CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1952/12/28

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02020573
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: June 6, 2019
• Document Release Date: June 27, 2019
• Publication Date: December 28, 1952

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INFORMATION
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28 December 1952
Copy No.
57
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO.
NO CHANGE IN CLASS.
CI DECLASSIFIED
CLASS, CHANGED TO.
NEXT REVIEW DATE-,
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DAIS'
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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Ec INFORMATION
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SUMMARY
GENERAL
2. Arabs may boycott Japan for trading with Israel (page 3).
SOUTHEAST ASIA
3. Chinese Nationalists in Burma may have alliance with
Karen insurgents (page 4).
SOUTH ASIA
4. Comment on proposed constitution of Pakistan (page 5).
WESTERN EUROPE
E. Austrian Cabinet obeys Soviet ultimatum on police
(page 5).
6. French take firmer stand on economic union with Saar
(page 6).
7. Britain voices concern over handling of Korean prisoner
incidents (page 7).
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GENERAL
2. Arabs may boycott Japan for trading with Israel:
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Comment: There is no evidence to
date that the initiation of t7ia-e-WeTween Japan and Israel would
prOduce an automatic Arab boycott of Japanese goods. Egypt
in particular would be loath to lose Japanese markets for Egyp-
tian cotton. Arab publW opinion might force the more moderate
governments to curtail their economic ties with Japan.
SOUTHEAST ASIA
3. Chinese Nationalists in Burma may have alliance with Karen
insurgents:
The American Embassy in Rangoon
believes that the Chinese Nationalists
in northeast Burma may have formed an
alliance with Karen insurgents which
could force a radical redeployment of the Burmese army.
As evidence, the Embassy cites the
Burma War Office's confirmation of the barter of Nationalist
arms for Karen rice and the fact that Burmese troops recently
captured nearly new American carbines and ammunition from
Karen forces.
Comment: Karen emissaries have been
negotiating with the Nationalist-IT-Dr several months, but there is
no confirmation of a formal alliance. A joint Karen-Chinese Na-
tionalist force would appear to be capable of controlling most of
eastern Burma.
A determined government effort in that
area would undermine efforts to restore security elsewhere,
particularly against the Communists, who are strongest in cen-
tral Burma.
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SOUTH ASIA
4. Comment on proposed constitution of Pakistan:
The problem of whether Pakistan is
to become officially a Moslem or a secular state will not be
resolved by the proposals formally presented to the Pakistani
Constituent Assembly on 22 December, and the attempt at a
compromise may raise serious difficulties. Some liberals,
as well as the leftists, will be opposed to those provisions pro-
viding the Moslem hierarchy a means of exercising considerable
political control, while orthodox groups are likely to protest
the clause which gives the legislative body authority to override
the recommendations of the proposed board of Islamic experts.
Provision for an elected head of state
would necessitate some juridical change in Pakistan's Common-
wealth status, possibly along the lines of the Republic of India.
This should appeal to nationalistic elements and at the same time
aid the government in refuting Communist claims that Pakistan is
dominated by "imperialists."
WESTERN EUROPE
5. Austrian Cabinet obeys Soviet ultimatum on police:
The Austrian Cabinet on 23 December
decided to comply with a Soviet ulti-
matum regarding the weapons to be
used by the Austrian police in the �oviet
Zone, but to protest to the Allied Council. The USSR had threat-
ened to take the action itself if the Austrians failed to do so.
Comment: Friction between Soviet and
Austrian authorities over the Austrian police has grown in recent
months. Since 3 December the Minister of the Interior had ignored
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this particular Soviet demand, as well as another for the re-
moval of the chief of the Wiener-Neustadt police.
Failure of the Austrian police to pre-
vent the display of anti-Soviet posters and inscriptions in the
Soviet Zone has also led to veiled Soviet threats that the occu-
pation powers rather than the Austrians would be made respon-
sible for maintaining order in the respective zones.
The recent change of Soviet High
Commissioners seems to coincide with a new stiffening of Soviet
policy, in the Allied Council as well as toward the Austrian Gov-
ernment.
6. French take firmer stand on economic union with Saar:
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ber to Chancellor Adenauer's 16 October
note requesting cancellation of the French-
Saar conventions, Foreign Minister Schuman
stated that the only basis on which discussions on the Saar can be
resumed is Bonn's acceptance of the French-Saar economic union.
Comment: This statement effectively
destroys the hopes for a more yielding French attitude on this
issue expressed by British Ftsreign Secretary Eden after his 16
December interview with Schuman.
In view of recent criticism of Schuinan's
"soft" foreign policy, there now seems little likelihood that any new
government will offer the Germans further concessions on the Saar.
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7. Britain voices concern over handling of Korean prisoner
incidents:
prompt and adequate
Selwyn Lloyd, Britain's Minister of
State for Foreign Affairs, has expressed
to Ambassador Gross at the UN the
"gravest" concern over the handling of
public reporting of incidents in Korean
prisoner-of-war and internee camps.
He indicated that the Churchill govern-
ment has been having difficulty in par-
liament because of its inability to get
information.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office has told
the American Embassy in London that it plans to approach Wash-
ington with a number of very pointed questions on the administra-
tion of the camps, ostensibly in preparation for further parlia-
mentary inquiries.
Comment: The American Embassy in
London has repeatedly commeirerl on the part prison camp in-
cidents have played in encouraging British public and parliamen-
tary criticism of American leadership in Korea. Even government
circles seem convinced that the riots could have been avoided or
at least minimized, if the camps had been located and managed
differently.
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