CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1957/04/20

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Keywords: 2018 Sanitization
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03003292
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2019
• Document Release Date: December 20, 2019
• Publication Date: April 20, 1957

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TELLIGENCE
ILLETIN
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20 April 1957
C;opy NO. 134
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OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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CONTENTS
1.__BONN CABINET SHAKEN BY ATOMIC DISPUTE
) (page 3).
2. THE SITUATION IN JORDAN (Secret Pivot Noforn) (page 4).
l/ �3 KING SAUD ATTEMPTS TO BLOCK OIL TO ISRAEL VIA
AQ A ) (page 6).
0 64,
TITO UNRECEPTIVE TO NEW SOVIET LINE
(pag.e 7).
0 1)5, KADAR REPORTEDLY MAY BE REPLACED AS HUNGARIAN
PREMIER (page 8).
Ath 6. THAI PREMIER REPORTEDLY IN PRECARIOUS POSITION
(page 9).
fr 7. NEW CHINESE COMMUNIST smpy CONSTRUCTING
0 I / LANDING CRAFT (page 10).
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k.,,C,L N1'11512,11 I .1.1-1..Li 801,
1. BONN CABINET SHAKEN BY ATOMIC DISPUTE
West German atomic affairs minister
Balke has threatened to resign because
of a dispute with Chancellor Adenauer
and Defense Minister Strauss over equip-
men o a e es erman army with atomic weapons.
Adenauer has demanded that Balke retract his statements
in support of the position of a group of leading German nu-
clear scientists who on 12 April stated that West Germany
could best protect itself and serve world peace by refusing
to participate in an atomic weapons program.
Comment Chancellor Adenauer's political opposition
has charged that he has kept the public in
the dark about secret negotiations on atomic weapons. This
is the hottest issue that has arisen in the election campaign.
Some members of Adenauer's Christian Democratic Union be-
lieve he took too hasty a stand on this issue.
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CONFIDENTIAL
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Awe
2. THE SITUATION IN JORDAN
Comment on.
While King Hussain continues to empha-
size efforts to ensure loyalty within the
army, he is also reported planning to
assume an increasingly active political
role. The king is accordingly consider-
ing the creation of a new cabinet post of
minister of the court, and also plans to
appoint conservative leader Samir Rifai
as president of the Senate. Hussain is
pglieved to envisage a far more impor-
tant role for the 20-man appointive Senate.
One of Hussain's next major tests will be
to obtain approval for the Khalidi cabinet
from the legislature. He reportedly be-
lieves that he now has sufficient support-
ers in the legislature to ensure a vote of
confidence. Should the leftist-dominated
lower house withhold support, the king is
in a position to suspend parliamentary ov-
ernment and rule under martial law.
the king has no intention o re-
taining former premier Nabulsi in the cabinet for long. Na-
bulsi's inclusion in the cabinet was stated to be a temporary
concession to the opposition political parties.
In neighboring Syria on 16 April, members
of the left-wing Baath party reportedly agreed that Syria should
grant asylum to Jordanian Baathis who had taken nart in the
Plotting against King Hussain
Although Nases public reaction to events in
Jordan has been cautious thus far, he is reported to have instructed
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the Egyptian press on 16 April to allude to collaboration be-
tween Hussain and Western embassies prior to the move
against the Nabulsi cabinet.
Nasr is also planning to retaliate for alleged
American and Saudi support of Hussain by fomenting troubl
among Palestinian oil workers in Saudi Arabia.
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3. KING SAUD ATTEMPTS TO BLOCK OIL TO ISRAEL
VIA AQABA
Comment on:
King Saud is taking the lead in oppos-
ing oil shipments to Israel, following
the 6 April arrival of an American
tanker at Eilat carrvina Iranian oil
The Shah will be able to prevent the Na-
tional Iranian Oil Company from sending oil to Israel but can-
not legally block consortium shipments. The American com-
panies in the consortium are subject to Arab pressures, how-
ever, because of their oil interests in the Arab states and
would probably refuse to sell Israel oil rather than risk re-
prisal.
