CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY

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CIA-RDP79-00927A002400030001-3
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October 19, 1999
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SUMMARY
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-~ Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 ift"a N"-Vi S GR T" CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY COPY NO. 57 OCI NO.4063/59 20 August 1959 0(;C1j%jF-NT NO. NCl 01dAN E IN CtASS. ^ 25X1 ^ OECLA^StrtEO S C CLASS. CjjpNCE-p TO: TS HE FtfVjF-14VER LIAT~ ~ --f-- CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY I I I OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE State Department review completed CONFIDENTIAL ,,.,/25X1 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927A002400030001-3 I!F"_"' - . THIS MATERIAL CONTAINS INFORMATION AFFECT- ING THE NATIONAL DEFENSE OF THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE ESPIONAGE LAWS, TITLE 18, USC, SECTIONS 793 AND 794, THE TRANSMIS- SION OR REVELATION OF WHICH IN ANY MANNER TO AN UNAUTHORIZED PERSON IS PROHIBITED BY LAW. The Current Intelligence Weekly Summary has been prepared primarily for the internal use of the Central Intelligence Agency. It does not represent a complete coverage of all current situations. Comments and conclusions represent the immediate appraisal of the Office of Current Intelligence. Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927A002400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Next 6 Page(s) In Document Denied Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 SECRET CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 OF IMMEDIATE INTEREST Communist partisans in northeastern Laos intensified and expanded their operations during the past week. The Lao- tian defense secretary believes the guerrilla operational plan is to isolate iSam Neua and Phong Saly provinces. Many small- scale skirmishes have been re- potted and the guerrillas are considered to be spreading out in smaller groups. The former Communist Path- et Lao battalion which refused integration into the Laotian Army in May is reported moving northward toward the Sam Neua operational zone from its ref- uge, athwart the Laotian - North Vietnamese border opposite Zieng Khouang Province. This group presumably has been refitted and equipped by North Vietnam. Antigovernment disturbances have been reported iii..widely scattered areas of Laos, and there are indications that Com- munist partisans are planning terrorist actions, possibly di- rected at Americans in Laos, The Laotian Army reportedly sur- prised a group of Communist agents last week while planning the assassination of Americans and harassment of the US Em- bassy in Vientiane. An arms chache was discovered in Vien- tiane on 13 August., and Commu- nist cadres have marked top provincial The government is moving the former Communist battalion which chose integration in May out of northern Laos to a southern area farther from the operational zone. This action was taken following the escape of 114 men of this unit on 8 August. The ultimate disposi- tion of the unit is un- determined,but it will probably continue to pose a security problem. The extent of North Viet- namese involvement in Laos re- mains unknown. North Vietnam is probably supplying arms and clandestine direction to the Laotian insurgents, but there is no evidence to indicate that organized North Vietnamese units are participating in the fighting. Thus far, there is still no evidence that Communist China has stepped up its logis- tical support to North Vietnam. SECRET PART I OF IMMEDIATE INTEREST Page 1 of 7 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 SECRET CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 On 17 August, London for- mally presented to Soviet Ambas- sador Malik its proposal that, as cochairmen of the 1954 Ge- neva agreements, Britain and the USSR should re- quest:the secretary general of the United Nations to send an observer to Laos. British Foreign Of- fice officials have told the American Embassy in London that, while Malik "grudgingly" indi- cated he would pass on the proposal to his government, he had taken a very negative attitude and had repeated Soviet arguments that the International Con- trol Commission (ICC) should be reconvened. UN Secretary General Hammarskjold is reluctant to in- tervene actively in the Laotian situa- tion unless request- ed by both Geneva co- chairmen. He would not respond to a unilateral request for an observer un- less such a request were backed by in- fluential UN mem- bers privately or by the UN publicly. Moreover, Hammar- skjold reportedly or the Security Council. Al- though unconvinced that the Vientiane government has a strong enough case to warrant formal UN action, Hammarskjold PHONG SALY r"LUANG PRABANG favors reconvening the ICC in an attempt to resolve the dis- pute prior to any request for action by the General Assembly 4VIETNAM ti\\o TH Al LAND is willing to advise and as- sist Laos to the full extent his terms of office allow. SECRET PART I OF IMMEDIATE INTEREST Page 2 of 7 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927A002400030001-3 SECRET CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 Both Peiping and Hanoi in- sist that the ICC is the only body competent to take steps to reduce tension in Laos. On 19 August a Chinese Communist radio commentary stated that UN action on the issue "would only com- plicate and aggravate'' the situa- tion in Laos. In accordance with Peiping's penchant for blaming the crisis on US activi- ties, the commentary also stated that only through "the withdraw- al of all US military personnel and arms, the abolition of all US military bases," and strict compliance with the Geneva agree- ments could tension be elimi- nated, The USSR in a 17 August Foreign Ministry statement, which appears largely "for the record," blamed the crisis on the Phoui Sananikone government in Vien- tiane and maintained its posi- tion that the Laotian ICC should be reconvened. The statement charged that "war preparations in Laotian territory" were be- ing made under the direction of US personnel. A Moscow broad- cast the following day referred to "the facts contained in the Soviet Foreign Ministry's state- ment testifying to US inter- ference in Laos," Moscow did not specifically rule out UN intervention in Laos :or ex- plicitly demand the withdrawal of US advisers, as did a Chi- nese Communist Foreign Ministry spokesman on 12 August. The USSR's approach in pressing for reactivation: of the ICC is probably designed to gain Indian and British support. A Soviet broadcast on 18 August charged that Admiral Burke's recent statement regard- ing the possibility of US Navy involvement in the Laotian conflict demonstrates "once again" that the US "is pre- pared to embark on a mili- tary adventure" in Southeast Apia to retain Laos "within the sphere of its military blocs." North Vietnam is acting as the channel through which appeals--allegedly originat- ing with the central committee of the Neo Lao Hak Zat, politi- cal successor of the Pathet Lao--are being forwarded to international bodies. As the majority of the central com- mittee is under arrest in Vien- tiane, it seems probable that the letters, one to the ICC and the other to the UK and the USSR, actually were composed in Hanoi. It is by "quoting" the insurgent leaders, however, that Hanoi ventilates its most bellicose statements on the situation. On 16 August North Vietnam publi- cized rebel claims to have "lib- erated vast territories" in Laos, and the use of the word "liberated" strongly suggests that the insur- gents intend to hold the terri- tory they have already taken, SECRET PART I OF IMMEDIATE INTEREST Page 3 of . Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927A002400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 SECRET CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 THE CARIBBEAN SITUATION The Fidel Castro regime in Cuba has made thousands of ar- rests following the frustration of the 8-9 August counterrevolu- tionary conspiracy. The actual extent of the plot is not yet clear, but thousands of suspects have been arrested, chiefly among holdovers in the army from the Batista regime and large landowners affected by Castro's agrarian reform law. Castro's contention that the Trujillo dictatorship is a menace to the peace of the Caribbean area. The Santiago foreign ministers' meeting was condemned by Fidel Castro as a "farce" and as one part of a "gigantic conspiracy against the Cuban democratic revolution." "It was convoked at Trujillo's request," Castro said, "and is playing his game." Castro's 15 August speech "explaining" recent events to the Cuban The Caribbean Area BAHAMA ~p? ISLANDS Trujillo Rico ' ANTIGUA P ,GUADELOUPE Q MARTINIQUE b BARBADOS public included further in- nuendoes against the United States and "powerful foreign interests." He "wondered" how arms could have been supplied to the counterrevolutionaries from Florida without the com- plicity of US officials. making the most of the con- spiracy to intimidate the op- position and to strengthen Meanwhile, Sino-Soviet bloc propaganda is paying increasing attention to Cuban developments and is picturing the Santiago conference as part of a US SECRET PART I OF IMMEDIATE INTEREST Page 4 of 7 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY SECRET 1 20 August 1959 maneuver that will ultimately end in US intervention against the Castro regime. The latest incident provoc- ative of Caribbean tensions was a landing in Haiti on 13 August, apparently staged from Cuba, by a small group of about 30 men whose objective is probably the overthrow of President Duvalier. Haitian. armed forces were sent to the landing area, but by 17 August had not made contact with the invaders, who presumably dispersed into the rugged interior. The landings were made on the extreme west- ern tip of Haiti's southern peninsula, the farthest possi- ble point from the Dominican border. The Dominican Gover- ment had previously warned that it would consider any invasion of Haiti an invasion of its own territory, and on 18 August the Dominicans offered Haiti their "full cooperation" to repel the invaders. The weak Duvalier govern- ment, which dreads Dominican "assistance" almost as much as a pro-Castro invasion, has asked the Organization of Ameri- can States for aid. This will be the first test for the Inter- American Peace Committee under the new powers granted it at the Santiago. conference. Nicaraguan rebels are con- tinuing their efforts to oust the Somoza regime, Two Costa Rican legislators sympathetic to the rebel cause made a trip to Cuba on 9 August seeking further assistance from the Castro gov- ernment, but returned without being able to see the Cuban prime minister. Cuban officials, how- ever, had already supplied the Nicaraguan rebels with some weapons, and at least two Cuban officers were identified among the rebels killed or captured inside Nicaragua. Further aid may eventually be forthcoming. Meanwhile, the Nicaraguan rebels in the Costa Rican border area are apparently being successfully dispersed by the Costa Rican armed forces. Some of the rebels may regroup, how- ever, and attack Nicaragua from another point. Prime Minister Qasim has again demonstrated his policy of balancing the turbulent po- litical 'forces 'in Iraq by giv- ing strong support to the chief of the notorious "people's court," his cousin Colonel Mahdawi. When Brigadier Tabaq- chali, former commander of the Iraqi