CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1955/03/30

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03003274
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: September 20, 2019
• Document Release Date: September 26, 2019
• Publication Date: March 30, 1955

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3.3(h)(2)
3.5(c)
30 March 1955
Copy No. 88
CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO.
GI
NO CHANGE IN CLASS.
0 DECLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANGED TO: TS 6 C
NEXT REVIEW DATE: CI 0
AUTH: HR 70-2
DATE:41 SatA ge) REVIEWEP
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
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SUMMARY
SOUTHEAST ASIA
I. Thai premier lukewarm over close co-operation with Burma
(page 3).
WESTERN EUROPE
2. CSC president Monnet reported offering plan for European atomic
energy "pool" (page 3).
3,
LATE ITEM
4. USSR rumored to want neutral belt in Europe (page 5).
THE FORMOSA STRAITS
(page 6)
* * * *
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SOUTHEAST ASIA
1. Thai premier lukewarm over close co-operation with Burma:
The Thai deputy foreign minister has
informed the American embassy in
Bangkok that Premier Phibun desires
to maintain friendly relations with the
Burmese people, but not necessarily with their present govern-
ment. Moreover, the premier views sympathetically the pleas
for assistance from both Karen insurgents and Chinese Nation-
alist guerrillas in Burma.
Comment: The Thais have been aiding
both the Karens and the Chinese guerrillas in the belief that
they would serve as a buffer between Communist China and Thai-
land.
There has been a Thai-Burma rapproche-
ment during the past year, but this report indicates that Bangkok
is not sanguine about this development. Thai suspicions of the
Burmese may well be rekindled at the Afro-Asian conference,
where Burma is likely to be ranged more often than not on the
side of Peiping in opposition to .Thailand.
WESTERN EUROPE
2. CSC president Monnet reported offering plan for European atomic
energy "pool":
A proposal for the immediate formation
of a "European Atomic Energy Commu-
nity" will be included by Jean Monnet,
president of the European Coal-Steel
Community, in the "declaration of principles" he plans to issue
when he leaves his present post,
The proposal will suggest that the six governments of
the Community pool their atomic knowledge, research facilities,
and materials under a supranational "atomic high authority."
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Monnet is said to believe that the forma-
tion of such a pool is essential if Europe is to compete in the
atomic field. The Monnet "declaration" will reportedly also call
on France and West Germany to sign a pact committing them to
an irrevocable joint policy of building a "United States of Europe."
Comment: Monnet informed the six
governments last fall that he would not seek renewal of his term
as president when it expired in February, but he is remaining in
office pending agreement on his successor.
There have been other reports that Monnet
will attempt to obtain from the member governments a commitment
in principle to expand the scope of the Coal-Steel Community.
American observers in Luxembourg have suggested that transpor-
tation would be the most likely field for any expansion of Commu-
nity authority. Monnet, however, might well be more interested
in the dramatic aspects of an "atomic pool" proposal.
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I I
LATE ITEM
4. USSR rumored to want neutral belt in Europe:
Comment: There has been Western
press speculation recently that Moscow desires a neutral belt in
Europe. Moscow may be propagating this line in order to en-
courage West German hopes for unification and thus discourage
support for rearmament.
Moscow's recent moves to encourage
the belief that it would sign a treaty for a neutralized Austria
also appear intended to stimulate German interest in neutralism.
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� THE FORMOSA STRAITS
Report of the IAC Current Intelligence Group
for the Formosa Straits Problem
This report is based on information received in Washington
up to 1100 hours 29 March 19550
1. The Formosa Straits area has remained quiet. Weather
prevented reconnaissance of airfields other than Swatow.
2. Chinese Nationalist reconnaissance of Swatow Airfield
on 28 March revealed no change in its status and no indication of re-
cent rehabilitation work. Swatow has one concrete runway 4300 feet
by 160 feet and a gravel strip 3800 feet by 330 feet. In January,
some repair work was done on the main runway, but there has been
no detectable rehabilitation work recently. At present the site is
little more than an emergency field, though it could be made capable of
sustaining limited jet fighter operations within ten days.
3. As previously reported, the announced Soviet plan to
evacuate the Port Arthur area by 31 May might involve reassign-
ment of Soviet aircraft there to the Chinese Communists. Trans-
fer of all Soviet aircraft in the area would represent a, gain to the
Chinese Communist Air Force of as many as 103 IL-28's and 306
MIG-15's. This would increase Communist China's jet bomber
strength by 70 percent and its MIG-15 strength by about 40 percent.
4. In an interview requested by the Indian ambassador,
Molotov on 25 March backed Peiping in rejecting any conference
on the Formosa problem that included Nationalist China in any way.
However, Molotov expressed a desire that exploratory talks con-
tinue among the USSR, Britain, and India.
Molotov's remarks reflect the two facets of recent Soviet
policy on Formosa: a determination to support the Chinese Commu-
nist position politically to the utm.ost; and a desire to show an interest
in negotiations on the question without changing any of the essentials
in the Communist position. The current quiescence of both Moscow
and Peiping on the Formosa question may be related to the Asian-
African conference next month, at which the Communists apparently
intend to stress peaceful coexistence.
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Nor
HANKOW
NGYANG
CHANGT,ING
�
K WA NOTUNG
*00
ANTeN
Rail (selected)
N NKING
ANHWEI
HANG CHO
0HUHSIEN
FOOCHOW
SOUTH CHINA COAST (incl. FORMOSA)
!Available Airfield (jet)
Available Airfield (conventional)
Airfield Site
IP Nationalist-held Islands
0 101:1 200
i_
Statute Miles
100
Kilo Meters
Road (selected)
HIAHSING
50318-2
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