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TOP SECRET

of Rulevoy, and Browder was cognizant of the Soviet activity in the infiltration of various United States Government agencies. There is also some indication in   information that he knew of other activity on the part of the MGB. We are attempting, through investigation, to identify an individual designated by the cover name of Echo who appears, according to   to have occupied a responsible position in the Communist Party and to have been used in various way by the MGB.

MGB SOVIET OFFICIALS

It is not possible, memorandum of this length, to detail the information available from   regarding MGB officials attached to official and semi-official Soviet establishments in the United States. However, certain interesting observations can be made on the basis of   material. An individual by the name of May was directing the MGB espionage activity which was stemming from the Soviet Consulate in New York City. He undoubtedly was the Legal Resident Agent for the MGB at that Consulate. However, he directed activities which are outside the New York area, reaching to the West Coast, to Los Alamos, and even to Washington, D. C. He has not been identified, and it appears possible that the cover name of May is for the position of Legal Resident Agent rather than for one individual. If this is true, then Vassili Zubilin would probably have been May up until Zubilin's departure from the United States in the latter part of August, 1944. You will recall that Zubilin was attached as a Second Secretary to the Soviet Embassy in Washington, D. C., but spent a considerable amount of time in New York City. According to   information, under May, the Legal Resident Agent, there were individuals in official or semi-official Soviet positions who were designated as "cadre men." These individuals apparently headed various individual networks which were being operated by the MGB in the United States. We have not identified all of these individuals, but have succeeded in identifying a few of them. One of the more important ones was Vladimir S. Pravdin, the former head of the Tass News Agency in New York City. Pravdin was in contact with a number of American correspondents, apparently both on an open and clandestine basis. Among his contacts were persons such as Johannes Steele, Richard Lauterbach, and Stephen Laird. We are conducting investigations on all of these individuals. is is to be

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