THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 30 MARCH 1972

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993219
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: March 30, 1972

Declassified in 'Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010500270001-1
The President's Daily Brief
30 March 1972
Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010500270001-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010500270001-1
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
30 March 1972
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
The death of inactive Chinese politburo member Hsieh
Fu-chih underlines Peking's problems in naming per-
sonnel to key posts. (Page 1)
fedaveen/
/ (Page 2)
Yugoslavia's smallpox epidemic apparently has caused
Belgrade to postpone a number of large government
meetings and public gatherings. (Page 3)
Guatemala is laying the groundwork for possible ac--
tion in the OAS on British'Honduras. (Page 4)
A new facility for producing ;and testing solid pro-
pellant rocket motors has been spotted in central
China.- (Page 5)
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
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FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
CHINA
The death this week of inactive politburo member
Hsieh Fu-chih underscores Peking's difficulties in
filling key political and military positions. Ac-
cording to the eulogy delivered yesterday by Pre-
mier Chou En-Zai, Hsieh was stricken with stomach
cancer two years ago?almost precisely the length
of time he had been out of public view with a sin-
gle exception in June 1971. Despite this, Hsieh
continued to hold a number of sensitive posts in-
cluding minister of publid security and political
commissar of the Peking Military Region, and in
March 1971 he was designated party boss of Peking
city. His tenure is all the more remarkable since
there were indications in early 1970 that he was
involved in the bitter wrangling between conserva-
tives and ultra-leftists on the politburo.
The disposition of Hsieh's positions and the fill-
ing of other numerous vacancies on the politburo
are among the many leadership issues that remain
unresolved even after the Lin Piao affair six
months ago. Only a dozen of the 25 politburo mem-
bers have been active since fall, and the effective
authority of some remains open to question. Many
positions are also unfilled at secondary levels in
the central apparatus. Some provincial posts have
stood vacant for two years.
Despite this apparent paralysis, other evidence
points to the strengthening of Premier Chou En-Zai
and other moderates. The pragmatic domestic and
foreign programs associated with these men have
gained momentum in recent months. Still, the de-
lays on appointments reflect Chou's inability to
move within an area clearly within his purview as
premier. It seems likely that no survivor of the
Cultural Revolution and the Lin Piao affair has
yet acquired decisive leverage. Moreover, Hsieh's
death may tend to sharpen debate on allocating
posts among moderates and radicals as well as among
civilian and military figures.
1
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FEDAYEEN - ARAB STATES
2
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YUGOSLAVIA
Belgrade has postponed on short notice an unu-
sual joint meeting of the party presidium and state
presidency that was scheduled for 28 March. Meet-
ings of the Federal Assembly and athletic events
were also delayed.
Belgrade is reluctant to convene its top
officials and allow other public gather-
ings in view of the smallpox epidemic that
is now raging across the country.
there are
about 200 cases in Serbia, almost twice
the number admitted publicly, and as of
yesterday, 15 persons had died. The dis-
ease may have spread rapidly because some
of the vaccines in use are suspected of
being defective.
The epidemic may be spreading abroad. A
Yugoslav worker in West Germany has been
hospitalized with smallpox, and the Bul-
garians have closed their border with
Yugoslavia and are claiming that Albania
is also infected. Other countries border-
ing on Yugoslavia are likely to close
their borders shortly.
3
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GUATEMALA
The Arana government is laying the foundation
for possible action in the OAS on British Honduras.
Last week it formally notified the OAS Secretary
General that it had suspended negotiations with
Britain. The Guatemalan note characterized Britain's
plans to reinforce its garrison in the colony as
unacceptable intimidation. The note was subsequently
circulated among the OAS member states at Guatemala's
request.
Arana apparently has not made a final de-
cision to put the issue before the OAS
General Assembly when its next session
opens on 11 April. London is focusing
its efforts on dispelling Guatemala's
fear that independence for the colony
is imminent. Officials in London told
British Honduras' Premier Price during
his visit there last week that the only
practical approach to independence lies
in a negotiated agreement with Guatemala.
FOR THE PRESIDENT ONLY
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010500270001-1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010500270001-1
CHINA
MONGOLIA
Hu-ho-hao-te ?
Peking
73o..
PAK
OUT
OREA
Solid propellant
production facilities
NORTH
VIETNAM
HONG KONG (UK)
KIACAO
(Port )
IWAN
NAUTICAL MILES
PH
8,4
552743 3-72 CIA
THAILAND
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CHINA
Recent satellite photography shows a new fa-
cility for producing and testing solid propellant
rocket motors near Hsi-an in central China. Sev-
eral buildings, now in the late stages of construc-
tion, closely resemble those at China's other solid
propellant production complex near Hu-ho-hao-te.
5
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Top Secret
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2016/06/14 : CIA-RDP79T00936A010500270001-1