.-and with the
tion on written assignments of tasks given by Colonel Zab-
evidence of what a free people could accomplish in contrast
otin and his associates to the agents. The meetings of
to the false picture of the conditions of life in the "democ-
agents at night on street corners and in automobiles, and
racies" which the Soviet Government had created. He
the use of cover-names and go-betweens, indicate the
further stated "The Soviet Government is creating in
secrecy with which the operations were conducted. Such
democratic countries, including Canada, a fifth column,
cover-names were used by the Soviet leaders in the espio-
in the organization of which even diplomatic representa-
nage system, not only for themselves, their Soviet assist-
tives of the Soviet Government take part. The announce-
ants, and their agents, but also for referring to places, or-
ment of the dissolution of the Comintern was, probably,
ganizations, and things. Thus, Canada sometimes was
the greatest farce of the Communists in years
be-
referred to as Lesovia; the Soviet Embassy, as Metro; the
NKVD, as The Neighbour; the Communist Farty of Can-
cause the Soviet leaders have never relinquished the idea
ada or other countries, except the U. S. S. R., as The Cor-
of establishing a Communist dictatorship throughout the
poration; Party members, as corporants or corporators;
world
To many Soviet people abroad it is clear that
the Communist Party in democratic countries has. changed
36
Now MVD. See page 85.
RESTRICTED
59
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"ocrText": "SOVIET ESPIONAGE IN CANADA\nThe inquiry of the Royal Canadian Commission ap-\nlong ago from a political party into an agency net of the\npointed to investigate the facts relating to and the circum-\nSoviet Government.\"\nstances surrounding the communication, by public officials\nand other persons in positions of trust, of secret and con-\nOrganization of Soviet Embassy-Secrecy of\nfidential information to agents of a foreign Power revealed\nActivities\nmuch concerning Soviet espionage. As early as 1924, an\norganization, directed from the Soviet Union and operat-\nFrom testimony and from Soviet Embassy documents\ning with Communist sympathizers in Canada, was at work\ngiven by Gouzenko at the hearings of the Royal Commis-\nin the Dominion. Although the network in Canada was a\nsion, it was revealed that the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa\nself-contained unit directed from Moscow, there were in-\noperated in five divisions. These are as follows: (1) the\ndications of connections with networks both in the United\nEmbassy proper-the Ambassador and his staff-report-\nStates and in Europe.\ning to the Commissariat for Foreign Affairs; (2) the Com-\nThe report makes the pointed statement that the activi-\nmercial Section, headed by the Commercial Counsellor, re-\nties of the espionage network in Canada cannot be con-\nporting to the Commissariat for Foreign Trade: (3) the\nsidered merely acts of over-zealous Soviet employees anx-\nPolitical Section, headed by Goussarov, Second Secretary\nious to inform their government. On the contrary, the\nof the Embassy, which communicated directly with the\nnetwork must have been the result of long preparation by\nCentral Committees of the Communist Party in the U. S.\ntrained and experienced men who journeyed to Canada for\nS.\nR.; (4) the NKVD 36 Section, directed by Pavlov,\na\nthe express purpose of carrying on spying activities and\nSecond Secretary of the Embassy, which sent its messages\nwho employed all resources at their disposal, with or with-\nto NKVD Headquarters in Moscow: and (5) the Military\nout corruption, to fulfill the tasks assigned them.\nSection, under Colonel Zabotin, Military Attaché, which\ncommunicated with the Director of Military Intelligence\nIgor Gouzenko\nin Moscow.\nEach of these sections was entirely independent of the\nOf prime importance in the analysis of the Report of the\nothers, each having separate code clerks, who operated\nRoyal Commission of Canada on Espionage Activities is\nindependently, using a different cipher which was un-\nthe consideration of the factors which brought about the\nknown to the others and sending their messages to differ-\n\"defection\" of Igor Gouzenko, code clerk of the Soviet\nent headquarters in Moscow. Only the last three sec-\nMilitary Attaché in Ottawa.\ntions named above are known definitely to have taken part\nIn furnishing his information to the Canadians,\nin the clandestine activities.\nGouzenko stated that, during the two years that he had\nThe operations were cloaked with the greatest secrecy,\nspent in Canada, he had been greatly impressed with the\nboth within the Embassy, as well as in the relations with\ncomplete freedom which existed thero-freedom of in-\nthe agents, and by the agents themselves in their mutual\ndividuals and freedom of elections in comparison with the\ncontacts. \"After reading, burn\" was a standard instruc-\nmockery of the elections in the U. S. S. R.-and with the\ntion on written assignments of tasks given by Colonel Zab-\nevidence of what a free people could accomplish in contrast\notin and his associates to the agents. The meetings of\nto the false picture of the conditions of life in the \"democ-\nagents at night on street corners and in automobiles, and\nracies\" which the Soviet Government had created. He\nthe use of cover-names and go-betweens, indicate the\nfurther stated \"The Soviet Government is creating in\nsecrecy with which the operations were conducted. Such\ndemocratic countries, including Canada, a fifth column,\ncover-names were used by the Soviet leaders in the espio-\nin the organization of which even diplomatic representa-\nnage system, not only for themselves, their Soviet assist-\ntives of the Soviet Government take part. The announce-\nants, and their agents, but also for referring to places, or-\nment of the dissolution of the Comintern was, probably,\nganizations, and things. Thus, Canada sometimes was\nthe greatest farce of the Communists in years\nbe-\nreferred to as Lesovia; the Soviet Embassy, as Metro; the\nNKVD, as The Neighbour; the Communist Farty of Can-\ncause the Soviet leaders have never relinquished the idea\nada or other countries, except the U. S. S. R., as The Cor-\nof establishing a Communist dictatorship throughout the\nporation; Party members, as corporants or corporators;\nworld\nTo many Soviet people abroad it is clear that\nthe Communist Party in democratic countries has. changed\n36\nNow MVD. See page 85.\nRESTRICTED\n59"
}