by John Barron
I remarked to Wes Roberts that it was especially sad that Eva did not live to see the book she made possible. “She read every word of the manuscript,” he replied. “She died a happy and fulfilled woman.”
APPENDIX A: SOLO MISSIONS
MORRIS CHILDS (CG-5824S*) accomplished fifty-two missions under FBI control into the Soviet Union and other communist countries; Jack Childs (NY-694S*) accomplished five. Eva Childs accompanied Morris on all but two of his missions from 1962 onward. Listed below are the dates and destinations of each mission. The five missions made by Jack Childs are designated “Agent 69”; otherwise, the missions listed were made by Morris Childs. The list does not include missions to Canada and Mexico.
First Mission 4/24/58–7/21/58 Moscow, Peking
Second Mission 1/18/59–2/26/59 Moscow
Third Mission 9/23/59–11/11/59 Moscow, Peking, Shanghai
Fourth Mission
(Agent 69) 2/3/60–3/10/60 Prague, Moscow
Fifth Mission 5/5/60–5/10/60 Havana
Sixth Mission 7/9/60–7/30/60 Prague, Moscow
Seventh Mission 8/1/60–8/25/60 Havana
Eighth Mission 9/22/60–12/17/60 Moscow
Ninth Mission
(Agent 69) 6/18/61–7/13/61 Moscow
Tenth Mission 10/2/61–12/5/61 Moscow
Eleventh Mission 10/16/62–12/19/62 Moscow, Prague, Budapest
Twelfth Mission
(Agent 69) 4/28/63–5/21/63 Moscow
Thirteenth Mission 8/7/63–8/25/63 Moscow, Prague
Fourteenth Mission 11/1/63–12/2/63 Moscow
Fifteenth Mission (Agent 69) 4/19/64–6/5/64 Moscow, Havana
Sixteenth Mission 10/19/64–10/29/64 Moscow
Seventeenth Mission 11/30/64–12/31/64 Moscow
Eighteenth Mission 2/19/65–4/26/65 Moscow
Nineteenth Mission 10/19/65–11/12/65 Moscow, Prague
Twentieth Mission 3/18/66–4/25/66 Moscow, Prague, East Berlin
Twenty-first Mission 8/7/66–10/15/66 Moscow, Prague,
Berlin
Twenty-second Mission 1/8/67–1/30/67 Moscow
Twenty-third Mission
(Agent 69) 4/2/67–4/18/67 Moscow
Twenty-fourth Mission 10/19/67–12/4/67 Moscow
Twenty-fifth Mission 2/21/68–3/16/68 Prague, Moscow
Twenty-sixth Mission 4/17/68–5/6/68 Prague, Budapest
Twenty-seventh Mission 6/8/68–6/29/68 Moscow
Twenty-eighth Mission 8/23/68–8/29/68 Moscow
Twenty-ninth Mission 9/27/68–10/10/68 Budapest, Moscow
Thirtieth Mission 11/15/68–12/2/68 Budapest,
Moscow
Thirty-first Mission 2/22/69–3/31/69 Budapest, Moscow
Thirty-second Mission 5/17/69–6/30/69 Budapest, Moscow
Thirty-third Mission 9/5/69–9/18/69 Moscow
Thirty-fourth Mission 11/30/69–12/18/69 Moscow
Thirty-fifth Mission 2/20/70–3/5/70 Moscow
Thirty-sixth Mission 4/8/70–5/7/70 Moscow, Budapest
Thirty-seventh Mission 11/24/70–12/13/70 Moscow, Berlin
Thirty-eighth Mission 3/14/71–4/19/71 Prague, Moscow
Thirty-ninth Mission 9/5/71–9/17/71 Moscow
Fortieth Mission 11/24/71–12/16/71 Moscow, Warsaw
Forty-first Mission 2/5/72–2/16/72 Moscow, Poland
Forty-second Mission 3/19/72–4/30/72 Moscow
Forty-third Mission 6/2/72–7/5/72 Moscow
Forty-fourth Mission 10/4/72–10/26/72 Moscow
Forty-fifth Mission 12/11/72–1/6/73 Moscow
Forty-sixth Mission 4/9/73–4/30/73 Moscow
Forty-seventh Mission 11/21/73–12/12/73 Moscow
Forty-eighth Mission 2/18/74–3/7/74 Moscow
Forty-ninth Mission 4/22/74–5/23/74 Moscow
Fiftieth Mission 9/6/74–10/3/74 Moscow
Fifty-first Mission 11/25/74–12/13/74 Moscow
