CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1952/06/03

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02684304
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: May 24, 2019
• Document Release Date: May 30, 2019
• Publication Date: June 3, 1952

Approved for Release: 2019/05/68 CO2684304
TOP SECRET
SECURI NFORMATION
3 June 1952
Copy No. 5 3
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
oocumpxrt40.
Jt
140 CHANGE 84 CLASS. K�
ottaASSIFIEO
GLASS, cHAW3S0 TO: TS 8 0
NExT RSV1EW WM;
mmt TO-2
Office of Current Inte11igenct0E/
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
TOPS
SECURE NFORMATION
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
Approved for Release: 2019/05/08 CO2684304
Approved for Release: 2019/05/08 CO2684304
Tre3>SECRET
SUMMARY
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
1. Transfer of Israeli Foreign Office may harm US-Arab relations
(nage 31
WESTERN EUROPE
3. Soviet Union apparently not yet ready to blockade Berlin (page 4).
4. Possible relocation of Soviet ground force headquarters in East
Germany (page 4).
5. De Gasperi may seek Monarchist support to avoid losing national
elections (page 5).
* *
T9PSEC�T
3.5(c)
3.3(h)(2)
3.5(c)
3.5(c)
Approved for Release: 2019/05/08 CO2684304
_�����
Approved for Release: 2019/05/08 CO2684304-
3.5(c)
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
I, Transfer of Israeli Foreign Office may harm US-Arab relations:
Assistant Secretary of State Byroade reports 3.3(h)(2)
that Amerioan and other diplomats in the
Arab countries, particularly in Lebanon,
Syria, and Jordan, are concerned over the
projected move of the Israeli Foreign Office from Tel Aviv to Jeru-
salem. He states that if the United States accepts the Israeli action
without a protest, the Arab states will interpret this as another ex-
ample of American acquiescence in an Israeli fait accompli.
Byroade suggests that the United States might
take the position that it cannot participate in the move until the issue
of internationalization of Jerusalem has been solved by the United Nations,
Comment: The UN resolution for the inter-
nationalization of Jerusalem has never been implemented. Israel con-
trols the New City and Jordan the Old City. Most of the Lsraeli govern-
ment offices have already been moved from Tel Aviv.
The projected transfer of the Foreign Office
to Jerusalem will immediately force all countries represented in Israel
to decide whether to move their diplomatic missions to the New City or
openly oppose the Israeli action by remaining in Tel Aviv.
3.3
-3 -
TOP SECRET
(h)(2)
3.5(c)
Approved for Release: 2019/05/08 CO2684304
Approved for Release 2019/05/08 CO2684304
TrOP 'HET
3.5(c)
3.3(h)(2)
WESTERN EUROPE
3. Soviet Union apparently not yet ready to blockade Berlin:
3.3(h)(2)
The Berlin element of the High Commissioner's
office believes that the Soviet Union and East
Germany are veering away from the menacing
position taken only a few days ago and suggests
that the Soviet measures in Berlin are directed more at isolating East
Germany and intensifying control there than at the immediate strangu-
lation of the city.
This may indicate that the Soviet Union, which
will continue to have the power to cut Berlin's communications with the
West, is not yet prepared to resort to this drastic measure, but will
use various other means to try to block ratification of the contractual
agreement and EDC treaty.
4. Possible relocation of Soviet ground force headquarters in East Germany:
/reveals a redisposition of
some elements of the Headquarters, Soviet
Group of Occupation Forces, Germany (GOFG),
from the Ilerlin suburb of Potsdam-Babelsberg to the Zossen-Wuensdorf
area 25 miles south of Berlin.
Residents of Potsdam believe that one of the
vacated installations there is to be occupied by East German People's
Police.
- 4 -
3.3(h)(2)
3.5(c)
Approved for Release: 2019/05/08 CO2684304
Approved for Release: 2019/05/08 CO2684304
1.01) CHET
3.5(c)
Comment: Neither the number of headquarters
elements involved nor the permanence of the move is established at this
time. Renovation of the former German High Command installations in
the Zossen-Wuensdorf area started in August 1950 under GOFG super-
vision 3.3(h)(2)
The barracks, which are estimated to have a capacity of 35,000 to 40,000
troops, were recently only partially occupied.
The move of GOFG headquarters, if confirmed,
would follow a recently observed pattern of Soviet Army relocations in
East Germany, which apparently are designed to take advantage of im-
proved facilities and to provide greater security from observation. It
would also serve to enhance the prestige of the East German Government
in Berlin by making it appear more independent.
There is no evidence of the relocation of Soviet
air headquarters in Eastern Germany, and, inasmuch as almost all of
the tactical ground units are presently in normal summer training areas,
any major redisposition of ground force units probably would not become
evident until after fall maneuvers.
5. De Gasperi may seek Monarchist support to avoid losing national elections:
On the basis of results from the latest local 3.3(h)(2)
elections, the US Embassy in Rome estimates
that "the slightest unfavorable shift in senti-
ment between now and 1953 might put the
democratic parties in the minority." To avoid this; Premier de Gasperi
may "make a serious try at a balancing trick with the Monarchists,"
although this would cost him the support of the nationally more numerous
Democratic Socialists.
The Premier is expected to revise the electoral
law to favor the center, and to seek elimination of the neo-fascists from
political competition by outlawing them or controlling their activities
through the enforcement of existing laws.
-5
TOP RET
3.5(c)
Approved for Release: 2019/05/08 CO2684304
3.5(c)
Approved for Release: 2019/05/08 CO2684304
TeeP SECRET
Comment: Because the elections show that
the Christian Democrats have lost their popular mandate, De Gasperi
faces the choice of broadening his government, either to the right or to
the left. The electoral results suggest that further alienation by the
De Gasperi government of the left-center in favor of the conservative
right would accelerate the present trend toward extremes and jeopardize
Italian cooperation with American policies.
-6
3.5(c)
Approved for Release: 2019/05/08 CO2684304