CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1951/03/20

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02733106
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: March 18, 2019
• Document Release Date: March 28, 2019
• Publication Date: March 20, 1951

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t I Nine
20 March 1951
Copy No. 9
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO.
IN CLASS.
CLASS. CHANCED TO: TS Stoof
NEXT FIEVIEV�1 DATE:
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DATE. � _41_ REVIEWER:
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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SUMMARY
USSR
1. Some Soviet Government ffices possibly being dispersed
(p ge 3).
FAR EAST
NEAR EAST
Iranians consider government committed to n tion lization of
oil (page 4).
EASTERN EUROPE
4. Yugoslav will to resist reportedly low (page 5).
WESTERN EUROPE
5. Communists hope to exploit Paris strikes (page 6).
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USSR
1. Some Soviet Government offices possibly being dispersed:
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Comment: Acute housing
shortages in Moscow may be the c use of thee arrangements. However,
Soviet refugees arriving in Vienna ho ve reported that some government
decentralization is in progress.
FAR EAST
3.3(h)(2)
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NEAR EAST
3. Iranians co sider government committed o nation lization of oil:
The US Embassy in Tehran reports that the
Iranian people now regard their government
as committed to the principle of nationalizing
Iran's oil resources. Having been approved
by the lower house of parliament, the nationali-
zation proposal now goes to the Senate for ap-
proval and the Shah for his endorsement. The lower house, after
unanimously approving the proposal, gr nted the Parliamentary Oil
Committee two more months to study the details involved in implementing
the measure :.nd provided that the Committee might employ foreign
specialists to advise it. According to the Embassy, an American econ-
omist who was retained previously by the Iranian Government to advise
it on the oil problem is reportedly attempting to work out a solution
which will leave the impression with the Iranian public that the industry
has been n tionalized, although such will actually not be the case.
Meanwhile, public demonstrations in f vor of nationalizing the Anglo'
Iranian Oil Company, Iran's only real oil industry, reportedly continue;
the Embassy states that the situation is entirely dominated by emotions.
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EASTERN EUR,OPE
4. Yugoslav will to resist rtportedly low:
talk of war and
rumors of Soviet troop concentrations
on the Yugoslav border have created
great unrest among the Yugoslav people. 3.3(h)(2)
Reportedly, families are preparing to
leave Belgr de and persons not irrevocably compromised by association
with Tito, are trying to detach themselves from the regime in the hope
that the Soviets will not molest the neutr 1 element. The widespread
belief that the Yugoslav Army would quickly fall before a Soviet attack
has allegedly weakened the Yugoslav will to resist0 claims
that "many Cominformists" have successfully penetrated the army and 3.3(h)(2)
the government and are now acting under instructions to remain pas-
sive until war breaks out.
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The US Air Attache in Belgrade reports
that the population in the Vojvodina area has freely expressed to him
its dissatisfaction with conditions and attributes its hardships to poor
governmental management.
Comment: Numerous recent state-
ments by Tito and other Yugoslav leaders regarding the threat of war
have undoubtedly caused increased apprehension and unrest among the
Yugoslav people. Furthermore, Yugoslavia's economic problems, which
have been heightened by the 1950 crop failure, are probably augmenting
Yugoslav dissatisfaction with the regime.
Previous reports about the state of
Yugoslav morale have been conflicting: US Ambassador Allen in
Belgrade believed, as of 9 February, that Yugoslav morale was high; on
the other hand, a 12 February report from the US Embassy in London
states that the British Ambassador in Belgrade was at that time troubled
by the low state of public morale in Yugoslavia. US officials,
who have traveled extensively throughout Yugo-
siavia in recent months, h ve noted no evidence indicating that the
Yugoslav will to resist a Soviet attack has markedly declined�
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WESTERN EUROPE
5. Communists hope to exploit Paris strikes�
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According to US Embassy Paris, the Politbure3.3(h)(2)
of the French Communist Party was scheduled
to meet on 17 March to plan a "cascade of
strikes" involving public utilities, suburban
railways and government agencies in the Paris region, in support of the
Paris transport strike which began on 15 March. The Embassy reports
that non-Communist union leaders do not feel th t workers are prepared
for long and bitter strikes, but believe that price rises and the hesitancy
of management and government in making cost-of-living adjustments may
materially benefit Communist election candidates.
Comment Growing I-Ank-and-file agitation for
wage increases has led the non-Communist unions to collaborate with
the Communist-led General Labor Confederation in the Paris transport
strike--the first important instance of such collaboration since last
spring, Union resources, however, are believed insufficient for a pro-
tracted Paris transport strike.
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