Fifty-second Mission 6/2/75–6/16/75 Moscow
Fifty-third Mission 10/14/75–11/5/75 Moscow, Poland
Fifty-fourth Mission 2/16/76–3/13/76 Moscow
Fifty-fifth Mission 11/30/76–12/31/76 Moscow, Budapest
Fifty-sixth Mission 5/24/77–6/25/77 Moscow
Fifty-seventh Mission 10/21/77–11/20/77 Moscow, Prague
APPENDIX B: SOVIET PAYMENTS TO THE U.S. COMMUNIST PARTY
THE SOVIET UNION BEGAN supplying money to the U.S. Communist Party through SOLO in 1958. Initially, representatives of the Canadian Communist Party gave the money to Jack or Morris Childs in Toronto or New York. Beginning in 1960, KGB officers handed the money to Jack Childs during clandestine meetings around New York. Listed below are the amounts the Soviets paid each year. Occasionally, when Morris Childs was in Moscow, the Soviets gave him in foreign currencies the equivalent of a few thousand dollars. Some of the amounts listed are odd because of the conversion of these currencies into dollars.
1958 $75,000
1959 $200,000
1960 $298,885
1961 $370,000
1962 $172,000
1963 $583,606
1964 $739,032
1965 $1,054,616
1966 $743,829.19
1967 $1,049,069.90
1968 $1,141,354.80
1969 $1,516,808.90
1970 $1,066,742.80
1971 $1,043,440.12
1972 $1,634,370.80
1973 $1,260,344.26
1974 $1,832,376.80
1975 $1,792,676
1976 $1,997,651.28
1977 $1,981,594
1978 $2,355,612
1979 $2,632,196
1980 $2,775,000
APPENDIX C: KGB OFFICERS IN SOLO
THE KGB FOR TWENTY-THREE years assigned officers posing as diplomats at the United Nations to deal with Jack and Morris Childs—to pass messages, documents, and money, and to receive messages from them. Listed below are the names of these officers and the years they worked in SOLO (which the Soviets called MORAT) while posted in New York.
1959—61 Vladimir Barkovsky
1962 Valenin Zaitsev
1962—63 Aleksei Kolobashkin
1963 Grechchukin (first name unknown to author)
1964 Aleksei Kolobashkin and Vladimir Chuchukin
1965—68 Nikolai Talanov (assisted by Ivan Belov)
1968—74 Vladimir Chuchukin (assisted by Yuri Germash and Vladimir Tulinov)
1974—77 Yuri Zhuravlev
1977—80 Anatoly Portyanoy
1980—82 Konstantin Koryavin
APPENDIX D: SECRET COMMUNIST DOCUMENTS
THE DISPARATE DOCUMENTS reproduced below illustrate secret communications and relations between the communist parties of the Soviet Union and the United States. Two also illustrate how Morris Childs exploited his knowledge of communism to manipulate the Soviets.
“Memorandum to Comrade Dimitrov”
Earl Browder, head of the American Communist Party, addressed this memorandum to Georgi Dimitrov who in 1938 was chief of the Comintern. Dimitrov forwarded it to Nikolai Yezhov, chairman of the NKVD (predecessor to the KGB) with a recommendation that Browder’s sister be relieved of espionage duties in Germany. The willingness of the Soviets to accede to Browder’s request is an indicator of the importance they attached to Browder and the American Party. Historian Herbert Romerstein discovered the memorandum in Soviet archives.
Translation of carbon copy from Comintern files.
Carbon copy from Comintern files.
Original letter from KGB files. Signature is G. Dimitrov; the letter is marked top secret in upper right hand corner.
