CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1954/04/29

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02026939
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: August 20, 2019
• Document Release Date: August 30, 2019
• Publication Date: April 29, 1954

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29 April 1954
Copy No76
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO.
NO CHANGE IN CLASS.
I; DECLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: IS S C
NEXT REVIEW DATE: .. _L20 a 3
AUTH: HR 70-2
PATE44;75 Z9.._ REVIEWER:
Office of Current Intelligence
VENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
3.3(h)(2)
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SUMMARY
GENERAL
I. French deem cease-fire in Indochina imperative (page 3).
FAR EAST
2. Rhee's election tactics may undermine South Korean position
at Geneva (page 3).
SOUTHEAST ASIA
3.
4. Viet Minh reported expanding Saigon underground (page 5).
SOUTH ASIA.
5. Indian government in "moral" conflict on acceptance of further
American aid (page 5).
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
6. United States asked to help change French policy in Morocco
(page 6).
EASTERN EUROPE
7. East Germans further restrict access to Berlin in move for
recognition (page 7).
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GENEFtAL
1. French deem cease-fire in Indochina imperative:
After an unsuccessful appeal to Prime
Minister Churchill for British support
in Indochina, French ambassador
Massigli told Ambassador Aldrich in
London on 27 April that France had no
alternative but the immediate commence-
ment of negotiations for a cease-fire.
Dutch co-foreign minister Luns told
Ambassador Matthews at The Hague on
22 April that the French "had as much as
told him" that they would accept any face-
saving settlement on Indochina, even if it
meant that six months later the area "would fall to Ho Chi Minh."
A high French Foreign Ministry official
admitted to Secretary Dulles at Geneva that partition of Indochina had
been considered by Paris. He said that his government was not seek-
ing a "cease-fire"--described as a "local laying down of arms... tan-
tamount to French surrender"--but an "armistice, " as in Korea, with
political and military safeguards.
Comment: There are other indications
that the United States will be subjected to intense French pressure to
acquiesce if the Communists offer anything approaching a reasonable
solution. Any official qualms in Paris over commitments to the Bao
Dai regime will presumably be stilled by demands that Vietnam accept
full responsibility for the complete independence it has exacted.
FAR EAST
2. Rhee's election tactics may undermine South Korean position at
Geneva:
UN observers and foreign press represent-
atives in South Korea are increasingly
concerned over President Rhee's coercive
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tactics against his opponents in the campaign for the 20 May elec-
tion. Ambassador Briggs feels that publicity prejudicial to the
South Korean and American positions at Geneva can be expected.
He warns that continued revelations of police intimidation would
undermine South Korea's contention that any future elections in con-
nection with Korean unification should be held under its auspices.
The first prominent "casualty" among
assemblymen seeking re-election is Cho Pong-am, vice chairman
of the assembly and Rhee's chief opponent in the 1952 presidential
elections, who was prevented from filing his application prior to the
deadline date. Other opposition candidates have threatened to boy-
cott the elections if such conditions continue.
Comment: In an effort to replace the
present generally hostile assembly, Rhee has ordered an unprece-
dented campaign of abuse and police pressure against his opposition.
He has also secured from all his Liberal Party candidates for the
next assembly pledges that they will support several constitutional
amendments previously rejected by the assembly. One of these
amendments would give Rhee lifetime tenure.
SOUTHEAST ASIA
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NINO
4. Viet Minh reported expanding Saigon underground:
French security agencies in south Vietnam
are receiving numerous reports of a general
reinforcement of the Viet Minh underground
In Saigon,
The French are investigating these reports in coordina-
tion with the Vietnamese surete,
there is a definite
possibility that the Viet Minh will foment disorder in the Saigon area
during the Geneva conference.
Comment: The Viet Minh has long main-
tained a "Special Zone of Saigon-Cholon" which maintains an elaborate
underground network operating mainly in the suburbs of the city.
The Vietnamese assumed nominal control
of police functions in Saigon several years ago and appear to have
developed a fairly competent organization. The outcome of the cur-
rent developments at Dien Bien Phu, Paris, and Geneva, however,
might well create a popular mood of bitterness and defeatism which the
Viet Minh could readily exploit to incite urban disorders.
Another report has suggested the possi-
bility of disorders in Hanoi and Haiphong on May Day or 19 May--
Ho's birthday.
SOUTH Asa
5. Indian government in "moral" conflict on acceptance of further
American aid:
Prime Minister Nehru told Ambassador
Allen on 24 April that a "moral" conflict
is going on inside his government over the
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question of accepting additional American economic aid. Referring
to accusations that India should not object to military aid to Pakistan
while continuing to receive American economic aid, he admitted that
these accusations "sting us a bit because there is a certain amount of
truth in them."
� Nehru stated his government was anxious,
however, to avoid any action which would further "complicate" Indo-
American relations. Allen believes India is unlikely to renounce
American aid unless New Delhi is certain that the American Congress
will not approve it or will attach unacceptable conditions.
Comment: Nehru apparently anticipates
that India may be refused more economic aid as a result of its neu-
tralist foreign policy. His recent speeches emphasizing India's need
for greater economic self-reliance probably have been intended to
prepare the Indian public for this eventuality.
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
6. United States asked to help change French policy in Morocco:
On 24 April the sultan's deputy in Tangier
asked that the United States persuade
France to change its policy in Morocco
"before it is too late," according to the
n m nis er. e deputy said that unless drastic steps were
taken, the future looked hopeless.
He stated that most Moroccans are turning
against the French and have only scorn for the present sultan. The
one solution, according to the deputy, would be to place the ex-sultan's
second son on the throne and replace the entire French residency.
The minister comments that the deputy's
estimate is "remarkable," as he is "considered a French stooge," and
that this is a further indication that the Moroccan situation is much
more serious than the French are willing to admit.
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Comment: The French, unable to halt
terrorism in Morocco during the past eight months, are now faced with
a new problem--an increasingly successful nationalist-inspired eco-
nomic boycott.
The French Foreign Ministry denied in
February that a plan to place the ex-sultan's second son on the throne
was under serious consideration.
EASTERN EUROPE
7. East Germans further restrict access to Berlin in move for recognition:
American officials in Berlin reported on
26 April that, according to the Austrian
delegate there, effective 27 April all
foreigners now traveling to Berlin on
semipermanent interzonal passes will need an East German transit
visa from the East German Foreign Ministry.
Return visas will allegedly be issued only
after separate application has been made to the Foreign Ministry by the
diplomatic representation of the traveler's country. The Austrian also
stated that non-Germans would be permitted to use only one crossing
point at the East-West German border.
The American officials commented that if
this report proved true, the move would represent another East German
effort to force the Western powers to deal with East German authorities,
thus moving toward recognition of the regime.
Comment: Such East German regulations
would clearly violate the four-power agreements on access to Berlin.
Apparently they would cover all Western nationals except officials
of the three Western powers on duty in Germany.
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