Industrial spying by C.I.A.?

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33739, 11 January 1975, Page 13

Industrial spying by C.I.A.?

WASHINGTON. January 10. Ihe United States Central Intelligence \gcnc\ todav stood accused of a new underground operation a scheme to obtain the secrets of foreign transport svstems, such as London's tube and the Paris metro. The C.l.A.’s interest in public transport wa> di.-i los<<i in a Republican senator. 31r Richard Schweicker. of Pennsylvania, ulm ..vied for a Congressional investigation into whether the ( LA. is engaged m industrial espionage.

Senator Schweicker produced a C.I.A. document dated December 2, 1974, that solicited American companies to take part in a yearlong study of civilian transport systems in Britain, France, West Germany, Japan. Canada, and the Soviet Union. The document said that many technological advances in mass transport were being developed by foreign countries. It said that the proposed study was intended to identify foreign developments that could provide the

must .serious economic com petition for the United States I lie doi umcnt did not specifically mention underground rail systems but was apparently referring to them when it said United States mass ground transportation systems were not as advanced as those of certain other nations. Senator schweicker s dis-: .'closure came as a Presidential commission prepared to] investigate the C.I.A. and the Senate Democratic leader. Senator Mike Mansfield, said an inquiry by a select com-! mittee on the lines of the Senate Watergate panel was being considered. The commission is inquiring into charges that the! 1C.1.A. engaged in extensive] !and illegal domestic espionage on Americans. In another development, a senior Justice Department official, Mr James Devine, said that he and an associate in 1970 gave the C.I.A. a list of 9000 Americans opposed to the Vietnam war. He saidh that the C.I.A. was asked to|| keep an eye on them if they!I went abroad. , ' The National Broadcasting I,

Company (Mill reported last night that the Justice Department list contained as many as 12,000 names It said that the list uas not the same as the computer files which the “New York Tunes" had ; reported were kept on 10,000 Americans.