7.2.1 Erling Falk
Erling Falk was born August 12th 1887 at Hemnesberget, Rana, in northern part of Norway. His father was Jonas Cornelius Falk (1844-1915) and his mother was Anna Margrethe Middelthun (1857-1924) from Sandefjord in the South. He had one brother Håkon born 1882 and one sister Dagny (1883-1944). His inheritage was tradesmen, landlords, civil servants and upper class.

In 1901 he went to school in Trondheim. In 1903 he is back up north at school in Mosjøen. In 1905 he is attending High School in Stavanger. He failed examination in 1907 and did not graduate. In 1907 Erling Falk moves to Duluth in Minnesota, USA. He undertakes different jobs to keep himself alive, hall-porter at night, cook, lumber-jack, road-builder, before he shows up in Minneapolis where he works as cutter. He takes night courses at University of Minnesota. In 1910 Erling Falk is in Chicago, coffeemaker, peeling potatoes, and assistant worker at the underground. For a time he worked as land surveyor in Montana. In Chicago he took various courses in law, finance and accounting. He worked at a truck manifacturer named White Motor Co. before he became office clerck at Swift Packing Co. He graduated in Cost Accounting in 1915. In 1916 he was employed by Donally Printing Co before he established his own business producing phone-brackets. Erling Falk returned to Norway in 1918.

Erling Falk's mind was devoted to revolutionary ideas, Karl Marx, Fiedrich Nietzsche, and he closely followed the development in Russia and the november 1917 revolution. He studied literature as Antichrist, Zarathustra and the Norwegian author Arne Garborg. He remained many of his contacts in Norway from High School in Stavanger, Fridthjof Mohr, Elvin Kleiberg, Einar Lea and others. He admired strong leadership, Lenin - "the Führer". In the USA he had established close contact with the revolutionary inspired trade union IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) with leaders as William Haywood (Big Bill) and Vincent St. John.

IWW was founded in Chicago June 27th 1905 by William Haywood, Charles H. Moyer, Gene Debs, Danilel de Leon and leaders from AFL (American Federation of Labour). Its objective was revolutionary - to put the working class in control of capital power, take over control of factories and machineri, equipment and distribution, regardless of capital owners. The contact with IWW had also great impact on Martin Tranmæl. who became a strong leader of the Norwegian Labour Party. IWW supporter Jack Reed took actively part in the Russian revolution in 1917 in close contact with Lenin.

7.2.2 Communism and State Capitalism

On November the 17th 1919 a meeting took place in Calmeyers Missionary Hall in Oslo. 3000 people were present mostly students and sons and daughters of the working class. The meeting was in protest of the western worlds blocade of the "New Russia". Among the youngsters from Oslo University were Paul Gjesdahl, Jonas Schancke Jonasen, Hans Mohr and Kristian Schelderup. Among the elder were Nils Collett Vogt, Hulda Garborg and Gunnar Heiberg. Kristian Schjelderup was the profet of the "New Time"- the period to come after 1st World War. Erling Falk became the organizer who through his nucleus organization Mot Dag managed to direct the effort towards political and ideologic goals.

Falk had arrived Oslo which at thattie was named Kruistiana in June 1919. He became a member of Kristiania Arbeidersamfunn ( Kristiania Workers Society), Den sosialdemokratiske studenterforening (The Social Democratic Student Assosciation) and Det norske Studentersamfund (The Norwegian Students Union). He did not take part in the discussions, but was present in meetings as an observer, lisening to the others and picking out potential supporters. He closed to start with ties with 7 of the students which became the initial core of Mot Dag, i.e. Viggo Hansteen, John S. Hazeland, Trond Hegna, Arne Ording, Aake Anker Ording, Axel Sømme and Johan Vogt.