“Complaints about special privileges in the socialist countries”
Like virtually everybody else, Morris Childs knew well that in communist countries the Nomenklatura, or ruling class, enjoyed privileges, perquisites, and luxuries denied the general populace. Morris himself frequented one of their special stores where he could select quality imported products for free. Yet to burnish his image as an old-time, idealistic
Bolshevik, Morris submitted this memorandum to the International Department of the Central Committee, as if he had discovered something shocking.
“Able Kit—Hill—CONFIDENTIAL”
Morris Childs could talk and write like a communist, as well as think like one. In this rough draft of a memorandum to the International Department, he displays the mastery that helped convince communist dictators that he truly was one of them. (“Able Kit” was the contemporary code for the Central Committee of the Communist Party in the USSR.)
“To the Communist Parties in the capitalist countries...”
The Soviets regularly issued instructions to Communist Parties throughout the world and expected them to be obeyed. This order received by the American Party is typical.
“To Gus Hall”
The Soviets repeatedly asked Hall to analyze public opinion and political trends. Most of the responses actually were composed by Morris. This is a deciphered request to Hall.
“Anxious to receive from Oak”
This is a representative operational message radioed by the KGB to Jack Childs on behalf of the International Department. This version has been deciphered but still contains some code words: “Oak” means Gus Hall; “Spring” means Jack Childs; “Shoe” means money; “200 pairs of shoes” means $200,000. In the first paragraph, “cc” stands for Central Committee.
INDEX
Able Kit
ABM. See Antiballistic missile defenses
Adams, James
Agent 58. See Childs, Morris
Agent 66. See Childs, Eva Lieb
Agent 69. See Childs, Jack
Agriculture
Albert, Carl
American Communist Party. See also Communist Political Association: attempt to rerecruit Morris; denial of visas to Soviets seeking to attend convention; Dennis as leader; disbandment of; as early target of SOLO operation; emergence from the underground; FBI arrest of officials; Hall as leader; KGB contact in; Morris as editor of Daily Worker; national convention; party budget; report of informant; Soviet anger at disbandment; Soviet belief in the American party; Soviet payments to; subsidies from the Soviet Union; treatment of Morris during illness “American Exceptionalism”
American imperialism
American journalists
Ames, Aldrich
Analytical Directorate
Analytical Unit
Anarchism
Andropov, Yuri; perceived nuclear threat from U.S.
Angleton, James Jesus
Anti-Soviet propaganda
Antiballistic missile defenses
Arab countries
Arab-Israeli War
Assassination of President Kennedy
Aviation Week
Bart, Phillip
Bell, Griffin
Bella, Ben
Bennett, Roy
Bourgeoisie
Boyle, Walter: accused of impersonating an FBI agent; analysis of FBI reports; assignment by Freyman to SOLO; attitude toward headquarters; Bronze Star decoration; communication with Burlinson and Langtry; concern over investigation of SOLO operations; duration of service with Operation SOLO; educational background; at Eva’s funeral; family background; FBI accusations against; gift to Catholic Charities from Eva and Morris; informing Morris and Jack of Senate committee’s knowledge of SOLO; interviews with; investigation of Eva Lieb; letter of immunity from prosecution; meeting to consider Morris’ and Eva’s trip to Twenty-Fifth Party Congress; meeting with Morris and Eva to consider ending SOLO; meeting with Morris to congratulate on mission success; military career; offer of promotion; operational conferences; placement of Morris and Jack under surveillance; reaction to FBI leak; rebuke from headquarters; recruitment of civilians as conspirators in SOLO; reflections on Morris after his death; report from Morris on trip to Twenty-Fifth Party Congress; report on Soviet reaction to Nixon election; reports of Missions 35, 36, and 37; responsibility for Morris and Eva after Freyman’s retirement; retirement; review of missions with Morris
Brannigan, William A.: informing Morris and Jack of Senate committee’s knowledge of SOLO; meeting toconsider Morris’ and Eva’s trip to Twenty-Fifth Party Congress; operational conferences
