CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1953/12/20

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03003766
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: July 15, 2019
• Document Release Date: July 22, 2019
• Publication Date: December 20, 1953

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CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO. 6-
NO CHANGE IN CLASS,
DECLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: TS S C
NEXT }REVIEW DATE: ..e?Lit0,9
AUTH: HR 70-2
DATiterliEc. 19.-NVIEWER: _
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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SUMMARY
SOVIET UNION
1. Moscow propaganda reiterates call for prohibition of atomic weapons
(page 3).
2. USSR reportedly considering gold loan to Finland (page 3).
FAR EAST
3. Rhee rejects Japanese bid for resumption of talks (page 4).
4. Chinese reportedly suggest means of resuming Korean talks (page 4).
5. Indian official at Panmunjom preparing biased report on prisoner
issue (page 5).
6. Thimayya plans to release Korean prisoners after 22 January (page 5).
SOUTHEAST ASIA
7. Comment on Indonesian government's reply to army commanders
(page 6).
8.
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3.3(h)(2)
9. Israel threatens imminent resumption of work on Jordan River
diversion (page 7).
WESTERN EUROPE
10. France apparently supports' Yugoslav'position on Trieste (page 8i).
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SOVIET UNION
1. Moscow propaganda reiterates call for prohibition of atomic weapons:
The Soviet press on 18 December carried
a statement by the Anti-Fascist Committee
of Soviet Women supporting World Peace
Council demands for "an energetic struggle
for the prohibition of atomic and hydrogen bombs and other weapons
of mass destruction,"
Ambassador Bohlen notes that the Kremlin
has on occasiOn used demands by such organizations as the forerunner
for an official statement.
Comment: This statement reaffirms the
USSR's official position on disarmament and semiofficial Soviet
comment on President Eisenhower's atomic proposal. Both Vyshinsky
and Pravda noted his omission of plans for the banning of atomic
weapons.
2. USSR reportedly considering gold loan to Finland:
Negotiations concerning a Soviet loan in
gold to Finland are to begin in Moscow
before the first of the year, The Finns
reportedly wish to borrow no more than
$10,000,000, part of which might be repaid in goods. They hope to
use part of the loan for purchases of machinery to improve the
efficiency of their woodworking industry but think the USSR may
require that it be used for industries primarily supplying the Soviet
market.
A Finnish Foreign Ministry official stated
that he was convinced that some agreement would be reached, despite
Soviet attacks on the present government.
Comment: In considering a gold loan
to another government, the USSR is departing from its usual
practice of confining its lending activity to ruble credits. Finland
is the first non-Orbit state to be offered such terms and this loan
may aid it to import materials from the West to meet its export
commitments to the USSR of manufactured goods.
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FAR EAST
3. Rhee rejects Japanese bid for resumption of talks:
South Korean foreign minister Pyun informed
an American embassy official on 18 December
that the draft Japanese statement delivered
three days before on the resumption of talks
to settle outstanding differences with South Korea was not acceptable
to President Rhee. Alleging that Japan wants the United States to
Intervene in order to "lure South Korea into a trap," Pyun stated that
his country could not agree to resume the talks unless Japan apolOgizes
for remarks made by Japanese representative Kubota in previous ses-
sions.
The embassy comments that there is no longer
any doubt that Rhee is uninterested in seeking a settlement with Japan
without a total acceptance of his demands.
Comment: The proposed Japanese statement,
which dissociates the government from Kubota's remarks, is about as
far as the Yoshida government can go because of legal and domestic
political considerations.
Failure of Rhee to renew the talks will
create more agitation in Japan for resorting to force to protect
Japanese fishing vessels.
4. Chinese reportedly suggest means of resuming Korean talks:
The two Chinese Communist representatives
at the Korean talks sought out Indian officials
there on 15 December in an apparent attempt
to explore American intentions and means for
resuming the talks. The senior Chinese,
asserting that Ambassador Dean had charged the Peiping regime with
being a Soviet "stooge," which he regarded as a far wOrse insult than
the Communist charge of American "perfidy," intimated that the
Communists would withdraw its accusation if the United States would
also retract. The Chinese did not raise with the Indians any of the
substantive matters in the suspended talks.