Army's Second Division, was brought to trial in Mahdawi's court on 12 August, he and his fellow defendants defied the Iraq court. Some prosecution wit- nesses even asserted that any confessions they had made had been extracted under duress. This defiance of Mahdawi, who had the witnesses dismissed as soon as their testimony began to deviate from the expected, led the anti-Communist. "na- tionalists" to believe Qasim might be using the trial as a devious method of bringing Mahdawi, a Communist tool, into ridicule and disgrace. Qasim's speech on 13 August, in which SECRET PART I OF IMMEDIATE INTEREST Page 5 of 7 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 SECRET "`"' 20 August 1959 he said he supported "every work" of Mahdawi's, was a bit- ter disappointment to them. The pro-Communists have been concurrently heartened. They reportedly are again cir- .culating petitions and engag- ing in fights with nationalists in the Baghdad area. The situation in Yemen re- mains confused and tense, as the Imam strikes out against those he suspects of having acted against his interests during his absence in Italy. A number of Yemeni officials are reported to have fled the country; others apparently are scheduled for ex- ecution or maiming, If Crown Prince Badr is planning any countermove against: his father, the most favorable moment may have passed, since press reports state that propo:,.? nents of Badr's policy of close Yemeni-UAR relations are among those who have fled to Aden or Saudi Arabia. Possible new irritations in Israeli-Arab relations have ap- peared recently in two sectors. The more important sector is the Gulf of Aqaba, where the issue of Israeli freedom of transit has arisen as a result of the purchase by Ceylon of two Israeli frigates stationed at Eilat, the Israeli port at the head of the gulf. Ceylon has sent a ship with crews for the frigates, but the UAR and Saudi Arabia raised such stren- uous objections that the ship carrying the crews was delayed at Aden. If this imbroglio should receive publicity, the UAR at least might feel compelled to make some move in support of its diplomatic protests. Israeli Foreign Minister Meir recently warned, however, that any UAR interference with Israeli use of the gulf would bring a reac- tion in a "matter of minutes." The second area where new tensions are developing is around the old issue of Jorda- nian and Israeli access to Mount Scopus, the Israeli en- clave in Jordanian Jerusalem. The Jordanians have complained that the Israelis are harassing Arab villagers who live on the edge of the Israeli-occupied territory, and they have . threatened to halt the convoy which the Israelis are permit- ted to send to Mount Scopus through Jordanian territory, While this dispute can lead to considerable local irritation and consume much of the energy of UN officials, it does not seem in the interest of either Israel or Jordan at the present time to allow any significant incident. Both sides, however, can be expected to call on the United States for diplomatic support for their respective cases. SECRET PART I OF IMMEDIATE INTEREST Page 6 of 7 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 SECRET CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 NOTES AND COMMENTS Bloc spokesmen continue to describe the announcement of the Eisenhower-Khrushchev exchange of visits in terms of a victory for Moscow's policy of peaceful coexistence and as ''.a .serious blow to the stand of the cold- war enthusiasts." Soviet prop- agandists are offering assur- ances that the meetings "can in no way harm the interests of any state, whether big or small.:' Stressing the importance of the visits between the leaders of the "two great powers," Soviet propagandists contend that "any agreement, even a most limited one, would mean the end of the cold war and beginning of a new era of peaceful cooperation." At the same time, however, critical bloc comment on spe- cific aspects of American for- eign policy continues. Bloc spokesmen have attacked US pol- icy on.the Laos situation, Latin America, rumored resump- tion of American nuclear tests after 31 October, NATO naval maneuvers in the North Atlantic, US military installations abroad, calls in the United States to show Khrushchev military bases during his visit, and selected comments of Vice President Nixon made during his visit to the USSR. A 13 August Soviet com- ment criticized at some length US foreign policy since World War II, implying, however, that the visits may signal a change in that policy. Communist China's Foreign Minister Chen Yi, in a speech on 15 August, endorsed the ex- change of visits as "a major Soviet victory" but at the same time accused the US of "die-hard attitudes" on Berlin, Taiwan, Laos, and nuclear testing, and called for an "unremitting strug- gle" to defeat the Western pol- icy of "war and aggression." This strong statement may indi- cate Peiping's concern that a real relaxation of tension might limit its efforts to exploit potential "trouble spots" in the Far East. Bulgarian party lead- 25X1 ers look on the visits with "dismay" and "apprehension." The Bulgarian leadership con- tains many hard-line Stalinists who reportedly have never be- come completely reconciled to Khrushchev or his policies, and such an attitude might well exist among Stalinist elements in the other satellites who_ fear increased East-West contacts. Bulgarian press comment has fol- lowed the general bloc line, and no party officials have made any public comment. The East German regime open- ly welcomed the visits in a statement on 3 August from For- eign Minister Bolz in Geneva. Bolz' theme was reiterated by party First Secretary Ulbricht in a speech at Leipzig on 13 Au- gust when he said, "The time has come to advance gradually through discussions and conferences to the peaceful coexistence of the states of the two systems." The East Germans probably hope the talks will open the way to a summit conference and to an agreement on the Berlin and Ger- man questions which will enhance East Germany's chances for achieving recognition in the West. Polish party leaders, hope- ful of a detente with the West, undoubtedly share the reaction SECRET PART II NOTES AND COMMENTS Pace 1 of 17 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 SECRET CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 of the press that the exchange of visits will mean a distinct thaw in the cold war and repre- sents a "personal success" for Khrushchev. No official comment has been made, however. In Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Rumania, as well as in North Korea and North Vietnam, the press and radio have generally treated the visits as a triumph for Soviet diplomacy. The Al- banian handling of the situation reveals what may be a subtle attempt to indicate doubt as to a favorable outcome. The Albanian news agency ATA on 4 August warmly greeted the an- nouncement of the visits button the next day, a week behind other Communist nations, issued a statement condemning "Captive Nations' Week" and containing the most vicious attack on the United States in months. While all Communist countries have attacked the United States on this issue, the timing of the Albanian statement may have been designed to indicate a lack of confidence in a successful detente With the` West. Western Reaction Official statements in Paris and Bonn and extensive press commentary in West Germany, France, and Britain underline the differing attitudes of the major Western European allies to the Eisenhower-Khrushchev exchange. Continued French press and official apprehension concern- ing the Eisenhower-Khrushchev talks is evident. While some commentators affirmed that the United States would make no bi- lateral decisions with the USSR affecting Europe, the press is agreed that President Eisen- hower must not be given any mandate to speak for the West. President de Gaulle, according to well-informed press circles, privately criticized the up- coming US-Soviet talks as hav- ing already seriously damaged NATO solidarity, and recom- mended that France strengthen its ties with its neighbors so that it could speak in their name for a. European "third force." Premier Debr6 added a public warning on 16 August that France must make itself heard and understood in order "not to be crushed between the very great powers." Debre's statement fur- nished the British popular press with further ammunition for its current highlighting of differences between the British and French-German attitudes. The influential Manchester Guardian charged that French "defiance" of the United States might hin- der prospects for an East- West agreement, and advised closer political consulta- tion at a higher level in the North Atlantic Council to tighten the alliance. A Gallup poll confirms the overwhelming British ap- proval of the Eisenhower- Khrushchev talks and belief that a summit meeting will follow. A preponderance of Britishers, according to the poll, are not disappointed that Macmillan has not been invited to participate in the talks. Against the background of worsening relations be- tween their two countries, Bonn and London officials are discussing plans for Chancellor Adenauer to visit Prime Minister Macmillan in the fall. No date has been set, but the visit is likely to occur .sometime between 15 September and 10 October, SECRET PART II NOTES AND COMMENTS Page 2 of 17 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 VAPW* SECRET CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY. SUMMARY 20 August 1959 FRENCH-AMERICAN RELATIONS French ::officials view President Eisenhower's 2-4 Sep- tember visit to Paris princi- pally as an opportunity to re- view French-American rather than East-West relations. De Gaulle believes France should be given increased status in NATO, an equal voice in Western global political and strategic policy determination, admission to the "nuclear club," and full Allied support in Algeria. Since De Gaulle came to power he has become increasing- ly insistent on Western recog- nition of France's rights and opinions as a strong independent ,power. Premier Debr6 on 16 Au- gust referred publicly to France's "bondage" within the Western alliance. Having "ren- ovated" France politically, and with economic stability in the offing, De Gaulle now insists that the United States change what one French observer char- acterized as a policy of "un- written inequality" toward France. His principal concern appears to be his September 1958 proposals for the estab- lishment of tripartite global policy determination by the United States, Britain, and France, including a voice in the use of nuclear weapons. His determination to achieve this objective suggests he will con- tinue to block further commit- ments to NATO until he is sat- isfied. De Gaulle, who will visit Algeria from 27 to 30 August, is likely to press for solid US support of French policy in North Africa, particularly in view of prospective UN General Assembly criticism on Algeria. Fifth Re- public spokesmen have repeated- ly equated retention of oil-rich Algeria with France's future as a world power. They demand sup- port on the ground that France's fight in Algeria is actually part of the West's battle against Communism. Debre`said on 16 Au- gust that France has a "right to demand" full Allied support in Algeria. While France now appears determined to build and test nu- clear devices by its own ef- forts, De Gaulle is likely to press for clarification of the US attitude on nuclear aid once France has made its first atomic test. Achievement of an inde- pendent