The Social Democratic Student Assosciation changed its name to Studentenes Kommunistlag (The Student Communist Assosciation). They were working on publishing their own Newsletter. In 1921 the Norwegian Labour Party was divided and Det Norske Kommunistparti (NKP) (The Norwegian Communist Party) was born. Erling Falk and his supporters remained in line with the Labour Party and continued working on their plans for a newsletter. With Sigurd Hoel as coeditor Erling Falk started publishing the newsletter which became known as Mot Dag. In March 1922 the editorial staff of the newsletter organized themselves as "Den kommunistiske forening Mot Dag - tilsluttet Det norske Arbeiderparti" (The Communist Assosciation Mot Dag - member of the Norwegian Labour Party).

In 1923 the Labour Party Convention voted in favor of leaving Komintern, i.e . breaking the ties to Moscow. The leaders Oscar Torp and Einar Gerhardsen were both members of Mot Dag. Both became later Prime Ministers of Norway after World War 2. Their vision was that the Labour Party should aim for a "Norwegian Communism" independent of Moscow. In 1925 Mot Dag was excluded from the Labour Party. In 1927 and 1928 Mot Dag was part of NKP, the Norwegian Communist Party. NKP had kept its ties to Moscow.

After breaking with the Labur Party in 1925 Erling Falk focused Mot Dag on other activities. Mot Dag organized Arbeidernes Aftenskole (Working Class Evening School) which became the most important source for Working Class information. Mot Dag had their own publishing company called Fram forlag (Fram Publishing Co.). Mot Dag initiated Arbeidernes Idrettsforbund (The Labour Athletic Assosciation).

Clarté was a forum for recruitment and revolutionary debates. However, the student assosciations remained Mot Dag's most important source for recruitment and influence. Not only at the University in Oslo but also in Stavanger, Bergen and Trondheim. During the 20s and 30s most elected leaders of the Norwegian Students Union in Oslo were members of Mot Dag.

In 1931 Erling Falk establishes direct contact with Moscow. This takes place in addition to the link Moscow had to NKP (The Norwegian Communist Party) which never broke with Moscow.

In 1935 the Labour Party (AP) is elected into power. In 1936 Erling Falk and Mot Dag negotiates an agreement with Martin Tranmæl and the Labour Party. Mot Dag members except Erling Falk are welcomed to join the Labour Party. Still Mot Dag continues to show up on the listings of chairmen of the Norwegian Student Union in Oslo, 1937, 38, 39, 40.

On April 8th 1940 Falk travels to Stockholm were he arrives in the morning of April 9th 1940, the very same day Germany invided Norway. (What did Falk know about the next days happenings when he left Oslo ? Was he informed about the German invasion through his contact with Moscow ?) Several of the Ministers in the Norwegian Cabinet where Mot Dag members. It is further a fact that the Norwegian resistance movement did not grew strong before after Hitler attacked Soviet in the summer of 1941. Erling Falk died on August 1st 1940, 53 years of age.

Erling Falk had established direct contact with Moscow in 1931. The British KGB spies Kim Philby & Co were recruited by KGB at UK universities in the first part of the 30s. Is it likely to believe that Erling Falk died without securing his and KGB's successor? I would say the answer to this question is NO. If so, when was this person recruited and did Erling Falk have the authority to sign him up ?

The answer to the first part of the question must be before 1940. Would this persons name be on any Mot Dag member listings connecting him to the organization ? Most likely not. As Mot Dag joined the Labour Party in 1936 we could probably focus in on an individual with outstanding skills recruited at the University of Oslo some time in the period 1936 - 1940. The answer to the last part of the question is most likely negativ. Erling Falk was not given authority to sign up agents. KGB would likely sign up their agents by themselves. However, the recommendation by Erling Falk would probably make this sign up a formality which would only take day(s), for an authorized KGB recruitment agent.

KGB agent Gordijievsky have stated that the agent in Norway was among KGB's 6-10 best agents in the world. Are we focusing in on this person ? Arne Treholt could with his sloppy behaviour in no way be one of KGB's 6-10 best agents. He was also to young.

Abel the KGB recruiter who in 1962 was swopped with Powel, the American U2 pilot who was shot down over Soviet, was sighted on Frogner in Oslo in 1938.