CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1954/05/28

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03002529
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: August 20, 2019
• Document Release Date: August 30, 2019
• Publication Date: May 28, 1954

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CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO.
NO CHANGE IN CLASS.
Fl DECLASSIFIED
CHANGED TO: TS $ C
NEXT REVIEW DATE' ..00/ 0
AUTH: HR 70.2
pATE:4/1/e22__ REVIEWER: _
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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SUMMARY
GENERAL
1. Comment on British Labor delegation's prospective visit to
Peiping (page 3).
SOUTHEAST ASIA
2. Philippine Communists believed planning to exploit nationalist
theme (page 3).
WESTERN EUROPE
3. Opposition to Laniel's policies gaining ground in France (page 4).
LATIN AMERICA
4. Colombian diplomat warns against "unilateral" US action on
Guatemala (page 5).
5.
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GENERAL
1. Comment on British Labor delegation's prospective visit to Peiping:
The British Labor Party's decision to send a
delegation of eight top officials including
Clement Atlee and Aneurin Bevan to Commu-
nist China this summer gives the Peiping
regime an opportunity to try to widen the split between Britain and the
United States on Asian policy.
Peiping may try to use the delegation as a
channel for establishing full diplomatic relations with Britain. The
Chinese have refused to do this ever since the Labor government recog-
nized the Communists in January 1950. In line with their well-known
tactic of "peoples' diplomacy"--the tactic of by-passing established
governments--the Chinese would at least emphasize the advantages of
"friendly" relations, in the expectation that the Labor Party would in-
crease its pressure on the government to adopt a more "independent"
attitude toward Peiping, and in the longer-range hope that Labor would
return to power.
The Labor Party sought the invitation, probably
for the announced purpose of conducting a good-will tour. The inclusion
of Bevan in the delegation probably represents a further attempt to close
the Labor Party's breach on foreign policy issues.
SOUTHEAST ASIA
2. Philippine Communists believed planning to exploit nationalist theme:
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Comment: The Communists may regard the
impending showdown between the president and the ultranationalistic
Recto-Laurel wing of the Nacionalista Party as an exceptional opportunity
to further their united front tactics.
WESTERN EUROPE
3. Opposition to Laniel's policies gaining ground in France:
Francois Mitterrand has a large and growing
audience for his arguments against the govern-
ment's Indochina and European policies, accord-
ing to the American embassy in Paris. Mitter-
rand argues that France is a Mediterranean rather than a world power and
no longer has a sufficient stake in Indochina to make the fight there worth-
while.
The embassy considers Mitterrand one of the
most prominent young leaders among center groups in the National Assem-
bly. His views may find considerable support in next week's debate on
Indochina.
Comment: Mitterrand, president of the small
Resistance Union, which was formerly headed by Defense Minister Pleven,
is sympathetic to Mendes-France's program. He quit the Laniel cabinet
last September in protest against its strong-arm policy in Morocco. His
opposition to Laniel's Indochina program was largely responsible for the
premier's poor showing in the 13 May vote of confidence. Although only
38 years old, he is considered a possible successor to Laniel.
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LATIN AMERICA
4. Colombian diplomat warns against "unilateral" US action on Guatemala:
Echeverri Cortes, ranking member of the
Colombian UN delegation, told Ambassador
Lodge on 26 May that the majority of Latin
American governments might "solidify against
the United States" if there were any semblance of unilateral action by
Washington on the Guatemalan arms case or any appearance of interven-
tion in Guatemalan domestic affairs.
Lodge believes that Echeverri Cortes is
genuinely friendly to the United States and that his remarks reflect a
growing feeling that Washington is intervening unilaterally.
Comment: The Colombian government has
strongly favored taking action against Guatemala and against Communism
in general. The ambassador's remarks reflect general Latin American
sensitivity on the the question of great-power intervention and on the
niceties of international law.
At the Caracas conference in March, Colombia
and Brazil insisted on adding to the anti-Communist resolution a clause
providing for hemisphere consultation on the methods of dealing with any
Communist threat.
5.
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