French nuclear capabili- ty is a cardinal objective of De Gaulle, and French officials have expressed resentment that France is denied information which the Soviet Union already has. The Eisenhower-Khrushehev meeting has aroused French suspicions of a separate Wash- ington-Moscow deal at France's expense _F THE YUGOSLAV ECONOMY AT MIDYEAR The Yugoslav economy has achieved significant successes during the first six months of 1959. Except for foreign trade, nearly all plan goals have been exceeded,and fulfillment of the 1959 plan, which calls for an increase of 11 to 12 percent in total output, is virtually as- sured. The Yugoslavs hope that many of the basic objectives of the 1957-1961 Five-Year Plan can SECRET PART II NOTES AND COMMENTS Page 3 of '17 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927A002400030001-3 SECRET lwb~ CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 be reached a year ahead of time. In anticipation of this,a draft of a new plan for the period 1961-1965 is being prepared. Yugoslavia's record 4,000,- 000-ton wheat harvest--largely attributable to the use of high-yield,high-quality varie- ties of Italian wheat--and ex- pected record production of corn, sugar beets, vegetables, fruit, meat, and milk indicate the achievement of agricultur- al targets and will: make for- eign exchange available for other sectors of the economy. Industry ; as a' whole is meeting the plan, but ferrous metal, textile, and food-proc- essing industries have lagged. The economy is progressing satisfactorily in most other areas. The rate of investment of the $1,553 billion total planned for 1959 is running slightly behind the 1958 rate, but it is probably being de- liberately controlled since ex- cessive expenditure in the past, such as the 17-percent over- fulfillment in 1958, created inflationary problems. Even though wages were raised in Oc- tober 1958, prices have re- mained stable so far this year. The margi.nal..road and: rail transportation system has con- tinued to worry Yugoslav admin- istrators. Although improve- ments are being made and the system has been able to handle traffic in this year's harvest period, expanded facilities will be needed soon to cope with ex- panding'industrial:and agricul- tural traffic,, as well as in- creases . in. toujrism:=-a :source of vital. foreign exchange. Exports rose 8.3 percent, reaching a total of $221,400,- 000 for the six-month period, but a 13.4-percent increase had been planned. Imports for the period, which totaled $342,300,- 000, were 3 percent under the same period in 1958. Although it is.doubtful that Yugoslavia can achieve its goal of a fa- vorable balance of trade, the decision not to import wheat as a result of this year's rec- ord harvest and the continued prospect of self-sufficiency in grains will aid in reducing the imbalance. Employment in industry in Yugoslavia has been at an all- time high, but the steady in- flux from rural areas to the cities makes unemployment a con- tinuing and serious problem. Efforts to alleviate this have included introduction of voca- tional training for unskilled laborers, many of whom have re- cently left the farms, RELATIVELY POOR GRAIN CROP EXPECTED IN USSR Recent weather and acreage information indicates that the grain harvest this year in the USSR may fall short of the medi- ocre_: 1957 crop, thus making it the smallest harvest since 1954--the initial year of the New Lands expansion. As in 1957, the weather this year has not been favor- able for grain yields. Precip- itation from October 1958 through April 1959 was 10 to 20 percent below normal, and soil-moisture reserves were limited at the beginning of the growing season. During May, June, and July-- the most critical months for crop development--rainfall in almost all of the major agri- cultural regions was less than SECRET PART II NOTES AND COMMENTS Page 4 of 17 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927A002400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 *-Rw *080 1 North C'auca'sus- .1611 1 1 1 1 CURRENT-INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 P BALTIC SEA Minsk, ` 1.1 - RUSSIA f! lG.ev,v MOSCOW L.~ CENTRAL t UKRAINE NON-BLACK SOIL ' CASPIAN I SEAL half the normal amount. Most of the principal agricultural areas received less rainfall during May-July 1959 than dur- ing May-July 1957. The early maturity of the grain crop in most areas is further evidence that soil moisture.has been in- adequate this year. The Soviet press had ad- mitted that poor yields are ex- pected in the Volga area and in some portions of the western New Lands and the Ukraine. A high Soviet official recently told an American Embassy offi- cer that, although the winter grain crop in the Ukraine was satisfactory, spring grain was faring badly because of the ex- tended drought. The prolonged drought has broken in the Ukraine, but rain has probably come too late to. benefit grain yields. Karag?ttda In the eastern portion of the New Lands, the only impor- tant exception to the unfavor- able weather, rainfall from April through July averaged 30 to 40 percent above normal, and good yields are expected in that area. The weather picture in the USSR this year has been similar to that of 1957, and average yield per hectar may not run above the 1957 level. It is estimated that in the country as a whole about 295,000,Q00 acres of grain will be harvest- ed, as compared with 308,000,- 000 acres in 1957. Thus the 1959 crop may fall short of the 105,000,000 tons harvested two years ago. The shortage of moisture has also had an adverse affect on the late crops such as sugar SECRET ZONE v 4 CENTRALtin,~ GOrkS BLACK SOIL ZONE `~ -~1~1rJ~cJ -~ Rostov SSStalingrad LOWER~~ NORTH ,VOLGA CAUCASUS~ r` t (r N Precipitation in Selected Agricultural Areas of the Soviet Union JANUARY-JULY 1959 _ Monthly Averages as Percent of Normal PART II NOTES AND COMMENTS Page 5 of 17 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 r . SECRET *MAO CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 USSR GRAIN PRODUCTION 1950-1958 (MILLION METRIC TONS) GRAIN ACREAGE 1950-1958 (MILLIONS Of ACRES) beets, sunflowers, and potatoes, as well as on the amount of livestock feed that will be produced. Weather during the remainder of the growing season is of such importance in de- termining the output of these late crops, however, that pro- duction estimates made now would be of little use. The recent rapid growth in the production of livestock may well be interrupted because of limited supplies of feed. Also the USSR's grain export capability will be more re- stricted this year. However, as a result of large reserves and the additional yields from New Lands brought un- der cultivation, even the expected poor har- vest would not create a general domestic food shortage. The abrupt con- trast between this year's .,poor harvest prospects and last year's record crop is particularly distaste- ful '.to the regime, since this is the first year of the Seven-Year Plan. A poor harvest would also be likely to heighten criticism of organizational features and shortcomings in the agricultur- al program. Khrushchev has al- ready indicated that some modi- fications will be forthcoming. At the June plenum he called for closer party supervision and control over agriculture, reduc- tion of inflated administrative staffs, promotion of young and energetic administrators to po- sitions of greater responsibil- ity, demotion of ineffectual collective-farm managers, and the shifting of outstanding collective-farm chairmen to backward farms. (Prepared by 0 CONTINUING SHAKE-UPS IN SOVIET PARTY RANKS The appointment on 13 Au- gust of Vladimir Semichastny as party second secretary in Soviet Azerbaydzhan continues Khrushchev's drive to tighten party administration. Since last December, major shake-ups have taken place in the party leadership of four Soviet re- publics and in Moscow Oblast. While these changes have been effected for a variety of rea- sons, they all reflect Khru- shchev's determination to,toler ate, no deficiency which threat- ens fulfillment of the Seven- Year Plan. The appointment of Semi- chastny, a veteran ,gpecial- 1st in youth ~ and cadre af- fairs, underlines continuing Kremlin concern over the state of affairs in Azerbaydzhan, where the lagging economy and unacceptable political situa- tion caused the ouster of par- ty "First Secretary Imam SECRET PART II NOTES AND COMMENTS Page 6 of 17 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 SECRET *SNOW CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 Mustafayev last month. Musta- fayev was apparently unable to cope effectively with expansion of Azerbaydzhan's vital oil in- dustry and with serious agri- cultural problems such as de- creasing cotton yields. In addition, he may have been in- clined to promote and protect local officials and close per- sonal friends. Although Mustafayev was the only Azerbaydzhani official to be fired last month, the as- signment of Semichastny indi- cates that further personnel changes will be forthcoming. Since last March, he has been chief of the central committee department of party organs for the union republics, a job in which he was responsible for personnel appointments in all the constituent republics ex- cept the Rudsian Federation (RSFSR). His assignment to Azerbaydzhan follows the stand- ard practice of seeking to over- come local deficiencies by send- ing a troubleshooter from Mos- cow, and it is likely that he will try to remedy the situa- tion by means of the "replen- ishment of cadres" repeatedly urged by Khrushchev. What this means for the career party official was re- cently explained by Viktor Churayev, head of the depart- ment of party organs for the RSFSR. Writing on "inner patty democracy" in the international Communist journal Problems of Peace and Socialism, a claimed -fu1Ti men of the Seven- Year Plan makes it necessary to promote cadres who are "well trained and principled, who have feeling for the new, and who are implacable in respect to shortcomings." Churayev cau- tioned, however, that Moscow is as opposed to the current "30- to 40-percent annual turn- over in party secretaries" as it is to excessive permanence of cadres, thus implying that efficient workers need not be concerned with the possibility of being shifted arbitrarily from post to post, and at the same time warning that well-en- trenched party bureaucrats may face sudden removal. He went on to condemn as incorrect the common practice of electing officials to party committees simply because they hold important jobs in manage- ment. Curtailment of this long- standing practice will have the effect of weakening the repre- sentation in local party organ- izations traditionally enjoyed by management personnel and will correspondingly increase the role of the professional party workers. Specifically denying that the continuing series of shake- ups in party ranks amounts to interference by Moscow in local affairs, Churayev cited the re- cent dismissals of the party first secretaries in Uzbekistan and Moscow Oblast as correct ex- amples of "inner party democracy." He neg-lected to mention the di- rect involvement of the party central committee, and possibly of Khrushchev himself, in the removal last December of Turk- men party chief Sukhan Babayev and the ensuing mass dismissal of lower ranking Turkmen func- tionaries. The article was published before the removal of Mustafayev, over which Presi- dium member Muritdin Mukhitdi- 25X1 nov presided, and the subse- quent assignment of Semichastny SECRET PART II NOTES AND COMMENTS Page 7 of 17 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 NO rr1- SECRET 20 August 1959 SINO-INDIAN RELATIONS Relations between New Delhi and Peiping--seriously strained since the Tibetan uprising- continue to be disturbed by Chinese harassment of Indians in Tibet and by renewed public criticism in India of Peiping's Tibetan policies. Communist China's failure to act on re- peated complaints from Iddian officials has caused increas- ing irritation in New Delhi, but India probably will not al- ter its public position that Communist China be represented in the UN. Despite gestures by both capitals to ease tension fol'- lowing the bitter exchanges over Tibet this spring, the Chinese have initiated a con- certed effort to reduce Indian influence north of the aima1ayan frontier. Traditional trade across the Tibetan frontier has also Indian Trade Agenc In Tibet --Selected road --'Selected trail SECRET been seriously hindered by new Chinese restrictions. The Tibetan question was the subject of heated debate in the Indian Parliament for more than a week in mid-August. Prime Minister Nehru and his ranking foreign affairs deputy indicated their irritation with Peiping by reviewing Sino-Indian prob- lems in detail on several oc- casions. Nehru stated that Chinese replies to official Indian complaints had "not been satisfactory," and implied that some of Peiping's actions in Tibet were not in keeping with the 1954 treaty. He also dis= closed that New Delhi has pro- tested Peiping's use in its propaganda material of the word "imperialists" to describe In- dians. On 13 August,Nehru re- iterated his government's determi- nation `toy' resist any' 'in- fringement of Indian rights in Tibet. 