CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1952/02/24

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02020558
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: May 24, 2019
• Document Release Date: May 30, 2019
• Publication Date: February 24, 1952

Approved for Release: 2019/05/08 CO2020558
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SEC INFORMATION
24 February 1952
Copy No. 43
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO
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HR 70-2
DATi. (tat REVIEWER
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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SECURITY INFORMATION
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SUMMARY
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
1. Yemen Government is attempting to promote understanding with
USSR (page 3).
2. Comment on split in Leftist opposition party in Israel (page 4).
3. France proffers admittedly unacceptable program to Tunisia
(page 4).
EASTERN EUROPE
4. Anti-religious attacks increase in Yugoslavia (page 5).
WESTERN EUROPE
5. East Germans to close canal lock on Berlin route to West (page 5),
6. Austrian officials anticipate stronger Soviet pressure (page 6).
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NEAR EAST - AFRICA
1. Yemen Government is attempting to promote understanding with USSR: 3.3(h)(2)
The Imam of Yemen ordered his representative
in London on 8 February to contact Soviet UN
Delegate Jacob Malik and to "pave the way
towards a mutual understanding and God willing
an agreement." He said that the Western
powers have disappointed the Arabs and have-
broken their promises while they carry on a
colonial policy in defiance of the principles of
the United Nations. The Arabs, accordingly,
are turning "towards Moscow hoping to receive
from thence cultural and material assistance if it should be necessary."
The Yemeni representative in London replied
on 11 February that he had asked for an appointment with Malik who was
about to leave. He had been told by a Soviet representative at the time of
his call about the opportunities offered by the Moscow Economic Conference
in April. The representative, accordingly, has suggested to the Imam
that if a Yemeni representative were to be authorized to attend the confer-
ence, preliminary discussions could be held with the Soviet Ambassador
in London.
Comment: The Imam, the absolute ruler of
Yemen, is a devout Moslem with a limited comprehension of world affairs
and generally unfriendly to foreigners. During the past several years he
has apparently developed an interest in expanding his foreign relations,
inspired by a desire to benefit financially from whatever mineral and oil
resources Yemen may possess.
The USSR has no representation in Yemen.
A planned visit of the Soviet Minister to Ethiopia in the fall of 1949 did
not materialize.
The Imam's surprising approach to the USSR
appears to reflect in part the well-known Arab dissatisfaction with the
West but also a hope of benefiting both politically and economically from
such a move.
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2. Comment on split in Leftist opposition party in Israel: 3.3(h)(2)
Two Israeli Parliament members have broken
with their party, the leftist MAPAM, and have decided to form an inde-
pendent group. The two members are opposed to the decided pro-Commu-
nist slant taken by the left wing of MAPAM, which has often followed the
Communist line and is the strongest opposition to Prime Minister Ben
Gurion's coalition government. The party is losing two of its 15 deputies
in the 120-man Parliament by this action; moreoverrsorne' of the remaining 13
are opposed to the party's often-displayed Communist alignment. �The
stability of the present government is enhanced by this formal break within
MAPAM, which may foreshadow more splintering.
3. France proffers admittedly unacceptable program to Tunisia:
3.3(h)(2)
The Chief of the Protectorates Division in the
French Foreign Office told the American Am-
bassador that Resident General Jean de
Haute cloque is returning to Tunis with in-
structions to see the Bey privately and to promise "vague reforms" in
exchange for the dismissal of the Bey's Prime Minister.
If Hautecloque fails in this mission, as the
Foreign Office expects, he will have to wait until the French Government
decides upon specific reforms to offer the Bey. Since order has been
fairly well restored, there is now no sense of urgency.
3.3(h)(2)
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EASTERN EUROPE
4. Anti-religious attacks increase in Yugoslavia:
The Tito regime has forbidden religious 3.3(h)(2)
instruction in the schools of Slovenia and
Croatia, both predominantly Catholic regions,
and has ordered the separation of all theo-
lOgical faculties from their respective universities in the various
republics. Moreover, the provincial press and local Communist Party
organizations in Slovenia have increased their attacks against the clergy,
and a series of newspaper articles along Marxist lines have predicted
the demise of religion in Yugoslavia.
American officials believe that these develop-
ments suggest a high level decision to revive the religious issue as part
of a concerted effort to restore party purity and reactivate the party's
revolutionary functions, in order to reassure Yugoslav Communists that
the building of socialism remains the principal objective of the regime.
Comment: The notable increase in anti-
Catholic activity is not only an attempt to regenerate party spirit but is
also probably calculated to discredit the widespread belief in Yugoslavia
that the release of Archbishop Stepinac represents a concession to
Yugoslav Catholics and the West.
WESTERN EUROPE
5, East Germans to close canal lock on Berlin route to West:
East German officials have announced the 3.3(h)(2)
closing for repairs of the Grosswusterwitz
lock of the Plauer Canal, part of the Mittelland
Canal system linking West Berlin and West
Germany, from 22 February to 6 March, according to a report from
American officials in Berlin. At first this will apparently not affect the
Mittelland Canal traffic, already hampered by ice conditions.
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Later, however, if the closing is prolonged beyond 6 March, it may
necessitate re-routing canal traffic between Berlin and the West by a
longer and inferior route, thus lengthening the barge trip by approximately
two days.
Comment: The closing of the Rothensee lock
In the Mittelland system, however, comprised one of the most effective
Communist harassing measures against West Berlin during 1951.
Originally announced for six weeks, these "repairs" were dragged out
for almost eleven months.
6. Austrian officials anticipate stronger Soviet pressure: 3.3(h)(2)
Chancellor Figl and Vice-Chancellor Schaerf
have informed the American Embassy in Vienna
that the Soviet Headquarters may have received
new directives to "bolster" the Soviet Union's
economic and political position in Austria. Special attention, they believe,
Is to be devoted to economic penetration, with probable exploitation of
the unemployment problem to be expected
General Sviridov, the Soviet High Commissioner,
had warned Figl and Schaerf that any action against Soviet retail establish-
ments in Austria would be considered an action against the Soviet Union,
and intimated that "workers" might demonstrate before the Federal
Chancellory in support of these enterprises. The American Embassy
associates this new policy with the recent shake-up in high-ranking
personnel of the Soviet Headquarters.
Comment: Since the failure of the scheduled
meeting of the treaty deputies, the Austrians have been increasingly bold
in denouncing Soviet policy on the treaty and Soviet economic exploitation.
The Soviet authorities have reacted with violent propaganda attacks on the
Austrian and American Governments and their alleged plans for partition-
ing and remilitarizing Austria.
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