CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1955/10/16

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03002330
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: September 20, 2019
• Document Release Date: September 26, 2019
• Publication Date: October 16, 1955

Approved for Release: 2019/09/16 CO3002330
,A TOP SECRET
16 October 1955
Copy No. 100
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO.
NO CHANGE IN CLASS,
L, DECLASSIFIED
CLASS, CHANGED TO: IS $ C
NEXT REVIEW DATE:
AUTH: HR 70-21001S
DATE: 43EV1EWER
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
/13 fird "Fla
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Nue Nilo*
CONTENTS
1. BURMA REPORTEDLY OFFERED LOAN BY COMMUNIST
CHINA (page 3).
2. REJECTION OF SAAR STATUTE IN 23 OCTOBER VOTE
PREDICTED (page 4).
3. COCOM CHAIRMAN REPORTEDLY ADVISES JAPAN ON
REDUCTION OF TRADE CONTROLS (page 5).
4. BRAZILIAN MILITARY REPORTED DIVIDED ON COUP
QUESTION (page 6).
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Noe Nuip,
1. BURMA REPORTEDLY OFFERED LOAN BY
COMMUNIST CHINA
Communist China has offered Burma
a loan and the Burmese cabinet has
discussed the matter,
When questioned by the American am-
bassador, the Burmese foreign minister and an official
of the Finance Ministry stated that an offer of assistance
had been made by the Chinese ambassador, but that it had
not been specifically for a loan.
Comment Peiping is apparently trying to prevent
the satisfactory conclusion of Burma's
negotiations with the United States for financial assistance.
An offer by Peiping to buy 3,000 tons of Burmese rubber in
August at an above-market price appeared to be designed
to bring into question Burma's eligibility under the Battle
Act for an American loan.
The present Chinese offer is probably
for a more satisfactory payment schedule for Burmese
rice moving to China.
curred in by ORR)
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2. REJECTION OF SAAR STATUTE IN 23 OCTOBER
VOTE PREDICTED
The Saar statute will likely be de-
feated in the 23 October vote,
the referendum question on European status
for the Saar is so phrased as to be "loaded" and to in-
fluence many voters against it. the pro-
German parties are still solidly against the statute and
that most of the local labor leaders oppose it.
Interest in the referendum is high
and more than 90 percent of those eligible are expected
to vote.
Comment
While the pro-German parties are ap-
parently in the lead in the present cam-
paigning, the number of voters still undecided is believed
to be about 25 percent of the electorate, or enough to de-
termine the outcome of the referendum.
the wording of the referendum
question is likely to be misinterpreted by the voters.
Rejection of the Saar statute would prob-
ably lead France to press for reimposition of French con-
trol of the Saar, regardless of the consequences, and for
a halt of all moves toward further European integration.
The German press has also reported that an unfavorable
vote would have serious repprcussions on France's atti-
tude toward German reunification efforts.
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3. COCOM CHAIRMAN REPORTEDLY ADVISES JAPAN
ON REDUCTION OF TRADE CONTROLS
During his recent visit to Tokyo,
COCOM chairman Giovanni d'Orlandi
apparently abandoned the neutral atti-
tude appropriate to his position and
gave the Japanese advice on what
tactics to use for achieving a maximum reduction in
Western export controls on trade with Communist China.
D'Orlandi is visit has probably strength-
ened the determination of the Japanese government for do-
mestic political reasons to seek a reduction of the China
trade controls to the level of controls against the rest of
the Communist bloc. On 8 October, Japan handed the United
States a list of 111 items it wants removed from the China
embargo. (Concurred in by ORR)
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4. BRAZILIAN MILITARY REPORTED DIVIDED ON
COUP QUESTION
Comment
The division in the
army together with reported Communist plans for violence
in the event of extra-constitutional military action suggests
that any coup would be accompanied by civil strife that
might reach serious proportions.
Official returns released by the Superior
Electoral Council of about 60 percent of the vote in the re-
cent election show Juscelino Kubitschek with only a 50,000-
vote lead over General Juarez Tavora. The normally ac-
curate unofficial returns did not show such a narrow margin
between the two at any point. Although the divergence is
probably due to a different routine in counting the votes, it
is possible that the returns are being tampered with.
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