1~. PUNAKHA BHUTAN S PART II NOTES AND COMMENTS Page 8 of 17 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Nwe SECRET CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 In response to opposition queries about press reports of Chinese expansionist,plans in the Himalayan border--region,, Nehru repeated earlier assure ances that India ?`s frontier would be defended against Any Chinese encroachment. The Tibetan issue may be raked over again in the. Indian Parliament when a motion support- ing referral of the question to the UN is presented on 21 August. Peiping wants to avoid, publicity on the Tibetan revolt and would likely.protest the parliamentary motion as renewed "interference." The Chinese already are report- ;ed to have indicated to New Delhi some reluctance to have the representation issue raised this year in the UN for fear it would be linked to a debate on Tibet. However, Peiping ap- parently has made no official request on the matter,.and a high Indian official indicated that New Delhi still plans to present the issue to the Gen- eral Assembly. THAI - NORTH VIETNAMESE REPATRIATION AGREEMENT On 14 August, after near- ly two months of negotiations, Thai and North Vietnamese Red Cross representatives signed an agreement in Rangoon provid- ing for repatriation of those Vietnamese refugees in north- east Thailand who wish to go to North Vietnam. The first refugees are to be returned by ship in January 1960, and the costs reportedly will be shared by Thailand and North Vietnam. It is not yet ,clear how many of the 40,000 to 50,000 Vietnamese in Thailand will actually ac- cept repatriation, but an es- timated 90 percent of them are pro - North Vietnamese in sen- timent. Under the terms of the re- patriation agreement, two North Vietnamese Red Cross "advisers" will.be dispatched to Bangkok to "assist" the Thai Red Cross in the execution of the accord. Thailand chose such wording to emphasize the nongovernmental nature of the agreement add of the bodies responsible for its implementation, but the accept- ance of.even unofficial repre- sentatives from Hanoi underscores BURMA IBangkok CAMBODIA Songkhla SECRET .Chiengmai Uttarkdit r ! i 1 4Tak Area where Oes refugees are concehira Ayutthaya't .?~n'oSra.E~1A PART II NOTES AND COMMENTS Page 9 of 17 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 lqw~ SECRET CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 Bangkok's anxiety to rid it- self of an unwanted minority group it has long considered an internal security threat in the strategic frontier provinces adjoining Laos. North Vietnam is reported to have been "slightly taken aback" by predictions that the majority of the refugees will choose to be repatriatedto the North. Hanoi is, however, pub- licly committed to accepting all who wish to return and prob- ably feels that the propaganda potential of such a majority choice will compensate for do- mestic relocation difficulties and loss of a possible fifth column in Thailand. The International Commit- tee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was instrumental in bringing about the Rangoon talks, and a special. representative from Geneva sat in on the negotiations. North Vietnam, which has had no pre- vious opportunity for regional contacts of this kind, sought from the beginning to minimize the role of the ICRC delegate, in an obvious effort to give the appearance of a direct con- frontation between North Viet- nam and Thailand. There is no indication that the ICRC will perform on- the-scene supervision of the actual repatriation procedures, as has been provided in the re- cently concluded repatriation agreement between the Japanese and North Koreans. The present agreement will apparently be implemented solely by the two Red Cross societies. Despite the administrative nature of the proposed mission in Bangkok, Hanoi will probably attempt to magnify its impor- tance in accordance with North Vietnam's policy of increasing contacts with nonbloc nations. The Communists may also seek to retard the implementation of the 25X1 repatriation agreement in an ef- fort to prolong the mission's stay in Thailand. The heaviest rains in 60 years on central and southern Taiwan brought floods on 8 and 9 August which left 645 per- sons dead, over 28,000 homes destroyed and property damage provisionally estimated at $30,- 000,000. Since then more rain has fallen, causing some addi- tional damage, and an earth- quake has struck the southern tip of the island, killing 16 persons and damaging several villages. Destruction of communica- tion lines was severe.:. Damage to rail and highway bridges over the Tatu River in central Taiwan temporarily isolated the northern part of the island and forced reliance on air trav- el. Highway traffic is again moving by means of bypass roads, but it may take as long as 30 days to repair the bridges and permit through rail traffic. Damage to military installations appears to have been slight. The most serious immediate effect on the economy of the island is likely to be infla- tionary pressure. The island has a swollen money supply and a badly unbalanced budget for this fiscal year; if confidence is shaken, a serious round of price increases may be in the offing, depressing still fur- ther the position of fixed-in- come middle-level government SECRET PART II NOTES AND COMMENTS Page 10 of 17 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 SECRET CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 officials and army officers. The most serious long-term ef- fect will probably be damage done to rice-growing areas near rivers. Arable land, already scarce on the island, was lost when several rivers changed their courses and destroyed areas under cultivation. Ensue ing rice crops probably will also be affected by lowered productivity of the fields which were flooded. Enough time re- mains, however, to replant seedlings for the next crop. The Chinese Nationalists are pressing for maximum aid Archbishop Makarios, whose moderate and conciliatory poli- cies are being attacked by ex- tremists, continues to enjoy the support of the great major- ity of the Greek Cypriot popu- lation, including many former high-ranking leaders of the EOKA organization. However, fanatic Greek Cypriot national- ists, some of whom may resort to violence to achieve their aims, have formed a new Greek Cypriot underground organiza- tion, the Cyprus Enosis Front (KEM). KEM leaders regard the present Cyprus agreement merely as a point of departure toward eventual enosis--union of Greece with Cyprus--and threaten to use force if necessary to a- chieve Greek C Griot "national rights." KEM's first proclamation-- issued on leaflets distributed have fallen. from the United States to re- pair the damage. Their already unbalanced budget for the next fiscal year makes the task of reconstruction a heavy burden; nevertheless the job is being tackled energetically. The military services are being used extensively for work on bridges,dams, railroads, and other engineering projects, and the Provincial Government is directing civilian relief. This prompt demonstration of official concern should benefit relations between the government 25X1 and the local Taiwanese inhabit- ants, on whom the main losses in Nicosia--denounces those who criticize former EOKA leader George Grivas and warns Makarios that he must follow a national- ist line or risk active opposi- tion. The archbishop has re- sponded in two stinging public statements criticizing those "who plot against the peace" and who are afraid to fight openly for their program. Open opposition to Makarios on Cyprus is led by his long- time rival within the Cypriot church's hierarchy, Bishop Kyprianos of Kyrenia. Kyprianos has repeatedly called for con- tinuation of the struggle for enosis, which he anticipates will be accelerated as soon as "great politicians like Gener- al Grivas" come to power in Greece. Kyprianos, however, has little support on Cyprus at pres- ent, and his speeches frequent- ly have been interrupted by demonstrations favoring Maka- rios. The split within the Greek Cypriot leadership complicates Makarios' task of reconciling SECRET PART II NOTES AND COMMENTS Page 11 of 17 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 141~ SECRET Mao CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August Greek and Turkish Cypriot views toward the new constitution for Cyprus, particularly since any conciliatory move by him will be denounced by his opponents as a sellout to the Turks. A grave dispute has already a-risen over the executive powers of the future Turkish Cypriot vice president, and the prob- lem has been referred back to Athens and Ankara for resolu- tion. Meanwhile, benefiting from the split within right-wing ranks, leaders of the illegal Communist party on Cyprus have become more aggressive. They have recently announced a party congress in late August and boasted that the party's member- ship has risen to 7,000--the highest in the party's history. The Communists' open defiance of the proscription imposed on them in 1955 may force the British to make a decision on legaliza- tion of the party--a decision which is likely to create new ill will toward London on the part of one or another Cypriot faction. WEST AFRICA SEEKS CHANGE IN FORM OF FRENCH COMMUNITY Nationalist leaders in West Africa are pressing Paris to redefine the status of the 12 autonomous African states in the French Community. African Leaders are divided on the fu- ture evolution of the Community. Officials at Dakar--capital of the Mali Federation--want rapid independence and the transfor- mation of the Community into a commonwealth of independent na- tions; leaders in the Ivory FFREN~FITROPICAL AFRICA FrS IERR- [LEO LEONE M0, 0 IVORY COAST Abidjan, SOU DAN NIGER SECRET Coast, who value a close rela- tionship with France, are using the threat of secession to com- bat any such commonwealth. The scheduled