Report by Gen. Bryg. Zdzislaw Sarewicz, Chief of Polish Foreign Intelligence on the Use of Paris-Based Polish Bookstore by the CIA-Funded International Literary Center

 REPORT OF GEN. BRYG.  ZDZISŁAW SAREWICZ,  CHIEF OF POLISH FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE (MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS (MSW)  FIRST DEPARTMENT)   TO  SENIOR MSW OFFICIALS  ON USE OF  PARIS-BASED POLISH BOOKSTORE BY THE  INTERNATIONAL  LITERARY CENTER., FEBRUARY 12, 1984

Reference:  USE OF THE PARIS-BASED POLISH BOOKSTORE AGENCY IN THE SUBVERSIVE ACTIVITIES OF THE INTERNATIONAL LITERARY CENTER IN USA’

To: Com.[rade] Pożoga, Com. Ciastoń, Com. Sereda, Com. Dankowski, Com. Misztal, Com. Poradko

[Summary] International Literary Center Ltd. (475, Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-6955) is an American institution financed by the Federal Budget that emerged from the former Press and Special Publication Division [Publication and Special Project Division] of the Free Europe Committee. Through the agency of the Polish bookstore in Paris, ^*[1] ILC directs the distribution of anti-communist books to private citizens and institutions in Poland through the postal service or person-to-person. [End of the Summary]

International Literary Center controls the distribution of subversive literature through the Polish Bookstore in Paris. Generally, the ILC passes on names of people from the world of arts and science in Poland, and the Bookstore mails offer forms for the publication sets, mostly French literature on social and political matters. After collecting orders from Poland, the requested books are shipped by registered mail. Parcels are signed for by the recipients on the attached form, which states that these deliveries are allegedly part of the French-Polish scientific exchange.

At the beginning of each month, the Bookstore complies for the ILC a list of recipients, including their personal data, titles and prices of the books. One copy is for Adam Rudzki,** the second one is for Umberto Savasta. Bookstore expenses are reimbursed after one week by check, usually for 30-40 thousand French francs.

Simultaneously with the "scientific exchange," the Polish bookstore in Paris conducts person-to-person distribution of Polish books published in the West – like the so-called Library of "Kultura" series, "Puls," "Spotkania" etc. – among Polish visitors to France. They come to the Bookstore on the recommendation of people known to the staff. The books may be given out on the decision of Jacquline Dyjas, the Bookstore assistant. When giving away a book, the Bookstore staffer notes down the title, the price, and the recipient’s personal data, based mostly on his/her passport. This serves as a compiled list of names for Rudzki and Savasta.

Also, the Bookstore completes ILC orders for specific books   from private citizens and institutions in Poland and other socialist countries. In the latter, the Bookstore’s cover name is Bookstore 123.

Not long ago, the Bookstore dealt with the miniature editions of anti-socialist*** literature like Paris-based "Kultura," "Kontakt" and some titles of the so-called Library of "Kultura," "Spotkania" and "Puls" etc. Some of those books are sent to the Polish Bookstore in London, another part is shipped to Poland from the Paris Bookstore, the rest is available for Polish visitors directly to the store.

All documentation connected with the shipping of books and miniature books for the ILC is considered secret. Access to those papers is restricted to two employees only, Jacquline and Krystyna Dyjas. The Bookstore is directly contacted by above mentioned Adam Rudzki.  His supervisor name is George Minden (or Milden), approximately sixty years old, speaks French proficiently. In the autumn of 1981, he appeared in the Bookstore for the first time, just after the Frankfurt Book Fair. Ms. Rybczyńska regarded him as her boss and, in her office, Minden met with representatives of NOWA Independent Publishers – Mirosław Chojecki, Grzegorz Boguta, and an unidentified woman. Minden subsidized NOWA’s purchase of 100 copies of Moje Przygody z Historią [My Adventures with the History] by [Marian] Brandys.

Minden was next noted in Paris in the autumn of 1983. In Rybczyńska’s office, he had a face to face meeting with Mirosław Chojecki, and then together with Rybczynska, he talked to Seweryn Blumsztajn. Outside the Bookstore, Minden visited Barbara Toruńczyk and Piotr Jegliński from "Spotkania" Publishers as well.

**Adam Rudzki, an ILC employee of Polish origin, USA citizen, circa 70 years old. Each year, mostly in the spring, he visits Europe to deal with distribution.

***The print run of those miniatures was also ordered by ILC. In 1983, ILC paid one million French francs to "Kultura" for printing miniatures. Among others, ILC financed  a print run of two thousand miniature copies of "Gulag Archipelago" (92 thousand French francs plus porto, 5453 francs) and a monthly print run of 1305 copies of "Kultura" in miniature, which are shipped according to a special distribution list (the total print run of "Kultura" is 1500 copies). ILC also pays for M. Chojecki’s miniature edition of "Kontakt."

Director

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Gen. bryg. Zdislaw Sarewicz

261/84-WB/AK

^* [Footnote on history of Paris Bookstore not translated]