CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1953/01/16

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02064891
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: July 15, 2019
• Document Release Date: July 22, 2019
• Publication Date: January 16, 1953

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SEC INFORMATION
16 January 1953
Copy No.
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO.
NO CHANGE IN CLASS.
0 DECLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: IS
NEXT REVIEW DATE:
AUTH: f 7O-
DATES
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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� ITY INFORMATION
REVIEWER.
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SUMMARY
GENERAL
1. Moscow attempts to arrange for bunkering of Polish ship in Far
East (page 3).
2. Britain will advise Turkey to plan with Yugoslavia on military
basis (page 3).
3. Murphy reports possible Soviet overtures toward Japan (page 4).
SOVIET UNION
4. Moscow "conspiracy" seen as prelude to tightened security (page 4).
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
5. British officials in the Sudan believe Egypt not interested in settle-
ment (page 5).
WESTERN EUROPE
6. Rome reportedly anxious to station Italian troops in Trieste (page 5).
7. Negotiations with Denmark for airbase rights seen doomed (page 6).
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GENERAL
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1. Moscow attempts to arrange for bunkering of Polish ship in Far East: 3.3(h)(2)
Comment: This is the first known instance of
the Soviet Union contacting a Western firm in order to arrange for the
bunkering of a Satellite vessel.
Having been deprived of fueling service at
Djibouti as of the beginning of 1953, Poland may be working through
Sovfracht in an attempt to find bunkering facilities farther east for
its China run ships. Soviet vessels continue to bunker at Singapore,
and Sovfracht probably has extensive connections in Southeast Asia.
Polish officials recently also have considered
attempting to arrange for bunkering facilities in India.
2. Britain will advise Turkey to plan with Yugoslavia on military basis:
The British Ambassador in Ankara has been
instructed to inform the Turkish Government
,hat the only guidance that can be given at
,his stage about cooperation with Yugoslavia
is for Greece and Turkey to go as far as possible "on a purely military
basis." He is to add that the United States, Britain and France do not
favor encouraging Yugoslavia to join NATO at this time, and that they
would like more details on the Turkish suggestion of a "regional com-
bination."
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3.
Murphy reports possible Soviet overtures toward Japan:
Recent Soviet gestures toward Japan may
be an attempt to encourage the establish-
ment of Soviet-Japanese relations, according
to Ambassador Murphy. He believes that
such moves as a reported Soviet approach on resumption of Japanese
fishing off Kamchatka, Chinese offers of trade and repatriation, and
the transmission of an increasing number of letters from Japanese
detained in the USSR may be designed to convince the Japanese people
that their government's policy is in error.
Murphy notes that Japan considers Soviet
failure to recognize its fishing rights in the North Pacific and to re-
patriate Japanese POW's impediments to the resumption of diplomatic
relations.
Comment: In late 1951 and early 1952, the
Soviet Union made a series of friendly gestures toward the Japanese
people. Japanese officials believe that a formal approach by the
Soviet.Mission last month on a minor shipwreck case may also have
been an attempt to establish de facto relations.
SOVIET UNION
4. Moscow "conspiracy" seen as prelude to tightened security:
The British Foreign Office conjectures that
the charges of a conspiracy among Soviet
doctors are a warning that internal security
is to be tightened. It also speculates that
the security apparatus may undergo a purge,
perhaps at Beria's expense, although there
is no evidence as yet of a conflict between
him and Malenkov. The Foreign Office be-
lieves that Soviet foreign policy is not in-
volved, and does not consider that the anti-
Jewish aspect is of predominant importance.
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A leading West German expert on the Soviet
Union feels that anti-Semitic aspects of recent developments in the
Orbit stem from Stalin's distrust of Jewish Communists as inter-
nationally-minded idealists with contacts in the non-Communist world.
The American Embassy in Moscow points
out that Berta was listed in his customary fourth place position in
Stalin's party at the Bolshoi Theatre on 12 January.
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
5. British officials in the Sudan believe Egypt not interested in settlement:
British officials in the Sudanese Government
believe Egypt is not interested in a settlement
of the Sudan issue, preferring unrest there as
a way of strengthening its future position in
the area.
This belief, according to the American Liaison
Officer in Khartoum, is also held by the French representative, who
feels that unrest in the Sudan tends to raise Egyptian cotton prices.
3.3(h)(2)
� Comment: This is a plausible interpretation
of Egyptian tactics on the Sudan,blit there is no evidence that General Nagib
is approaching the problem in this manner. London's acceptance of
such an interpretation, however, would harden its attitude against any
further compromise.
WESTERN EUROPE
6. Rome reportedly anxious to station Italian troops in Trieste:
The "necessity" for having Italian troops 3.3(h)(2)
enter Trieste as a step toward Italy's gaining
control of the Zone A administration, without
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prejudicing its claims to Zone B, is being emphasized by an influential
Italian newspaper and by the Trieste press.
this demand3.3(h)(2)
is generally accepted in Trieste as the new policy of the Rome govern-
ment.
Comment: The Italian Government, anxious to
strengthen its position in the forthcoming elections, wishes to give the
electorate evidence of concrete progress toward recovery of the Free
Territory. It may be preparing to request either that Italian troops
enter Trieste or that Italy receive some other recognition of its "sov-
ereignty" over the territory.
7. Negotiations with Denmark for airbase rights seen doomed:
mbassador Anderson reports that further
egotiations concerning airbase rights for
merican units in Denmark are "probably
doomed to failure," since the necessary
Social Democratic support seems most unlikely.
3.3(h)(2)
The chairman of the Social Democratic Party
has stated that in view of the special election on 21 April for a con-
stituent assembly, negotiations cannot proceed now, If he were assured
that the US Air Force units would not be withdrawn without Danish con-
sent�an assurance he considers "impossible" to obtain�he would
support a parliamentary resolution authorizing negotiations.
Comment: Without Social Democratic support
the minority government would be reluctant, and might find it parliamen-
tartly impossible, to proceed with airfield negotiations. Social Demo-
cratic leaders apparently feel that neutralism and pacificism have
again reached serious proportions within their party, and that they must
recognize this or suffer serious electoral losses.
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