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Comment: Peiping has not repeated its "perfidy"
charge since 15 December and daily has reiterated that the talks should
be resumed. On 16 December, however, Peiping radio stated that the
American proposal of 8 December remained "on every fundamental
question, . utterly unacceptable."
5. Indian official at Panmunjom preparing biased report on prisoner issue:
A draft report on the Korean prisoner impasse, 3.3(h)(2)
prepared by Indian political adviser Haksar
for submission to the UN General Assembly, is
'termed "impossible, red-colored,. and catas-
trophic," by the Swiss and Swedish delegates to
the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission. The report was so
strongly biased against the UN Command that the Swiss and Swedes re-
fused to use it even as the basis for discussion in subcommittee.
The two officials believe the NNRC will never
agree to a single report. Since the Poles and Czechs also were
critical of Haksar's draft, they thought it likely that three separate
reports would be submitted to the UN General Assembly,
Comment: General Thimayya, who has been
generally sympathetic to the UN viewpoint on the prisoner issue,
presumably will modify the Indian version before final action is taken
by the NNRC. Most Indian officials, however, still persist in their
belief that the prisoners--were thoroughly indoctrinated by the UN
Command prior to their turnover, and that American agents among
them are preventing them from returning to the northern side.
6. Thimayya plans to release Korean prisoners after 22 January:
General Thimayya's plan for the release of 3.3(h)(2)
the Korean prisoners after 22 January, if
the two sides do not agree otherwise, has
been approved by Prime Minister Nehru,
according to the Swiss and Swedish repre-
pu Nations Repatriation Commission.
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Thimayya, who believes that the authority of the Indian custodial
forces expires on that date, plans to ask both sides to take back
custody of the prisoners. lithe Communists refuse, he intends to
turn the pro-Communist prisoners loose0
he Swedish representative indicated that
Thimayya would probably arrange for "orderly opportunities" for
the anti-Communist prisoners to be released and be received by the
UN Command in a phased process
Comment: Krishna Menon, Indian repre-
sentative at the UN, is attempting to have the General Assembly
reconvened in early January to discuss the prisoner issue. The
Indian foreign secretary told Ambassador Allen on 18 December
that India is still uncertain whether the final decision should be
made by the UN or the NNTtC.
The position of the Indian government on the
prisoner release question, which reportedly is to be considered when
Krishna Mpnon returns from London, may be announced by Nehru in
his scheduled policy speech to parliament on 23 December.
SOUTHEAST ASIA
7. Comment on Indonesian government's reply to army commanders:
On 18 December the Indonesian government
announced that recent staff changes in the army are entirely legal
and that it would not tolerate public statements by army officers
on matters "which are the exclusive concern of the government."
The announcement is in reply to an ultimatum by four of Indonesia's
seven territorial commanders that unless the government dismisses
new army staff appointees by 23 December, they will no longer
recognize the defense minister's authority.
Should the commanders accept the govern-
ment statement, the way is open for increased leftist penetration
of the army. Should they continue their opposition, there is an
increased prospect of armed rebellion,
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NEAR EAST - AFRICA
8.
3.3(h
9. Israel threatens imminent resumption of work on Jordan River diversion:
Israeli Ambassador Eban told Ambassador
Lodge at the UN that Israel "would simply
resume work" on the Jordan River diversion
project if the Security Council does not adopt
the UK-US-French resolution empowering
General Bennike to use his discretion in settling this issue.
President of the Security Council Kyrou of
Greece doubts that the joint resoldtiop, vigorously opposed by the
Arabs, could obtain the necessary seven votes.
Comment: Any move by Israel to resume
work on the diversion project, under present circumstances, would
incite the Arabs to further denouncements of the West. While the
Arabs would probably not attack Israeli forces protecting workmen
on the project, immediate enlargement of "border incidents" would
probably result.
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WESTERN EUROPE
10. France apparently supports Yugoslav position on Trieste:
A proposal for a Trieste conference was
made by Foreign Minister Bidault to
Foreign Secretary Eden on 16 December.
This proposal, which was also communicated
to Yugoslavia as the new French position, is
almost identical to the one expressed on 8
December to the French by the Yugoslav
ambassador in Paris.
Comment: In the past, the French have
generally supported the Italian position on Trieste. The reason for
the apparent shift in the French position is not known. The terms
outlined in the new proposals would probably be considered unaccept-
able by the Italians.
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