September meeting of the Community's Executive Coun- cil is expected to define the future status of the autonomous republics. The main proponent of early independence is the Federation of Mali, which unites the two CENTRAL AFRICA EGYPT) \ SAUDI UrNCi \ BELGIAN CdNGO 1 PART II NOTES AND COMMENTS Page 12 of 17 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 NOW SECRET `"Wo CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 republics of Senegal and Sou- dan under the leadership of the Soudanese nationalist,Mo- dibo Keita. The Soudanese, influenced by the independent status of neighboring Guinea, are pressing their more con- servative Senegalese colleagues and now envisage independence by early 1961 at the latest, despite the probable loss of French economic assistance. The Soudanese do not expect the Community to be changed to their liking; their leaders are already contacting influ- ential local groups and propa- gandizing throughout the re- public to prepare the popula- tion for a break with the Com- munity. Mali's leaders are spurred on in their demands by the sched- uled independence in 1960 of several nearby West African states--Nigeria, Togo, and Cameroun. Keita, who views Guinea's President Sekou Tourd with some reserve, expects Guinea to associate with Mali in the spirit of African unity, and apparently anticipates that some republics now having close political and economic relations with the Ivory Coast might join a free Mali. Ivory Coast Premier Hou- phouet-Boigny, the main pro- ponent of the present organi- zation of the Community and a leading pro-French African spokesman, has recently indi- cated that serious difficulties have arisen between his govern- ment and Paris. In late July the premier said he wanted the Community to evolve toward a federal republic of France and the African states; he denounced African leaders who contemplated eventual secession from the Com- munity after receiving large amounts of economic aid from France. Upon his return to the Ivory Coast from Paris in early August, however, Houphouet-Boigny was reported unusually bitter. At a scheduled early September meet- ing of his political party, he 25X1 may try to force France to choose between Mali and the Ivory Coast. AUSTRIA, ITALY, AND THE SOUTH TIROL-. Austria's new foreign minis ter; Dr. Bruno Kreisky, has expressed grave concern that the long-standing problem of Italy's Austrian minority may .be taking a turn for the worse. Following a recent trip to the South Tirol, Kreisky told Am- erican Embassy officials in Vienna he found that the popu- lation is surprisingly "worked- up" and that moderate leaders are losing control to extremists who for the first time demand a` plebiscite to determine wheth- er :the..: area should revert to Austria. He sees a growing danger of violence which, he presumes, might lead a "panicky Italian government" to send armed forces to the area at the further risk of bloodshed. Austria and Italy have been quarreling over.the South Tirol since World War I, when it was awarded to Italy by the Treaty of Saint Germain: While Vienna again recognized this territo rial settlement after World War II, it has long contended that Rome has failed to abide by the terms of a bilateral agreement guaranteeing cultural autonomy to the South Tirol's 230,000 German-speaking residents. In late July, an Italian Foreign Ministry spokesman privately acknowledged that the Italian performance to date "leaves something to be desired." Austria has contended that merging the South Tirol with the predominantly Italian SECRET PART I I NOTES AND COMMENTS Page 13 of 17. Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 SECRET CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 Approximate area of German- speaking population in Northern Italy (South Tyrol) --- Region boundary ...... Province boundary Trentino under one regional government violated the spirit of the 1946 agreement, that the German language is dis- criminated against in public offices, and that Rome has attempted to encourage Italian immigration into the area. Earlier this year, frictions between Rome and Vienna reached a new high, partly as a result of the Tirol-wide celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the death of the Austrian patriot, Andreas Hofer. A prominent Viennese publisher has for some months warned that guerrilla activity would occur in the South Tirol this fall. If the new concessions pre- pared by Italy fail to satisfy the Austrians and agitation continues, the question may be referred to an international body, such as the UN General Assembly or the International Court of Justice. Kreisky has already described the current Italian proposals as "utterly inadequate" and is under strong pressure from the Tiroleans to try to inscribe the issue on the UN agenda. He has declared his intention to treat the South Tirol as an "important subject" in his address to the assembly this fall. Internationalization of the dispute in this way might ultimately confront the Western powers with the dilemma of taking sides between two friendly countries--one a member of NATO and the other militarily neutral. In such an embarrass- ing situation, Austria would 25X1 seem likely to have the unso- licited support of the Communist bloc. IMPLICATIONS OF SICILIAN POLITICAL SITUATION Italy's ruling Christian Democratic party has lost pres- tige as a result of the politi- cal line-up that has developed 1n Sicily, and faces increased difficulty in maintaining party discipline at the national level. Renegade Christian Demo- crat Silvio Milazzo has formed a regional government in Sicily SECRET PART II NOTES AND COMMENTS Page 14 of 17 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 made up of some of his follow- ing and dissidents from the rightist,- parties. He is sup- ported by the Communists and Nenni Socialists, who now con- trol the assembly's seven leg- islative committees. Rome is unlikely to take legal steps to oust the Sicilian government, but the Christian Democrats may see fit to postpone their na- tional congress--now scheduled for October--until they have made'further attempts to make a deal with Milazzo. move which would increase its unpopularity among Sicilian au- tonomists, give the left addi- tional ammunition against an "autocratic" regime, and result in new Sicilian elections which might produce a government:1much like the present one. The Christian Democrats may feel that a more satisfac- tory arrangement can still be worked out in Sicily, and that meanwhile it would be prudent to avoid a party congress. In any event, friction within the party has been exacerbated as a result of Milazzo's successful defiance and the Christian Demo- crats' exclusion from the Sicilian govern- ment. Former party sec- retary Fanfani, lead- er of the party's left wing, is accused of sparking the Sicilian rebellion by his "au- thoritarian" methods toward the Sicilian .Government when he was Italian premier.On the other hand, right-wing Christian Democrats !OQ? Milazzo, re-elected chief of government by the 90-man Si- cilian assembly, heads a cabi- net consisting of three members of his Social Christian '_ party, two Monarchist dissidents,one former neo-Fascist, and another former Christian Democrat. A Democratic Socialist who re- fused the eighth cabinet post will be replaced in October. The four deputy ministers: are all members of Milazzo's party. Rome has the power to dis- solve the regional government, but would hesitate to make a PRESUMED SUPPORTERS OF MILAZZO IN 28 JULY SECRET BALLOT FOR ELECTION OF REGIONAL PRESIDENT who are believed to have en- couraged Milazzo as a thorn in Fanfani's flesh now find that Milazzo has become a danger not to Fanfani alone, but to the party as a whole. The Communists are expected to draw national propaganda advantages from their in- creased powers in Sicily and the Aosta Valley in northern Italy, where they also partici- pated in an election coalition which excluded the Christian Democrats. SECRET PART II NOTES AND COMMENTS Page 15 of 17 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 SW SECRET +...f CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 ICELAND PREPARING FOR:: NEW''ELECTIONS The controversial election- reform measures adopted in Ice- land on 15 August will result in a marked redistribution of power in the new parliament to be elected on 25 and 26 October. Passage of the measure resulted from a tactical alliance in parliament of the urban-based parties--the Conservatives, Social Democrats, and the Com- munist-dominated Labor Alliance --and' was opposed only by the largely rural Progressive party. It provides for more equitable representation of the urban areas by reducing the electoral districts to eight and increas- VESTR)DIR 5,835 voters) (5}eats) REYKJAVI (37,603 vote (12 flats) MIDVESTURLAND (6,234 voters) G (1 0,90T voter (5 seats) NORDURLAND VESTRA (5,876 voters) (5 seats) SUDURLAND (8,552 voters) (6 seats) AUSTURLAND (5,712 voters) (5 seats) The Communists are also ex- pected to profit from the in- crease in urban representation. They are .expected to use these gains and their cooperation with the democratic parties in pass- ing the electoral reform meas- ure: to demand participation in the postelection government. Although the Labor Alliance suffered a setback in the June general elections and was unable to exploit the fishing-limits dispute with Britain, or arouse anti-American sentiment on the once-popular US base issue, the Communists retain a strong bar- gaining point through their Icelar&dic Elec Under New NORDURLAND EYSTRA (10,893 voters) (6 seats) that no understanding 25X1 ing the parliamentary seats from 52 to 60. The new system enhances the prospect that the two Icelandic political parties most firmly committed to NATO--the Conserv- atives. and the Social Demo- crats--will emerge with a com- bined majority. There is some speculation that the Conserva- tives alone might win a riajor- ity in parliament, but this appears unlikely. position among the workers. The Communists control some 40 per- cent of organized labor as well as the Icelandic Federation of Labor. Some dem- ocra;tiC:: politicians probably would not be averse to including the Communists as a price for securing labor peace, but the Conservative party leadership insists exists with regard to postelection coopera- tion with them. The Soviet Union is under- taking some moves to bolster the political fortunes of the Labor Alliance. At Iceland's request, the USSR has agreed to purchase some of the surplus herring re- sulting from this year's unexpect- edly heavy catch. The Communist 25X1 press credits the USSR with "bail'ine Iceland out." SECRET istricts stituency Law PART II NOTES AND COMMENTS Page 16 of 17 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 SECRET CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 THE SITUATION IN PANAMA Panama's period of compar- ative ::tranquility following the surrender of a Cuban-based invasion force in May has been disturbed by sharp opposition attacks on US Canal Zone poli- cies as the various political factions prepare for the May 1960 presidential elections. The ruling National Patri- otic Coalition party (CPN) will hold a convention early next month and will probably nomi- nate as its presidential can- didate ex-President Ricardo Arias, now ambassador to the United States. His chief rival, Education Minister Carlos Sucre, has threatened to form his own party if he fails to receive CPN backing. Meanwhile, opposition fac- tions are apparently laying the groundwork for making a campaign issue of