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(AM Nr /1/ril It 11AL
4. TITO UNRECEPTIVE TO NEW SOVIET LINE
In a speech on 18 April, Yugoslav pres-
ident Tito rejected recent Soviet concil-
iatory remarks and indicated clearly that
some major shift in Soviet policy toward
Eastern Europe would be required before
a return to harmonious relations with Belgrade would be pos-
sible.
Tito stated that Khrushchev's remarks on
15 April stressing the need to improve relations had "aroused
a spark of hope" but that they were followed up by Suslov's at-
tack on Yugoslavia for "national Communism" and "revision-
ism!' "Whom are you to believe now? Today one speaks in
this way, then tomorrow another turns by 180 degrees," Tito
declared. He claimed he was seriously worried by Albania's
Soviet-inspired attempt to stir up its minority in Yugoslavia
and the possibility of Hungary's doing the same. In a remark
sure to inspire a counterattack, Tito asserted that, while
Soviet leaders had made some revision of "Stalinist tendencies
in their policy, these tendencies still have root in their policy
toward other countries in general!'
Tito professed a willingness to argue prob-
lems reasonably, but added that he expected the other side to
refrain from malevolent criticism of Yugoslavia, its internal
system, and its relations with the West, which would not be
changed.
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i'Y bATVIThriv-rt 7
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Itav, 410#
KADAR REPORTEDLY MAY BE REPLACED AS
IE
Kadar
will probably be removed from leader-
ship in the near future because Moscow
is dissatisfied
Kadar,
ith his inability to stabilize the situation.
resents continued Soviet control over the
Hungarian economy.
Comment Although there may be grounds for mutual
dissatisfaction between Kadar and the USSR,
Kadar apparently received Moscow's full blessing during his trip
to the Soviet Union last month and still appears to be the USSR's
first choice for the top Hungarian Communist position. A re-
shuffling of the major positions in Hungary is possible, but no
purge of the leadership appears likely.
On 18 April the American legation in Buda-
pest reported rumors
the first sucn rumors since belore KaclarTs trip to
Moscow--that Istvan Dobi, currently president of the Presi-
dential Council, might replace Kadar as premier, with Kadar
retaining his post as party first secretary. This would restore
the separation of the party and government leadership, normal
throughout the Satellites.
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6. THAI PREMIER REPORTEDLY IN PRECARIOUS POSITION
Premier Phibun has "lost tremendously
in the last few weeks" and is in a "very pre-
carious position,"
the milu-
ence of the king may be used to bring about a new government
of "experts" backed by Defense Minister Sarit and the army.
Sarit is thinking of asking Phibun to
go abroad for an indefinite period.
Comment
Although Sarit emerged as the "hero" of the
election crisis in early March, he has since
seemed to have acquiesced in Phibun's continued leadership.
Sarit may be dissatisfied, however, by the fact that the power
of his rival, Police Director General Phao, has not been sig-
nificantly reduced. Under the circumstances, therefore, he
may be trying to force Phibun to cut down Phao's influence by
threatening to take over the government. By all accounts. Sarit
has the military backing to make good any such threat.
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7. NEW CHINESE COMMUNIST SHIPYARD CONSTRUCTING
LANDING CRAFT
Reference:
Chinese Nationalist aerial photograpns
taken on 13 April show a small ship-
yard near Chenhai about 80 miles south
of Shanghai. Fourteen vessels were ob-
served under construction and 125 units, probably small land-
ing craft, were moored nearby along the bank of the Yung River.
The installation is well protected by high surrounding terrain
and antiaircraft emplacements. The shipyard employs a side-
launching technique used in the USSR which is highly adaptable
to the mass production of small craft.
The craft were described as being 60
feet by 12 feet, approximately the size of the LCM (Landing
Craft Medium) type built at Dairen and currently in use in :lim-
ited numbers in the Chinese Communist navy. These vessels--
the largest number of landing craft ever observed south of
Shanghai--may be preparing for an amphibious exercise or de-
ployment to other naval bases. This type of craft can carry
approximately 110 troops and is suitable for limited coastal
amphibious operations such as would be required for an attack
on the offshore islands.
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