Ernest Hemingway, Agent Argo: “Dilettante Spy” for KGB

[cookie]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/jul/09/hemingway-failed-kgb-spy

Incredible revelation from KGB files.

 

[p51]

While I can't say I'd be too shocked if it were true, I also wouldn't be shocked that the KGB agent who wrote it made it up. There are things in the KGB files that the DoD has read that made them laugh, about events and people's actions we know to be totally false today, probably stuff written for a evaluation's bullet points for some lowlife KGB agent...

 

[Nathan Dodge]

Other than a short-lived "mad on" for the U.S. government's failure to evacuate Key West workers--who were WWI vets--from the 1935 hurricane and the aforementioned Spanish Civil War involvement, there is nothing here that is shocking or revelatory. Many writers and artists sympathized with the USSR during the Great Depression, so Hemingway was not immune to a trend of the day, big deal. An offer of help doesn't make one a spy any more than praying for someone makes you a saint. It's also well-documented that Hemingway also expressed support for Castro's revolution in Cuba. Nothing new there, either.

 

[Story]

from the article

"he met Soviet agents in Havana and London in the 40s. However, he failed to "give us any political information" and was never "verified in practical work", so contacts with Argo had ceased by the end of the decade."

Anyone remember how successful Papa was at helping the USN hunt U-boats?

 

[Nathan Dodge]

"he met Soviet agents in Havana and London in the 40s. However, he failed to "give us any political information" and was never "verified in practical work", so contacts with Argo had ceased by the end of the decade."

Anyone remember how successful Papa was at helping the USN hunt U-boats?

Yes, but he got a hell of a lot of fishing done! lol

 

[Hemingway Jones]

"he met Soviet agents in Havana and London in the 40s. However, he failed to "give us any political information" and was never "verified in practical work", so contacts with Argo had ceased by the end of the decade."

Anyone remember how successful Papa was at helping the USN hunt U-boats?

"Met" for Papa means "drank with!" Probably more about an interesting evening than real intrigue. Hoover was all over Papa and found nothing.

 

[Story]

"Met" for Papa means "drank with!" Probably more about an interesting evening than real intrigue.

Concur - with a caveat : I'd bet Papa met the Russians, drank with them (particularly if they offered to buy) and probably decided to have some fun pulling their legs - particularly if he could roll them for enough good stories to turn into another book.
"Hey Tovarich, I got a Tommygun and a fishing boat! Let's take over this place!"