the administration's alleged ineptitude in handling Panama's demands on the United States in regard to canal ques- tions. They are reviving the perennial demands that Panama receive a larger share of canal revenues and be recognized as retaining complete sovereignty over the Canal Zone. They also charge that the United States has failed to fulfill a 1955 promise to end wage discrimina- tion against Panamanian employ- ees in the zone. A three-week anti-US cam- paign developed during July when the Panamanian Government re- fused to accept a State Depart- ment aide-memoire on the wage issue. Prominent politicians called for a mass movement of Panamanians into the. Canal Zone on 3 November--Panama's Inde- pendence Day--to "occupy" the zone and plant Panamanian flags. Agitation continues for the pres- entation. of Panamanian com- plaints about US treaty "viola-- tions" to the International Court l'of Justice. The weak De la Guardia re- gime is troubled by :.rising un-- employment,and popular dissatis- faction with the administration could provoke serious incidents at any time. Panama's volatile student groups, although cur- rently quiet,and orderly, are likely to continue as the focal point of such disturbances. Po-- litical tensions have been fur- ther increased by reports of a new invasion attempt being plotted in Cuba. Although the government claims it is prepared to cope with such an incursion, any successful, well-timed land- ing could be a serious__~ reat. SECRET PART II NOTES AND COMMENTS Page 17 of 17 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 SECRET CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 PROBLEMS IN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY A combination of recent events will soon bring to a head some of the fundamental problems which have plagued the European integration movement since the European Coal-Steel Community (CSC) was formed by France, West Germany, Italy, and the Benelux countries. The unity of the six in the CSC, EURATOM, and the European Eco- nomic Community (EEC)--or Com- mon Market--may be seriously strained, the supranational principle which ac- tivated these proj- ects will be tested, and the ultimate re- lationship between the European Commu- nity and the rest of the free world will probably be decided. Problems of the CSC The continuing coal crisis in West- ern Europe is one of the problems which has raised these basic issues. Last May the CSC Council-- primarily at French and German instiga- tion--rejected the High Authority's plan to impose com- munity-wide produc- tion controls to deal with the coal glut. 20 AUGUST 1959 30600 This setback has become a seri- ous political burden for the European Community as a whole. The council's action--although based in part on the technical difficulties of applying such controls--has been widely in- terpreted as a significant turn- ing away from the Community ap- proach. It has helped to bring into the open the dangers which the Paris-Bonn entente may in- volve for the European movement, and it has added to the growing friction between the large coun- tries of the Community and the small. The CSC has become increas- ingly unpopular in the Ruhr, and the dispute over the plan for controlling coal produc- tion is probably responsible in part for the waning enthu- siasm for the Common Market which has recently been noted among German industrialists. While the CSC High Authority's difficulties have not much af- fected French interests as such, Premier Debrb has long been hos- tile to the integration movement, European Community (Coal Steel Community, EUAATOM, European Economic Community, Applicants for association with the European Economic Community Organization for European Economic Cooperation ? (Polential members of a larger European economic association) and his administration has been encouraged to hope for two major revisions in the CSC treaty. One would be a broadening of the coverage to include petroleum and electric power as well as coal, the other a simultaneous "adjustment" of the High Author- ity's powers. The CSC in October 1957 was given responsibility for coordinating the energy policies of the six member countries. Un- der normal circumstances, an over-all energy Community might be a real European advance. SECRET PART IT- Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 1 of 12 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 SECRET CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 However, a strengthening of the CSC would hardly be the French objective. Pressure for revi- sions of the CSC happen to coin- cide with France's burgeoning hopes for its Saharan oil in- dustry. If these hopes are jus- tified, it would be to the clear advantage of France--and to the disadvantage of the Ruhr--if the CSC were replaced with a new energy community not pri- marily concerned with the mar- ket for coal. Beyond this, French anti- integrationists apparently hope that "adjustment" of the powers of the High Authority would check the progress toward an integrated Europe with inde- pendent European institutions and turn the tide in favor of President de Gaulle's concept of a "Europe of nations"--in the Gaullist view, a coalition led by France in which the in- terests of the smaller powers would be subordinated to those of the large. Institutional Problems French advocacy of this version of the European idea tends to aggravate the polit- ical difficulties which have progressively become the pri- mary problem confronting the entire integration movement. In the year and a half since EURATOM and the EEC formally came into effect, remarkable economic strides have been made, and industry's adapta- tion to the Common Market has caused some observers to pre- dict a shortening of the inte- gration timetable foreseen by the treaty. The EEC in particu- lar is generating pressures for further steps in this direction, as its architects anticipated, and the American Mission in Brussels sees increasing signs of early moves toward a coordi- nation of economic and financial policies. In the political field, however, a similar measure of progress is not evident. Rela- tions between the Commissions? representing the Community as a whole--and the Councils--repre- senting '.member states--continue to be delicate. Highly partisan attacks are made on the Commis- sions by government officials, not only in Paris but in stanch- ly pro-European capitals such as The Hague. The ministers again failed on 25 July to reach agree- ment on a site for the European institutions, and Belgian aspi- rations for Brussels face seri- ous obstacles from the French, who apparently feel that any location but Paris would under- cut their pretensions to commu- nity leadership. Political Coordination The controversy caused by recent proposals that the EEC countries establish mechanisms for permanent political consul- tations among themselves is in- dicative of the problems con- fronting a political consolida- tion of the community. The origins of this plan are ob- scure, but it was apparently first proposed by Italian For- eign Minister Pella last May and subsequently discussed by Presidents de Gaulle and Gron- chi during the former's visit to Rome in June. Typically, De Gaulle preferred that any such consultations be restricted to the EEC's "big three," but was persuaded by the Italians to include the three smaller coun- tries as well. The plan has received a mixed reaction in Bonn. Stanch integrationists of the Adenauer- Etzel school, who are worried by the restiveness of German industry, believe that early steps toward political inte- gration are essential if the vitality and integrity of the Common Market are to be pre- served. They are confronted, however, by a growing public antipathy to closer ties with France and a suspicion that the present plan would advance the SECRET PART I7T nemm1DwQ awn DppgDVVTTV1 S Parre 2 of :12 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 1"*i/ rr/ SECRET CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 aspirations of De Gaulle with- out producing solid French com- mitments to the European ideal. Similar suspicions are es- pecially evident in the Nether-- lands and Belgium. Both consid- er the supranational approach a guarantee that the national interests of the smaller coun- tries will be respected, and both are skeptical that--given the well-known views of Debrg--- France now is prepared to make concessions to that principle. They fear that a political con- sultative committee would com- pete with the institutions now developing in Brussels and pro- vide a framework for French- German dictation of Community policies, External Pressures London has also expressed grave concern over the prospect that the six might attempt to set up a permanent political secretariat. Although initially not disturbed by the idea of in- tensified diplomatic contacts among the six, the British now feel that these should take place in the framework of the Western European Union, of which Britain is a member. High Italian officials have angrily declared that the UK is once more "sabotaging" European unity, and, in the opinion of the American Embassy in London, Britain's attitude is new evi- dence of the persisting British refusal to recognize the polit- ical implications of an econom- ically integrated Europe. There is every likelihood that the stresses stemming from the "division" of Europe will become worse before they become better. The decision in July of Britain, the Scandinavian countries, Switzerland, Austria, and Portugal to launch the so- called little free-trade area-- or Outer Seven project--was calculated in part to exploit the difficulties which this di- vision has caused within the EEC by encouraging West Germany and the Benelux countries to press France--assumed to be the major obstacle--to assent to a larger free-trade area, Since West Germany and the Benelux countries have major trading interests in the Outer Seven and France does not, Paris may come under increasing pressure from the other EEC capitals to agree to renewed negotiations on a larger economic associa- tion. A similar conflict of in- terests has been evident in the EEC's relations with the less developed countries on its periphery. The recent applica- tion by Greece for association with the Common Market--followed by one from Turkey--was opposed primarily by The Hague and by elements in Bonn close to Vice Chancellor Erhard who fear that bilateral Greek-EEC ties would "complicate" efforts to achieve an all-European association. That these objections were over- come at the 25 July EEC minis- terial meeting was at least a temporary victory for those who fear a broad European economic association would weaken the Common Market, who are anxious to consolidate the community of six, and who want to demonstrate the thesis that integration of the "heart of Europe" exerts an irresistible attraction on the rest of Europe. Growing Pains These problems are serious to the extent that they involve the deeper conflicts within the European Community: that the Com- munity's members are not fully reconciled to a purely Continen- tal integration; that the "divi- sion" of Europe between "the six" and the rest of Europe generates frictions on both sides; and that the role of the European Community within the Atlantic Alliance is far from settled. In the broader perspective of European integration since 1945, these problems seem less SECRET PART ITT PATTRRwc Awn vVucnrr,rTV.Q 3 of 12 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 SECRET 20 August 1959 serious. While prospects for any