CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1952/02/29

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02623668
• 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 29, 1952

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SECURTY INFORMATION
29 February 1952
1
Copy No. 49
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO. 5..7
NO CHANGE IN CLASS. "4
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Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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SUMMARY
FAR EAST
I. North Koreans order precautions against alleged bacteriological
warfare (page 3).
2. Chou En-lai discusses Burma problem with Indian Ambassador
(page 3).
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
3. Egyptian King reportedly dissatisfied with Prime Minister
Ali Maher (page 4).
EASTERN EUROPE
4. Government irritated over tripartite opposition to Yugoslav
capital investment program (page 5).
WESTERN EUROPE
5. Benelux dissatisfied with German financial contributiori to the
European Defense Community (page 5).
6. Switzerland stops arms shipments to Egypt (page 6).
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FAR EAST
1. North Koreans order precautions against alleged bacteriological warfare:
A North Korean battalion commander was ordered
on 27 February to take special precautions to
avoid contamination of his unit's food and water
slaecause "the enemy dropped bacteria" in central
ri,t)recto o ve r ing wells and disinfecting United Nations leaflets were
additional recommendations.
� Comment: There is no evidence that a serious
� health problem exists in North Korea. Following recent charges made by
both the North Korean and the Chinese Communist Foreign Ministers that
the United Nations were using bacteriological warfare in the Korean war,
the entire Soviet Orbit has been giving great emphasis to this subject.
The American Embassy in Moscow observes that Soviet press and radio
coverage links the BW issue with the Panmunjom truce talks.
2. Chou En-lai discusses Burma problem with Indian Ambassador:
In a conversation with the Indian Ambassador
Panikkar on 17 February, Premier Chou En-lai
remarked that while the problem posed by the
Chinese Nationalists in Burma was not current-
ly serious, these forces, if supported by the
eateS�Id utilize the mountainous Yunnan terrain to create an
"important front" against China. The Premier wondered whether Burma,
due to American pressure, would cease its efforts to eliminate Li Mi's
troops.
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The Burmese Ambassador, in reporting this
conversation to Rangoon, added that he had informed the Chinese Commu-
nist Foreign Ministry of Burma's willingness to discuss the Nationalist
question at any time.
Comment: The Burmese armed forces are
not capable of seriously limiting the activities of Li Mi's forces, and the
Chinese Communists must certainly be aware of this fact
Burma's ambassador is an extreme left-wing
Socialist and has publicly accused the United States of aiding Li Mi.
His diplomatic messages from Peiping have reflected sympathy for the
views of Chinese Communist officials.
NEAR EAST- AFRICA
3. Egyptian King reportedly dissatisfied with Prime Minister Ali Maher:
King Farouk, according to a palace adviser,
is dissatisfied with the lack of progress being
made toward a solution of the Anglo-Egyptian
dispute. As a result, Prime Minister Ali Maher
may be forced to resign unless he is prepared to take more positive
action against the influential Wafd Party.
Amr Pasha, another palace adviser, has
stated that Farouk is determined that those responsible for the 26 January
riots be punished, that there be a showdown with the Wafd, that Parlia-
ment be dissolved, and that a reasonable agreement with Great Britain
be accomplished.
Comment: King Farouk is reportedly anxious
to seize the present opportunity to weaken the Wafd's political power.
Ali Maher, in turn, is said to oppose acting too quickly against the Wafd
because of the strength of this majority party.
Current indications are that if an Anglo-
Egyptian settlement continues to be delayed, the King may install a new
government � possibly headed by former Wafdist leader Hilali � in
order to achieve more rigorous measures against the Wafd as well as
to bring about the dissolution of Parliament.
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EASTERN EUROPE
4. Government irritated over tripartite opposition to Yugoslav capital
investment program:
The Yugoslav Government has decided to
proceed with its capital investment program
in its present form in spite of the refusal of
the United States, France, and Britain to
rovide financial assistance for the program. Yugoslav economic
officials charge that this refusal represents interference in Yugoslavia's
internal affairs. They claim that the capital investment program is
.absolutely necessary to solve Yugoslavia's balance of payments problem,
finish its uncompleted plants, and combat Cominform propaganda that
Yugoslavia is lagging behind the Satellites in industrialization.
Comment: In mid-February the United States,
Britain, and France refused a Yugoslav request for approximately 80
million dollars to finance capital goods imports. The Yugoslav Govern- ,
ment was informed that the tripartite aid program is intended only to
finance Yugoslavia's current account trade deficit and that it should
look to the International Bank to finance its capital goods imports.
The completion of the capital investment
program would serve to reassure Yugoslav Communists that the building
of socialism remains the principal objective of the regime.
WESTERN EUROPE
5. Benelux dissatisfied with German financial contribution to the European
Defense Community:
In their meeting with the United States, British
and French Foreign Ministers at Lisbon on
26 February, the Belgian and Dutch repre-
sentatives stressed the importance they attach
to the principle that the German financial arrangements for defense
should not result in additional burdens on other Defense Community
countries. The Dutch Foreign Minister emphasized the importance of
using the German contribution to build up German military strength.
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Comment: When the Defense Community comes
into effect, the West German contribution to Community forces, which is a
part of its over-all defense contribution, will be about 812 million dollars
for the first year of the plan's operation. Both the US High Commissioner
and the Germans tentatively estimate that the cost of building up German
contingents will exceed this figure. The Benelux countries are concerned
over the possible loss to them of American military assistance if the
United States should attempt to meet the German deficit in the Defense
Community.
6. Switzerland stops arms shipments to Egypt:
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Switzerland is refusing to grant, export licenses
for war materiel ordered by Egypt, according
to the Egyptian Minister in Bern. He attributes
the government's attitude to pressure exerted
by the United States, Britain, and France to
prevent war materiel from reaching Egypt before it joins the Middle East
defense organization. He believes that Switzerland is submitting to this
pressure because military, economic and political considerations make
it dependent upon these countries.
The Egyptian Minister notes that when export
licenses for war materiel were refused last November, he was able to
persuade the Swiss to lift the ban temporarily.
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