Brezhnev, Leonid; appearance at formal reception; attitude toward Soviet agriculture; birthday dinner for Morris; briefing of Morris; briefing on secret discussions between Kosygin and Chou En Lai; comments on China; comments on Soviet economy; communication with Nixon; disagreements with Kissinger; disarmament agreement; discussion with Morris on summit conference with Nixon; meeting with Hall and Morris; photograph with Morris; preparation for trip to U.S.; relations with China after deposition of Khrushchev; reports on inability to function; response to Hall’s letter; Soviet attitude toward; struggle to gain power after deposition of Khrushchev; summit conferences; as supreme ruler of the Soviet Union
Brezhnev doctrine
British intelligence
Browder, Earl Russell; appointment of Jack to Young Communist League; disbandment of the American Communist Party; expulsion from party; influence on Morris; memorandum to Comrade Dimitrov; as new leader of American communism
Brzezinski, Zbigniew
Buck, Tim: as conduit for Soviet funds to U.S. communists; delivery of Krushchev speech to U.S.; refuge in Chicago with Morris; reopening of communication between Moscow and American party
Budapest
Budenz, Louis
Burlinson, Alexander C.: assignment of Langtry as deputy; communication with Boyle and Langtry; death of; debriefings of Jack; duration of service with Operation SOLO; Morris’ speech at house of; operational conferences; reaction to FBI leak; rebuke from headquarters; recruitment of banker as conspirator in SOLO; relay of transfer money; retirement of
Burlinson, Ann
“Caesar”
Calcines, Ramon
Cambodian resistance movement
Canada: communist party difficulties; as conduit for Soviet funds to U.S. communists; identification of Russian spies in
Canadian Communist Party
Captain’s Cabin
Carr, Sam
Carter, Jimmy: orders to continue SOLO operations; Soviet reaction to election of; study to revise American nuclear strategy
Case, Mr. Justin
Casey, William
Castro, Fidel: dinner with Morris; early intelligence on; manipulation by Soviets; meeting with Jack; theory of Kennedy assassination
Catholic Charities of Chicago
The Center
Central Committee (Soviet). See also International Department of the Central Committee; control of Operation MORAT; position paper regarding China
Central Intelligence Agency; attempt to buy into FBI Operation SOLO; Casey’s trip to England; investigation of Morris and Jack; treatment of Nosenko
Chateau Laurier
Chen Yi
Chernayev, Anatoly
Chicago, Illinois: communication with New York office; as headquarters for Operation SOLO; Morris as chief of American Communist Party; Morris’ effort to unmask an industrial spy; Morris’ youth in
Chicago Art Institute
Chicago Tribune
Childs, Ben
Childs, Eva Lieb; on atmosphere of the back office; consideration of discontinuing SOLO; dates and destinations of missions; death of; dinner with Jim Fox; dinner with Mostovets; on end of SOLO; enlistment of Elizabeth Hall’s help concerning Morris’ health; evacuation of; at exhibition of paintings by Jewish artist; FBI code designation for; FBI investigation of; first meeting with Morris; life in Miami apartment after SOLO; luncheon in honor of; marriage to Morris; meeting with Boyle to consider ending SOLO; Mission 55; mission to Moscow after deposition of Khrushchev; at Morris’ funeral; in Moscow apartment with Morris; opinion on safety of attending Twenty-Fifth Party Congress; as partner in espionage; playing stock market; pocketing of $10,000 reward; on reports of Brezhnev’s ability to function; return of plane to Moscow; on Soviet economy compared to Italy; threat to quit; transfer of money fo
r Hall; trip to celebrate October Revolution; trip to Twenty-Fifth Party Congress; on use of telephone codes