immediate advance toward a European political community are probably poor so long as the French Government retains its present national orienta- tion, it is conceivable that the operations of existing in- stitutions are laying the groundwork for a future ad- vance and that a more generally acceptable political formula can be devised. .It is also possible that the conflict between national and supranational principleshas been overemphasized by the Euro- pean federalists. In a recent plea for "full functioning of existing institutions in a com- munity spirit," EEC Commissioner Rey has suggested that an essen- tial feature of the three com- munities is the "judicious bal- ance" between the community and the national elements. Commis- sioner- Marjolin, in a similar vein, has stressed the impor- tance of the European Assembly, the need to proceed with the projected popular election of this body, and the delineation of its relationship to the Coun- cils. The smaller EEC countries are clearly in need of some such reassurance against the poten- tial domination by the larger. However, while they now are wor- ried over the political influence of De Gaulle's France, they would be equally disturbed if there were no counterbalance to the economic power of the Germans. The Bonn-Paris rapprochement, which has astonished many and disturbed some, was also one of the original objectives of the integration movement. The "division" of Europe has existed since 1950 when Britain declined to participate in the CSC. That this breach has deep- ened in the last nine years is largely due to the forging ahead of the European Community. Peiping's hopes of convert- ing Tibet into a docile append- age of China have received fresh encouragement from the Communist suppression of strong anti-Chinese groups and the flight of their leaders to India following the revolution last spring. In the wake of the revolt, the Communists an- nounced a program of "democratic reform" designed to eliminate the last vestiges of opposition to Chinese rule in Tibet. While the Chinese appear more deter- mined than ever to replace the traditional Tibetan society with a Communist way of life, their success is by no means assured. Operating against them are the Tibetan's strong faith in his traditions and religion and the rugged ter- rain, which lends itself to guerrilla activity and aggra- vates crucial Chinese supply problems. Communist Policy Before 1959 The Communist record in Tibet thus far adds up.to a SECRET PART ITT DA?+TT.DVQ e?Tn DPDQDTi'('TTUVQ D-e 4 of 12 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 N000 ftw-f SECRET CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 series of frustrations in the face of smoldering Tibetan as- pirations for independence from Chinese control. Peiping's ar- mies entered Lhasa in the fall of 1951 with good reason for hoping that the integration of Tibet could be effected in sev- eral years. The regime had al- ready consolidated its control over a so-called autonomous region in Inner Mongdlia in 1947 and was. making progress with the Uighurs in China's vast northwest province of Sinkiang. There the Chinese were able to complete land re- form by the end of 1952 and to declare the region "autonomous" in 1955. In Tibet, the spiritual authority of the Dalai Lama confronted the Communists with a unique obstacle to their plans for integrating the area into the Chinese body politic. To dissipate the loyalties of the people to their god-king, the Chinese imported an alter- native in the person of the Panchen Lama, theoretically the equal of the Dalai Lama in spiritual matters. Peiping was able to bring the Panchen Lama back into Tibet from China, effect his reconciliation with the Dalai Lama, and even re- establish him as the temporal ruler of the Zhikatse area, but the loyalties of the people re- mained with the Dalai Lama and still do, even though he now is in exile in India. Peiping's attempts to un- dercut'the political author- ity of the Tibetan Government were equally frustrating. The Chinese reduced the govern- ment's jurisdiction somewhat by creating separate admin- istrations for the Zhikatse area under the Panchen Lama and for the Chamdo region of eastern Tibet. The Communists nevertheless had to deal with the Lhasa authorities through the Dalai Lama, who often advanced the intransi- gence of his subordinates as an excuse for his own uncooper- ativeness. Peiping's major attempt in 1956 to replace the local government with the Com- munist-sponsored Preparatory Committee for the Tibet Auton- omous Region fell flat; in fact, the preparatory committee failed to function until after the rev- olution this year. Peiping's most successful venture in Tibet was the SECRET PART ITT DAMMVVTQ AWn DVUgDVrTTVVR Pncre 5 of 12 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 .? Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927A002400030001-3 SECRET `rW CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 Punakhi BHUTAN construction . , of two major highways leading from China to Lhasa. While these highways greatly facilitated the move- ment of troops and eased the crucial problem of supply in a remote and unfriendly country, they were frequently interdicted by Tibetan guerrilla forces. This unrest erupted on a major scale in 1956 and con- tinued on a high level, reach- ing a peak last March. The causes of the unrest, aside from a desire for independence, were heavy taxation, resentment of the undermining of the Dalai Lama and the indoctrination of youth, and the introduction of social changes in neighboring Tibetan-inhabited areas of western China. In 1957 the Communists decided on a more conciliatory policy and with- drew large numbers of troops and nonmilitary personnel, while announcing the postpone- ment. of reforms for five years. BURMA The Chinese apparently were reluctant to employ harsh tac- tics in suppressing the dissi- dence until the revolution threatened their control of much of Tibet. Current Communist Policy The new outbreaks in Tibet last March decided Peiping on a shift to a hard line. The Chinese have abolished the Tibetan local government and` army, replaced the Dalai Lama by the Panchen Lama, and ini- tiated a program of social re- form. The "democratic reforms" announced for Tibet leave un- answered a number of important questions. Perhaps deliber- ately, the Chinese have not in- dicated a time schedule for de- velopments in Tibet and have so far avoided a specific commit- ment to distribute land to the peasants. Most spokesmen SECRET Railroad Motorable road ---Minor road or trail Motorable road under construction T.saidam Has in PART III PATTERNS AND PERSPECTIVES Page 6 of 12 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927A002400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 SECRET 20 August 1959 on the subject--including sen- ior Chinese Communist officials in Tibet and some Tibetans-- have promised only that tillers of confiscated land will be able to keep their harvest this year without paying rent, and only the Panchen Lama has stated that confiscated land will be distributed to the peasants. Peiping may distribute land to groups of peasants rather than to individuals--a step that would enable the Chi- nese to pass quickly to Tibetan collectives or possibly even to communes. A precedent for such swift action can be found in areas of western China inhabited by ethnic Tibetans. What the Chinese have made clear about their intentions in Tibet is that those groups op- posed to Chinese control will ultimately be destroyed. This will be accomplished by a di- rect assault on the feudal pow- ers and special privileges of the upper classes and monas- teries. Forced labor and slavery are to be abolished, and rents and interest rates reduced. Under this program the land belonging to rebels will be confiscated, while other lands will be "bought out" by the government. Attack on Religion Freedom of religion is ostensibly guaranteed in Tibet, but the privileges of the mon- asteries, assailed as "exploi- tation and oppression under the cloak of religion," will. be abolished, and monks will be considered ordinary citizens. Peiping hopes by these meas- ures to eliminate the religious traditions that bind Tibetan so- ciety, but there is a question of how rapidly this goal can be pursued. The substitution of the Panchen for the Dalai Lama is a giant step which may be followed by attempts to dis- credit the Dalai Lama in the eyes of the Tibetans. Time and unrelenting Communist pressure promise to erode the power of the religious hierarchy in Ti- bet, just as they have in Mon- golia. Chinese Migration Into Tibet Peiping has already indi- cated it intends to introduce large numbers of Chinese settlers into Tibet. This policy of over- whelming the ethnic minorities has been used effectively by the Chinese in most of their autonomous areas; in Inner Mongolia, for example, they out- number the Mongolians 7 to 1. An intimation of how the Chi- nese view Tibet's demographic future was given by Mao Tse- tung in 1950, when he predicted that Tibet--which now has a pop- ulation of about 1,300,000-- could support as many as 10,000,- 000 people. The resettlement program in Tibet was not vigorously pushed, however, until 1958. The Dalai Lama now claims that 5,009,000 Chinese have settled in Tibet. While this is clear- ly an exaggeration, it ap- pears that large numbers of Chinese settlers have moved into Tibetan areas of West China and into Tibet prop- er.. SECRET PART III PATTERNS AND PERSPECTIVES Page 7 of 12 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 The Chinese have also sharply increased their troop strength in Tibet, and may now have as many as 100,000 troops there. Moreover, since the revolution, large numbers of Chinese-trained Tibetans and Tibetan-speaking Chinese cadres --may of whom were withdrawn in 1957--have returned. These migrations will com- plicate an already acute logis- tics problem. The Communists must expect occasional interrup- tions to transport activities on the two major highways to Lhasa both from guerrilla activity and natural obstructions; ef- forts are being made to correct these interruptions. In addi- tion, improvements are being made in air facilities from the mainland and in road transport from the Indian border, and the construction of a railroad from China prdper--probably paralleling the Tsinghai-Lhasa Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 *-"W VMW SECRET SINO-SOVIET BLOC'S ECONOMIC RELATIONS WITH THE FREE WORLD Sino-Soviet bloc economic relations with the free world continue to expand with the ex- tension of additional bloc aid to underdeveloped areas and the growth of trade with industrial- ized nonbloc countries. To com- pete with American aid, the USSR road--is planned. Peiping also is counting on improved agri- cultural and animal-husbandry techniques and the development of industry to support a much larger population in Tibet. Chinese Success Uncertain Frustrated-during most of its occupation of Tibet, Pei- ping has been forced to crawl when it wanted to soar. Now the Chinese Communists appear to be in a position to push ahead rapidly with inte- gration of the area. While Tibetan recalcitrance will continue to retard the program, the regime seems determined this time that Tibet will be brought in- 25X1 to line with "socialist" developments in the rest of China. this year made its first major grant--to Afghanistan--and com- mitted itself to long-term new assistance in India. So far in 1959, the bloc, primarily the USSR, has extended $840,000,000 in new aid, two