CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1952/07/29

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 05973575
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: June 6, 2019
• Document Release Date: June 27, 2019
• Publication Date: July 29, 1952

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SECURITP1NFORMATION
29 July 1952
Copy NO. �b
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO E
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DECLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: S S
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AUTH: HR 70-2 �
DATE:( EVIEWER:
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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SEC INFORMATION
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SUMMARY
GENERAL
I. Bonn unlikely to approve unofficial trade "agreement" with Peiping
(page 3).
FAR EAST
2. Portuguese Consul comments on border clashes at Macao (page 3).
3. Vietnam refuses to accept Indian Consul General (page 4).
4. French Commander seeks support for fall offensive in Indochina
(page 4).
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
5. Senior Syrian army officers reportedly demand civilian government
(page 5).
6. Israel will oppose reported Syrian territorial demand (page 5).
7. Eritrean nationalist movement reported increasing (page 6).
WESTERN EUROPE
8. Bonn requests cheap air service to Berlin (page 7).
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GENERAL
1. Bonn unlikely to approve unofficial trade "agreement" with Peiping:
OSTAG, an association
ox uerman businessmen who attended the
Moscow Conference, has submitted to the
Economics Ministry the text of a trade "agreement" reached with
representatives of communist China..
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since the agreement reflects 3.3(h)(2)
the predominant interest of China in items on COCOM's strategic
commodity lists, there is not the slightest possibility that the govern-
ment will approve the agreement in its present form. Furthermore,
rdoubts whether any agreement could be concluded under existing 3.3(h)(2)
cumstances. c
Comment: According to the Peiping radio,
Chinese imports from West Germany were to include tool-making
and other machines, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and textiles. The
Communists have not publicly indicated whether their willingness to
accept nonstrategic goods like textiles is conditional on Bonn's ap-
proving the sale of the machine items.
FAR EAST
2. Portuguese Consul comments on border clashes at Macao:
The Portuguese Consul in Hong Kong reports
that border clashes at Macao on 25 and 26
uly, in which several Portuguese-African
troops were wounded and an estimated 15
Chinese Communist troops killed, climaxed
repeated provocations by the Chinese which had previously caused
several less serious incidents.
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The Consul believes that these incidents have
not been sanctioned by the Communist authorities in Canton, who are
said tO be sending investigators. The Communists have not exploited
the most recent incident, as local Portuguese feared, as a pretext to
cut off food supplies from Macao.
3.3(h)(2)
3. Vietnam refuses to accept Indian Consul General:
'the
Tarn government's rejection of the appoint-
ment of an Indian Consul General to Saigon
because of India's refusal to recognize the
Vietnam Government. In pointing out the Indian Government's "lack
of good will" toward Vietnam,
Comment
present
French policy is strongly opposed to Chinese Nationalist efforts to
establish diplomatic relations with the Associated States. Fear of
provoking Peiping at this time is given as the reason.
Thailand is the only Asian state which main-
tains diplomatic relations with Vietnam.
4. French Commander seeks support for fall offensive in Indochina:
Ambassador Heath in Saigon reports that the
principal purpose of French Commander in
Chief Salan's trip to Paris next week is to
persuade officials there to send him the trans-
port aircraft and crews necessary fol. offensive operations outside the
Tonkin delta this fall and winter. Letourneau, whose full backing of
such a request is needed, is reported not yet convinced of the value of
Salan's plan for an offensive.
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The American Ambassador, commenting on
the apparently increasing inclination of the French Cabinet to conduct
only a holding operation'in Indochina, believes it imperative that the
initiative be wrested from the Viet Minh. He concludes that a mili-
tary stalemate will in the long run set the stage for ignominious negoti�
ations with the Viet Minh..
Comment: The British Minister in Saigon
noted recently that Letourneau, during his recent trip to Singapore,
had unfavorably impressed British officials with his lack of a "victory
psychology."
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
5. Senior Syrian army officers reportedly demand civilian government:
A group of field grade officers reportedly 3.3(h)(2)
presented Syria's military dictator, Colonel
Shishakli, with an ultimatum on 23 Ally de-
manding a return to civilian government and
he ban on political parties,
Comment: There have been recent reports
of army dissatisfaction with the Shishakli regime, allegedly over the
forced retirement of certain senior officers. There is no evidence,
however, that Shishakli has lost control of the situation.
3.3(h)(2)
6. Israel will oppose reported Syrian territorial demand:
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Comment: The disputed Tiberias region is
demilitarized and subject to an armistice agreement. Israeli officials
have long argued that the entire area should be awarded to Israel and
have consistently opposed yielding any part of the region to Syria.
Despite Arab objections to the drainage opera-
tions, Israel has never agreed to stop work except for limited periods
of time.
7. Eritrean nationalist movement reported increasing:
The Eritrean nationalist movement, which is
opposed to the aims of both Ethiopia and the
West, is growing, 3.3(h)(2)
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The nationalists are at-
tempting to prevent the Eritrean-Ethiopian
ed by the UN,which they view as union in disguise,
because under the proposed constitution the real power would rest
with the Ethiopian Emperor's representative in Eritrea.
Moslem discontent reportedly stems from the
fear that top positions in the future Eritrean government will go to
members of the Coptic group. There is accordingly some local agi-
tation to resubmit the Eritrean problem to the United Nations.
Comment: According to the United Nations
resolution, Eritrea is to become an autonomous province under the
Ethiopian Crown by 15 September 1952. The US Consul in Asmara has
also recently reported local dissatisfaction.
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WESTERN EUROPE
8. Bonn requests cheap air service to Berlin:
West German authorities, disturbed by the
increasing molestation of Berlin-bound
travelers, have asked the Allied High Com-
mission to arrange for increased commer-
cial air service to West Berlin at rates which approximate the fare
for rail transportation.
Comment: This request was touched off by
the arrest and detention of several West German travelers by East
German authorities for no accountable reason. Since these travelers
had valid Allied interzonal passes, this action constituted a clear
threat to the free access to Berlin by West German citizens.
Soviet authorities have from time to time
held up groups of travelers at border check points because of some
"new" interpretation of interzonal pass regulations. The latest such
incident was on 26 July.
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