CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1953/04/25

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02893558
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: July 15, 2019
• Document Release Date: July 22, 2019
• Publication Date: April 25, 1953

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CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN /
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NEXT REVIEW DATE:
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25 April 1953
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Copy No. G 0
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,tose
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SUMMARY
FAR EAST
1. Yoshida's reluctance to rearm reportedly encouraged
*(page 3).
SOUTHEAST ASIA
NEAR EAST - AFRICA
3.3(h)(2)
4. Joraan aisturpea over Israeli sniping in Jerusalem (page 4).
toe Egyptian Foreign Ministry reaffirms unyielding position on Suez
Canal issue (page 5).
6. Britain acquiesces in postponement of Sudanese elections (page 6).
WESTERN EUROPE
3.3(h)(2)
3.3(h)(2)
�41#' . Vyshinsky says USSR wants an Austrian treaty (page 6).
8., Comment on West German delay in ratifying EDC treaty (page 7).
ue British express reservations on new American aid proposal (page 8).
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FAR EAST
1. Yoshida's reluctance to rearm reportedly encouraged
for many years,
3.3(h)(2)
� The Japanese Government has been greatly3.3(h)(2)
impressed 'crushing
US superiority" in atomic weapons would be
an effective deterrent to Soviet aggression
� The US Embassy believes that Yoshida's
recent reluctance to speed rearmament could wpll haup ractiDnig
3.3(h)(2)
the alleged statement, II
an ingrained suspicion ui Japanese intentions and thus dislike the idea
of early Japanese rearmament.
Comment: While such information would
undoubtedly add to Yoshida's long-standing objections to speedy re-
armament, there are many other equally valid explanations for his
attitude. Ambassador Murphy previously reported that the real limit-
ing factors to Japanese rearmament were plant facilities and techniques,
and that even if the new government were favorably disposed, actual
progress would be slow.
2.
SOUTHEAST ASIA
TOP
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3.
3.3(
h)(2)
NEAR EAST -.AFRICA
3.3(h)(2)
4. Jordan disturbed over Israeli sniping in Jerusalem:
King Hussain of Jordan has complained to
the American Ambassador about the Israeli
sniping on 22 and 23 April against Arab
Legion outposts and inhabitants of Old
Jerusalem.
TOP
RET
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Subsequently, the Jordanian Prime Minister
warned both the British and the American Ambassadors that full-scale
military operations might break out and that the Arab Legion would
reply to any continuation of the attacks.
American Consul General Tyler in Jerusalem
reports that all the evidence he can find supports the Jordanian belief
that Israel planned the shootings.
5. Egyptian Foreign Ministry reaffirms unyielding position on Suez Canal
issue:
Egypt is not now and has at no time been
contemplating a defense agreement with
the West, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry
advised its missions abroad
Moreover, the aim of
the forthcoming discussions with Britain is to "liquidate rapidly all
stationing of British forces and personnel on Egyptian territory."
3.3(h)(2)
3.3(h)(2)
The Foreign Ministry believes that both
the United States and Britain realize that a strong, "contented"
Egypt is necessary for Near Eastern stability, and that a satisfactory
solution of the Suez Canal dispute is accordingly imperative. Neverthe-
less, the Foreign Ministry does not wish to encourage its missions to
"overestimate the progress made."
).PsECgT
3.3(h
(2)
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3.3(h)(2)
6. Britain acquiesces in postponement of Sudanese elections:
3.3(h)(2)
The British Foreign Office has reluctantly
accepted the Electoral Commission's decision
to postpone the Sudanese parliamentary elec-
tions until fall. Britain has been anxious to
create the parliament as soon as possible in order to relieve itself of the
onus for ruling the Sudan alone.
The Foreign Office believes that the
Egyptians and pro-unity Sudanese wanted the delay in order to prolong
their own campaign.
Comment: The role of the British Governor
of the Sudan has been the source of frequent Anglo-Egyptian disputes
which almost blocked agreement to begin discussions on the Suez issue.
WESTERN EUROPE
7. Vyshinsky says USSR wants an Austrian treaty:
In response to an inquiry by the Austrian UN 3.3(h)(2)
observer, Andrei Vyshinsky said that the
USSR wants to reach agreement on an Austrian
treaty. He added that the withdrawal of the
wo greatly improve prospects of agreement."
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The Austrian observer attached considerable
significance to the statement and to Vyshinsky's unusually cordial attitude.
Comment: Vyshinsky's attitude and comments
are a part of current Soviet efforts to appear conciliatory. The USSR
still seems to be attempting to obtain its own terms, since its official
position has consistently been that the West must withdraw its abbreviated
text of the Austrian treaty prior to discussion.
The fact that the statement was made to an
Austrian official presumably means that Vyshinsky is aware of Austria's
desire to have the abbreviated text sponsored by the United States with-
drawn, if it will speed treaty discussions. Britain has supported the
Austrian position, and France thus far seems undecided.
8. Comment on West German delay in ratifying EDC treaty:
Despite the West German Bundesrat's decision
on 24 April to postpone a vote on the Bonn and Paris treaties and ask the
Constitutional Court for a prior advisory opinion on their legality, eventual
upper house approval still seems likely. In any event, Chancellor Adenauer
will probably block the request for an advisory court opinion by refusing to
commit the Bundestag, or lower house, to a joint parliamentary court
petition as required by law. He has also suggested that he may ask Presi-
dent Heuss to sign the major parts of the treaty without the express
approval of the Bundesrat.
Responsible for the Bundesrat action was
Reinhold Maier; leader of the key Baden-Wuerttemberg delegation, who
had recently assured officials that he would vote for early ratification.
In the last several days, however, Maier had lost political support in his
home state, and he apparently believed that its cabinet would oust him
unless he did everything possible to secure a prior court decision.
While there is now much uncertainty as to when
the Bundesrat will again consider the treaties, both American and German
officials are convinced that Maier will support them when they are put to a
vote.
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9. British express reservations on new American aid proposal:
Top British officials have requested a furtht,..3.3(h)(2)
discussion with the United States on its position
that direct economic assistance should be re-
placed by offshore procurement contracts.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Butler doubts
that the substitution of offshore procurement contracts would yield
adequate dollar receipts during the 1954 fiscal year.
Minister of State Selwyn Lloyd states that
Churchill feels strongly that this is no time to give any appearance of
relaxation in the Western defense effort.
Comment: These British reactions emphasize
the most important problems facing the current NATO ministerial meeting.
Other NATO members can be expected to express anxiety over the interim
period during a shift from direct to more indirect US aid, and the Western
countries, as well as the Soviet Union, would be inclined to view a defense
stretch-out as a relaxation.
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