thirds of which is for South and Southeast Asia SECRET PART III PATTERNS AND PERSPECTIVES Page 8 of 12 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 and the remainder for the Mid- dle East and Africa. The bloc now accounts for about 4 percent of free-world trade--twice as much as in 1954. While trade with the underdevel- oped areas has grown more rapid- ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE EXTENDED BY SINO-SOVIET BLOC SINCE 1954 (MILLION DOLLARS) Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 SECRET 32% 90814 49 ly, that with the industrialized countries still accounts for 70 percent of total bloc trade. The USSR's recent emphasis on seeking Western credits to pro- cure advanced Western plants and machinery for its chemical in- dustry expansion and increased satellite purchases of Western plants--some on medi- um-term credits--sug- gest that industrial ized countries will remain the bloc's more important trad- ing partners for some time. Underdeveloped Countries The value of Sino-Soviet bloc eco- nomic and military assistance extended to underdeveloped countries now totals to exploit opportunities as they arise elsewhere. Economic prob- lems in Latin America, for ex- ample, offer extensive opportuni- ties for trade and aid proposals. Following general offers of aid to Africa over the past two SINO-SOVIET BLOC TRADE WITH NONBLOC COUNTRIES (BILLION DOLLARS) $3.5 billion. Credits and grants offered this year to gain in- fluence at the expense of the Weft indicate the bloc's con- tinuing,interest in South and Southeast Asia.and the.expansion of. its, interests in Africa. Bloc leaders will continue, however, Bloc economic activity in Africa is aided by local hostil- ity to Western Europeans and the large financial needs for proj- ects not usually attractive to private investors--such as roads, irrigation works, and other years, the bloc last month concluded an aid agreement with Ethiopia during Em- peror Haile Selassie's visit to Moscow and Prague. This was the bloc's first major aid agreement with an African country other than the UAR. The USSR offered its standard $100,000,000 credit--probably be- cause Ethiopia has no clear-cut develop- ment plans. Czech- oslovakia reportedly will provide $20,- 000,000 in aid. UNDERDEVELOPED INDUSTRIAL COUNTRIES NONEILOC COUNTRIES 25Yo USSR EASTERN EUROPE utilities. The requirements for foreign governmental aid by independent African countries are so large and varied that the bloc probably will be able to choose to assist those areas where political turmoil would SECRET PART IIT flAMMMM TQ AVT1 n DQn'VnrVT%TV0 r--....e 9 of 12 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 $1.8 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 %%W are SECRET CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 reap the greatest propaganda benefits and where local export resources match bloc require- ments for raw materials. In Asia, Moscow probably hopes to achieve an extra prop- aganda benefit by the announce- ment in late July of a $375,000, 000 credit to be used for key industrial projects during In- dia's Third Five-Year Plan (1961- 66). The new Soviet credit, how- ever, is only about 7 percent of the $5 billion in aid needed under this plan. Moscow also has indicated that further aid for New Delhi's plans, includ- ing those beyond 1966, would be made available. The July credit is to be used largely to expand Soviet heavy industrial projects agreed to earlier but which, for the most part, are still only in the survey stage. Only $134,000,000 worth of aid goods has been delivered to India under credits granted be- tween 1955 and mid-1959 totaling $323,000,000. While total bloc credits extended to India are equal to About 20 percent of the foreign government loans and credits New Delhi has been of- fered thus far, the bloc role tsurm,' ..1 fz~ RX an ^ in the economic development of India has been considerably less to date, since only one fifth of bloc aid has actually been spent. To ensure the primacy of its position in Afghanistan and to counter American aid grants there, the USSR relaxed its pol- icy against grants and agreed to build--as a gift--a road and an airfield valued by the Soviet Union at $80,000,000, as well as to expand military assistance. The USSR is not expected to in- crease the role of grants gen- erally, but it probably will continue to promote long-term, low-interest loans which develop more lasting economic ties. American aid programs, taking cognizance of the monetary and investment problems arising from the rapid expansion of economic development, have featured grants covering domestic costs. Nearly three quarters of American for- eign aid has been composed of grants, as compared with 7 per" cent of Sino-Soviet bloc economic assistance. Bloc credit offers to un- derdeveloped countries--unlike those of private investors or SECRET 2 Brazil u in mil ions of dollars iI Mditar I ' Sino-Soviet Bloc Assistance to Non-Bloc World ~ PART III PATTERNS AND PERSPECTIVES Page 10 of 12 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Nw~ SECRET 20 August 1959 Western. governmental authori- ties, who must consider the eco- nomic merits and consequences of development plans and their prospects for success--leave to the recipient governments the problem of meeting the domestic financial drains occasioned by rapid economic growth. Burma and Afghanistan have found that the debt burden and inflation- ary effects of Soviet foreign aid limit the use of loans. Burma has canceled some Soviet aid. Afghanistan was able to convince the USSR to supply con- sumer goods, which could be sold to earn local funds for domestic costs of projects and absorb some currency, the circulation of which was increased by.: stepped-up construction under foreign aid. The bloc's own economic capabilities impose no serious limitation on its ability to continue and expand its aid pro- gram, particularly if it con- tinues to concentrate on projects for which it has extensive pro- ductive and technical facili- ties. The apportionment among the satellites and the USSR of contracts for actual construc- tion or delivery of equipment tends to minimize the demand on any particular bloc economy. The immediate demand on bloc econ- omies is also lessened by prob- lems of economic planning and .local finance in the underdevel- oped countries themselves. Be- fore drawing on a bloc line of credit, the recipient country must raise funds to meet the :local costs of starting a project. In several countries, internal political and economic difficul- ties have limited the amount of local funds which could be sup- plied to development projects, restricting full use of bloc credits. For most underdeveloped countries, the capital surplus available for investment is us- ually so small that any serious political or economic disturbance may require revision of original economic development plans. The bloc, therefore, can make gen- erous offers of aid, aware that it may not be used rapidly or that domestic political consid- erations make acceptance unlike- ly. Industrialized countries continue to be the major markets for Soviet bloc exports to the free world and a chief source of imports. Through extensive propaganda and some new purchas- ing activity, the bloc has en- couraged the development of a trade drive in these countries for increased exchanges with the bloc. The bloc has recently stepped up purchases of tech- nologically advanced equipment --principally for the plastics, synthetics, and petrochemical industries--and is securing credits for new purchases. Under recent trade agree- ments the USSR has specified it will place additional "substan- tial" orders for chemical equip- ment. During negotiations in May for a trade pact with Brit- ain, the USSR provided a list- of desired imports during the next five years--factories and equipment worth more than $1 billion. Moscow has publicized its potential purchases to foster competition among Western Euro- pean countries, both in price and in offers of credits. The satellites also are in- creasing their purchases of West- ern equipment. In negotiations for American aid, Poland has in- dicated a large demand for free- world mining equipment and other machinery. Rumania has purchased --largely on credit--Western tire plants, refinery equipment, and textile and paper mills. To expand such purchases despite limited foreign exchange resourc- es, the satellites are pressing Western suppliers to barter ad- ditional industrial equipment for bloc raw materials and agri- cultural products. Both Poland SECRET PART III PATTERNS AND PERSPECTIVES Pace 11 of 12 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 . SECRET. CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY SUMMARY 20 August 1959 and Czechoslovakia, as well as the USSR, are stepping up sales of industrial goods to the West. Poland reports that, during the first half of 1959, exports of machinery rose by more than 20 percent; sales to the free world were a significant fea- ture of this increase. During 1958 the Chinese Communists also stepped up pur- chases of Western goods, large- ly semifinished industrial products. Such purchases, sup- porting their "leap forward" program, have fallen off from the level of last year but are expected to remain an important part of China's imports. Pei- ping continually strives to in- crease its exports to nonbloc Asian markets in order to earn foreign exchange for expanding its purchases in Western Europe. Soviet sales activities in commodity markets--tin, aluminum, oil, and wheat, for example-- are primarily designed to earn foreign exchange. Soviet prices occasionally are below others prevailing in the market, chief- ly in order to overcome a gener- al reluctance to buy Soviet goods. The USSR's restraint in gold sales probably is explained by its preference for an expan- sion of economic relations and for barter trade. The Soviet Union drives hard bargains in its trade-pact negotiations and is almost always insistent on bal- anced trade: in an effort to promote its exports,, but at a. higher, level than in preceding agreements. SECRET By offering a wider range of exports and expressing an almost limitless desire for the free world's heavy manufactured goods, the USSR is creating an atmosphere for a significant growth in its trade with indus- trial countries. Moscow, for instance, is making increased purchases from Japan for the economic development of the So- viet Far East, and British, French, West German, and Italian firms in the past year have se- cured orders for major industrial installations. Economic considerations play the chief role in Sino- Soviet bloc trade with free- world industrial countries, as contrasted with the large measure of political motiva- tion in its trade with un- derdeveloped areas. However, the bloc--primarily the USSR-- has occasionally employed economic pressure to fur- ther its political objectives toward weaker states. An ex- cellent example is Moscow's dealings with Finland, includ- ing postponement last fall of negotiations for a new trade agreement and a cessation of Soviet purchases in order to topple Helsinki's coali- tion government. The USSR presumably can be expected to use such tactics as long 25X1 as they have no measurable adverse impact on its world economic relations. (;Prepared by ORR) PART III PATTERNS AND PERSPECTIVES Page 12 of 12 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 25X1 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3 veer, SECRET SECRET Approved For Release 2007/10/23: CIA-RDP79-00927AO02400030001-3