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<div style="background: #ccf; font-weight: bold; padding: 1px 3px 1px 3px;">This article is part of the<br/>[[Venona project|Venona]]<br/>series.</div>

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[[CPUSA#Secret_apparatus|Secret apparatus]]<br/>

[[CPUSA#Secret apparatus|Secret apparatus]]<br/>

[[U.S. Service and Shipping Corporation]]

[[U.S. Service and Shipping Corporation]]

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'''Rae Elson''', also '''Ray Elson''' was employed in the Civil Rights Committee in New York City in the 1930s and was a very active dues paying member of the [[Communist Party of the United States]] (CPUSA).  Communist Party dues amounted to ten percent of a members income.

'''Rae Elson''', also '''Ray Elson''' was employed in the Civil Rights Committee in New York City in the 1930s and was a very active dues paying member of the [[Communist Party of the United States]] (CPUSA).  Communist Party dues amounted to ten percent of a members income.

Elson was active in the CPUSA underground secret apparatus as a courier.  Elson seems to have always had direct contacts with Soviet intelligence.  By May of 1945, [[Elizabeth Bentley]] had several messages with Soviet contacts communicated through Elson.  When Bentley sought to remove herself from her position as Vice President of U.S. Service and Shipping Corporation, a CPUSA and [[Comintern]] [[Glossary_of_espionage_terms#Fronts_and_cutouts|front organizaion]] for Soviet espionage activities, [[Joseph Katz]] selected Elson to replace Bentley. [[Earl Browder]], General Secretary of the CPUSA, helped Elson acquire interest in the firm by selling his stock to her.

Elson was active in the CPUSA underground secret apparatus as a courier.  Elson seems to have always had direct contacts with Soviet intelligence.  By May 1945, [[Elizabeth Bentley]] had several messages with Soviet contacts communicated through Elson.  When Bentley sought to remove herself from her position as Vice President of U.S. Service and Shipping Corporation, a CPUSA and [[Comintern]] [[Glossary of espionage terms#Fronts and cutouts|front organizaion]] for Soviet espionage activities, [[Joseph Katz]] selected Elson to replace Bentley. [[Earl Browder]], General Secretary of the CPUSA, helped Elson acquire interest in the firm by selling his stock to her.

In late November of 1945 Elson had a met with Bentley and they discussed the difficulties both were having meeting with their Russian contacts.  Bentley defected within days after this meeting.

In late November 1945 Elson had a met with Bentley and they discussed the difficulties both were having meeting with their Russian contacts.  Bentley defected within days after this meeting.

==Source==

==Sources==

*Alexander Vassiliev, ''Untitled Notes on Anatoly Gorsky’s December 1948 Memo on the Failed American Networks'' (2003)

*Alexander Vassiliev, ''Untitled Notes on Anatoly Gorsky’s December 1948 Memo on the Failed American Networks'' (2003)

* [http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/silversm.htm FBI Silvermaster file]

* [http://foia.fbi.gov/foiaindex/silversm.htm FBI Silvermaster file]