Childs, Jack. See also Operation SOLO: advice to Hall on accepting information from dismissed FBI agent; appointment to Young Communist League position; attempt to influence Castro; care of Morris during illness; as clandestine assistant to Morris; code designations for; consideration of discontinuing SOLO; copy of Kosygin’s United Nations speech; countryside meetings with Talanov; dates and destinations of missions; death of; discussion of Castro with Korianov; friendship with William Weiner; hiding money for transfer; informed of Senate committee’s knowledge of SOLO; as intermediary between Morris and the FBI; KGB training for use of short-range communications; meeting with Castro; meeting with Chuchukin; meeting with Mr. X; meeting with Ponomarev; message from KGB to suspend contact; mission to Canada; mission to Germany; missions to Moscow; operational conferences; operational message radioed by the KGB; reaction to FBI leak; reaction to Kazakov interrogation; receipt of $500,000 from Zhuravlev; recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom; recruitment by FBI; recruitment by Germans; relay of transfer money; release of information connecting SOLO to; signal and meeting sites; sixtieth birthday party; Soviet offer of $300,000; state dinner with Khrushchev; training in Moscow; treatment of KGB personnel; trip to Cuba; trip to Washington, D.C.; week-long interrogation of
Childs, Morris. See also Browder, Earl Russell; Operation SOLO; Summers, Harry: acquaintance with figures of international communism; analysis of FBI reports; analysis of Soviet attitude toward U.S.; apartment in Moscow; attempt to read signs from Ponomarev’s reception of; attitude toward Soviets; birthdate; birthday dinner given by Brezhnev; birthday greetings to Khrushchev; bravery of; briefing from Kuzkov; briefing from Ponomarev on China; briefing on secret discussions between Kosygin and Chou En Lai; as chief party organizer in Wisconsin; code designations for; as communist candidate to U.S. Senate; complaints about special privileges in socialist countries; conclusions on impending summit conference; congratulations from Wannall on mission success; consideration of trip to Twenty-Fifth Party Congress; copy of Stenogram; courtship of Eva Lieb; dates and destinations of missions; death of; deception of Hall concerning poor health; delegate to Eighth National Assembly of Partido Socialista Popular; dinner with Fidel Castro; dinner with Jim Fox; dinner with Mostovets; discussion with Nikolai; diverted flight from Norway; as editor of the Daily Worker; education at the Lenin School; education in Chicago; eulogy by Fox; evacuation of; family name; health problems; hiding money for transfer; informed of Senate committee’s knowledge of SOLO; as lead delegate to Twenty-First Communist Party Congress; leak of activities supplied in American intelligence reports; letter from Hall warning Soviets of misinterpretations; life in Miami apartment after SOLO; marriage to first wife; marriage to Sonny Schlossberg; meeting to consider safety of trip to Twenty-Fifth Party Congress; meeting with Boyle to consider ending SOLO; meeting with Brezhnev and Central Committee members; meeting with Brezhnev to provide information on U.S. news; meeting with Chernayev; meeting with Koryavin; meeting with Polonik; meeting with Ponomarev after Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia; memorandum to the International Department; message to Ponomarev; Mission 39; Mission 55; mission for acquisition of Arabian horses; mission to Moscow after deposition of Khrushchev; in Moscow apartment with Eva; Moscow’s dossier on; operational conferences; photograph with Brezhnev; playing stock market; position paper regarding China; postcards sent to FBI; poverty of; preparation for Brezhnev’s trip to U.S.; reaction to FBI leak; reasons Soviets shared information with; recipient of Order of the Red Banner; recipient of Presidential Medal of Freedom; recruitment by FBI; relay of transfer money; release of information connecting SOLO to; renewal of contact with Soviets; report of informant; report on Soviet reaction to Nixon election; report on trip to Twenty-Fifth Party Congress; reports of Missions 35, 36, and 37; return of plane to Moscow; return to Moscow in 1958; review of missions with Boyle; revision of Hall’s letter to Brezhnev; secret delegate to conference of European party leaders in Budapest; selection of home; Soviet briefing at Twenty-Third Party Congress; speech at Burlinson’s home; threat to retire; tour of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union; trip to celebrate October Revolution; trip to Moscow after suspension of MORAT; trip to Moscow following Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia; trip to Moscow with letter of request for money from Hall; trip to speakeasy; trip to Twenty-Fifth Party Congress; trips to Soviet bloc between October 1967 and June 1968; turning over remaining funds to Hall
