CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79T00975A000500560001-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 3, 2003
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: February 17, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Rele,~e~l~'~16 ~~~~l5A000~0560001-4
17 February 1952
Cgpy No.
49
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DQCUMENTNO.
NO CHANGE EN CLASS.
I ~ QFCtA~9Str"!ED
NEiC7 aEViEW DATE:
RUTH? H
nRT~~ REVlEVVER: ,~
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
T4P SECRET
DOS review(s) completed.
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SUMMARX
FAR EAST
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4. French official states views on Indochina situation (page 4 .
5. Burmese Cabinet shakeup expected (page 5).
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2.
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NEAR EAST -AFRICA
6. Cabinet change in Egypt rumored (page 6).
LATIN AMERICA
7. Comment on proposal for partly-nationalized oil company in Venezuela
(page 6).
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3.
4, French official states- views on Indochina situationo
The French Minister of Associated States,
Letourneau, who has just completed an in-
spection trip throughout Indochina, told the
American Minister in Saigon that while the
outlook is "by no means hopeless it is far from optimistica " He was
discouraged by the performances of Bao Dai and Premier Huu, and had
warned them that. France might not continue its sacrifices unless the
Vietnamese Government showed signs of improvement,
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Although Letourneau vehemently denied anq
possibility of a rapprochement with the Viet Minh, he carefull.~r a.vgided
comment on rumors that France might negotiate with the ..Peiping regime to
cease its aid.
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Commento Increasing popular dissatisfaction
with the. Vietnam +Government,~ par"~cularly in the critical Tonkin delta
region, has been evident in many recent reports..
French commercial circles in Indochina are
known to be in favor of reaching some arrangement with the Chinese Corn-.
munists which would .halt further aid to the Viet Minho
. :Burmese Cabinet shakeup expected:
lation of Socialist Panty leader U Ba Swe as Defense Minister and he
appointment of Thakin Tin, chief author of the Land Nationalization Act,
to the newly-created post of Minister for Land Nationalization. The
Embassy commends that this reshuffle appears to promise a stronger Cabinet
and that no change in foreign policy is indicated.
Comrr~ent: Both U Ba Swe and Thakin Tin are
self-admitted extreme leftists w o lave never concealed their anti-
Western attitudes and their admiration of Communist China and the USSR..
They also retain friendly relations with leaders of the pro-Communist
Burma Workers and Peasants Party,
The American Embassy in Rangoon reports
that the Burmese Premier is expected soon to
approve a Cabinet shakeup dictated by he
Socialists. Changes are to include the instal-
The American Army Attache in Rangoon was
recently informed that Commander in Chief Ne Win was opposed to an
appointment of U Ba Swe as Defense Minister and that rumors of a coup
were "cropping up" again among government officials.
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NEAR EAST -AFRICA
6, Cabinet change in Egypt rumored:
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present Egyptian Cabinet under Ali -Maher may
soon be replaced by a government headed by
Hilali Pasha, a former high official in the
powerful -Wafd Party. If this should occur, Parliament would. be dissolved
and the Country ruled by decree. for several months.
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Hilali Cabinet would deal ruthlessly with Wafd Party corruption.- Positive
concessions by Great Britain on the Suez base and Sudan issues might en-
able Hilali to win popular support- away from the Wafd Party.
Comment: King Farouk would gain little ad-
vantage now in dismissing the present government, which won the initial
support of Egypt's major parties, including the Wafd, and which is in
the good graces of the British Government.
Sinee Ali Maher became Premier on 28
January, some student opposition has been noted, occasional terrorist
activities have occurred, and the Wafd Party has made veiled threats to
withdraw its support from the government,
Hilali was rumored to be in line for the
Egyptian premiership when the Wafd government was ousted on 27 January.
If he should suddenly replace Ali Maher, he too would face the prospect
of losing Wafd support and would almost necessarily be forced to dissolve
Parliament, which the Wafd controls. Rule by decree would increase
Egypt's internal problems, no matter who were Premier.
LATIN AMERICA
7. Comment on proposal for partly-nationalized oil company in Venezuela:
A newly-formed group of American business-
men have petitioned the Venezuelan Government for oil concessions and
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-have- offered th t overnment artial control of any resulting operations.
The- group, appears -to have considerable
capital at its isposa an as en a position that an arrangement such
as it proposes : "would be a palliative rather than a stimulus" to sentiment
for ~dtionaIizing the industry. United States Embassy officials are ap-
prehensive- about the activities of this group.
Although there has always been a latent re-
sentment of foreign control of the oil industry, Venezuelan sentiment
favoring nationalization has never found an influential spokesman either
from the right or the non-Communist lefts Venezuelans have-been general-
ly satisfied with the benefits accruing to the country from foreign develop-
ment of its petroleum resourcese
The proposal for a partly-nationalized company
therefore appears to be premature. There is no indication at present that
the Venezuelan Government is particularly anxious to accept it, but any
publicity for the proposal might create a new focus for nationalistic senti-
ments. ,
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