Page 4 [4]
KeAsl3. September 522
- page four ¬
Sntirely rebuilt after the destructions of World War I1., the Soviet
establishements and their surroundings are kept as top secrets. Their
of the island speak of an increasing amount of Russian labor, brougRt
from the mainland and living in the "Arktik Ugolj" barracks. their
present number is estimated at approximately 4.000. It is felt
however that their work is not entirely used for coal mining purposes.
he great building activity and the unusually large traffic of Soviet
Ships, coming to the islands, heavily loaded, seem to point towards
definitely strategic activities. While Norway remains faithful to
intemmational agreements and has @m Svalbard nothing but a purely
civil administration, it is strongly feared that Soviet Russia is
already advanced in the establábhment of its military key position on
the islands. It might involve - according to local informants - as
well a territorial tropp basis and & sea port, as an airfield to be
used in case of an open conflict. in that very moment, Norwegians
feel, Soviet Russia might openfly take over entire Svalbard -nd from £
there dominate the Northern air routes, leaving to the Scandinavian
and Baltic areas, to Groenland and to the North Polee
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