CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1952/03/18

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02046563
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: May 24, 2019
• Document Release Date: May 30, 2019
• Publication Date: March 18, 1952

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18 March 1952
Copy No. 4
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
. DOCUMENT NO. 2- 0
NO CHANGE IN CLASS, If .
DEcLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGE') 10 T L c
NExT
AUTH: HR 70-2
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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SECU INFORMATION
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SUMMARY
FAR EAST
1. Communists may expand propaganda to include chemical warfare
in Korea (page 3).
2. Chinese harass British business interests (page 3).
3. Deteriorating conditions in south Burma reported (page 4).
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
4. Turkey refuses to attend Pakistani-sponsored Moslem conference
(page 6).
5. Egypt seeks Turkish mediation in Anglo-Egyptian dispute (page 6).
6. Resident General in Tunisia threatens resignation (page 7).
WESTERN EUROPE
7. Pro-Italian extremists threaten disorders in Trieste (page 7).
8. French tend to discount present Russian threat to western Europe
(page 8).
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FAR EAST
1. Communists may expand propaganda to include chemical warfare in Korea:
A 13 March message from a North Korean
unit in a rear area reports: "On 7 March
the enemy used chemical weapons. . . (they)
were white colored powder, which are soluble
n wa er. t is s!ld that when one drinks the water. . he will be killed
Instantaneously. This has been discovered by the medical section of the
Volunteer troops stationed here."
3.3(h)(2)
Comment: Previous Communist propaganda
charges against the UN have been preceded by similar "reports," The alleged
� discovery of a toxic chemical by a Chinese Communist unit may indicate
that China is taking the initiative in expanding the campaign to include
chemical warfare.
2. Chinese harass British business interests:
British interests in Shanghai face a crisis
following the arrest last week of a leading
British firm's principal representative. His
detention reportedly was for failure to pay
employees of an affiliate whose business has been paralyzed by the anti-
corruption campaign.
Officials of the British-American Tobacco
Company are now expecting the arrest of their Shanghai manager for
failure to meet extortionate demands. The company has already
written off its 25 million dollar China investment and has declared that
It will not remit additional funds regardless of reprisals which may be
taken against its 20 executives remaining in China.
3.3(h)(2)
At a meeting in Hong Kong, officials of
British firms agreed to recommend "to London" not to, yield to extortionate
Chinese demands regardless of consequences to executives caught in "
China.
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Comment: There is a general conviction
among the British that their China investments must be abandoned. How-
ever, they are still anxious to maintain trade relations with the Commu-
nists, subject to export restrictions on the more strategic commodities.
China is Hong Kong's principal customer and British-flag ships outnumber
those of any other foreign registry in the China trade.
3. Deteriorating conditions in south Burma reported:
3.3(h)(2)
The rapid deterioration of law and order in
Mergui District, in southern Burma, is leading
inevitably to insurgent control over the entire
Tenasserim Division, in the opinion of a
The population is reported to be either apathetic
or sympa e ic o e ocal Karen and Communist rebels, (See map)
Comment: The tenuousness of the Burmese
Government's hold on Tenassertm and the hostile attitude of the people
are confirmed by several other reports. This situation is emphasized
by the Karen capture for a few hours last December of the important
port of Mergui, during which time they shot the Bur man District Com-
missioner.
Other reliable sources have indicated increasing
unrest in the Victoria Point-Ratong area, which is suspected of being a
center for smuggling out tin, wolfram, and rubber -- possibly in return
for arms. Moreover, these reports have been received simultaneously
with information that Communists from Malaya have been establishing
themselves in the nearby Sadao-Betong area of southern Thailand, although
there is no indication of a connection between Communist activities in the
two areas.
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SECURITY/INFORMATION
BURMA
Rangoon
THAILAND
INDIAN
0 C E AN
Tavo
Victoria
Point (61
anong
TENASSERIM DIVISION
TIN & WOLFRA1.11 ?AMES
259
Statute Miles
Wangkok
GULF
OF
SIAM
-. �
L"--Seadao
Betong .
MALAYA
SKET
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NEAR EAST - AFRICA
4. Turkey refuses to attend Pakistani-sponsored Moslem conference:
The Turkish Foreign Office has informed the
Pakistani Charge in Ankara that the Turkish
Government would not participate in a confer-
ence of Islamic states which is being sponsored
by the Pakistani Government, The Turkish Foreign Minister reported
that as a result of Turkey's nonacceptance, Afghanistan would also
probably decline the invitation. He added that the Lebanese Government
had characterized the Pakistani proposals as "Utopia."
Comment: Zafrullah, Pakistani Foreign
Minister, discussed the idea of periodic consultations on questions of
mutual interest during his recent tour of the Middle East.
Turkey's refusal to attend the Islamic confer-
ence underscores its determination not to engage in regional politics
based on the Moslem religion. The Turkish attitude may seriously
reduce the effectiveness of the conference.
3.3(h)(2)
5. Egypt seeks Turkish mediation in Anp)-Egyptian dispute:
I Turkey' s
-help, whether it be called "mediation" or
"good offices," was needed in promoting an
agreement with Britain. The Turkish Govern-
ment replied that it must be informed of the
details of any Egyptian proposal.
Comment:
/the Turkish Foreign Minister
believes that Turkey can be more useful by "counseling the two parties"
than by intervening directly.
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Egypt has periodically indicated its interest
in obtaining American intervention in the dispute, but the United States
has refused to become involved. Iraqi and Saudi Arabian offers to
mediate have met with little success.
6. Resident General in Tunisia threatens resignation:
the French Resident General
Hauteclocque threatened to resign if the Pinay
government did not fully support his concrete
reform policy, which, he said, had been approved by the preceding cabinet.
Comment:
a "substantial" progra %AL 11%0 W
negotiations with Tunisia will be submitted to the French Cabinet this
week. Nevertheless, while the French no longer seek Prime Minister
Chenik's removal as a prerequisite for negotiations, they are still unable
to establish a "useful" contact in the Bey's cabinet.
WESTERN EUROPE
7. Pro-Italian extremists threaten disorders in Trieste:
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Police authorities in Trieste have warned
that "the most serious threat to public order
for the past three years" will occur on 20 March,
the date set by pro-Italian elements for demon-
strations marking the anniversary of the 1948 tripartite declaration advo-
cating the return of the entire Free Territory to Italy.
There are indications that the neo-Fascist
Italian Social Movement will try to whip up anti-Yugoslav feeling and
provoke incidents serious enough "to focus the attention of the world on
the Trieste problem."
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Comment: These planned demonstrations are
not likely to get out of handL The Italian Government hopes unofficially
that they will convince world opinion that blame for failure to settle the
Trieste issue rests on the Western powers.
The activities of the local Italian Social Movement
reflect the growing aggressiveness of this party in Italy.
3.3(h)(2)
8. French tend to discount present Russian threat to western Europe:
The Assistant Director of Political Affairs in
the French Foreign Ministry speculates that
the recent Russian note on German unity may
reflect a Soviet decision to abandon any im-
mediate design of military aggression in western Europe. He believes
that the tempo of Western rearmament may have temporarily discouraged
the Russians, particularly since they feel that in any event time is on
their side.
Comment: While the Foreign Office has no
Illusions on ultimate Soviet aims, speculation of this sort appeals to a
majority of Frenchmen in view of the country's critical financial situation.
Consequently, there is real danger that responsible French officials may
agree with the Belgian Premier, who recently stated that "nobody believes
western Europe is now in danger of Soviet military aggression."
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