CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN - 1955/12/02

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: Current/Central Intelligence Bulletin Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 03019099
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: September 20, 2019
• Document Release Date: September 26, 2019
• Publication Date: December 2, 1955

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CURRENT INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
DOCUMENT NO. /6
NO CHANGE IN CLASS. vi'r
L DECLASSIFIED
CLASS. CHANCED TO: IS S C
NEXT REVIEW DATE:
AUTH: HR 70-2
VATE:
a C.
Office of Current Intelligence
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
TOP SECRET
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Nolo
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Ur ALL. I
ler11.-
CONTENTS
1.
2. THAI KING FEARS ARMED CLASH IN BANGKOK
IMMINENT (page 4).
3. JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER ASSERTS INEVITA-
BILITY OF RECOGNIZING TWO CHINAS" (page 5).
4. EAST GERMAN LEADERS REPORTEDLY GOING
TO CHINA (page 6).
5. USSR REQUESTS JORDAN TO ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC
RELATIONS (page 7).
6. ECUADORAN-CZECH ARMS NEGOTIATIONS (page 8).
* * * *
2 Dec 55
THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(page 9)
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 2
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1. TURKISH PRIME MINISTER MAY BE SUFFERING
BREAKDOWN
Comment
Contrary to earlier reports, Menderes
was apparently unaware of the extent
and intensity of the political opposition within the Demo-
cratic Party until it forced the resignation of his cabinet
on 29 November. The intraparty upheaval probably made
Menderes realize that his power was broken.
President Bayar, who was apparently
not included in the intraparty criticism, cannot long delay
action if a new prime minister is to be named, since the
country is without an effective government. Deputy Prime
Minister Fuat Koprulu, Refik Koralton, president of the
Grand National Assembly, and Nun i Birgi, secretary gen-
eral of the Foreign Ministry, are among the possible
successors.
The major problem facing the new
cabinet will be Turkey's serious economic condition.
2 Dec 55
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 3
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2. THAI KING FEARS ARMED CLASH IN BANGKOK
IMMINENT
King Phumiphon stated on 1 December
that he feared an armed clash between
elements of the Thai armed forces and
the police was imminent,
The king is especially concerned that
the bloodshed might extend to civilians. He pointed to
the possibility that the hotheaded chief of the air force,
Marshal Fuen, might order his planes on a bombing or
strafing mission.
Comment
2 Dec 55
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 4
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3. JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER ASSERTS INEVITA-
BILITY OF RECOGNIZING "TWO CHINAS"
Foreign Minister Shigemitsu told
Ambassador Allison on 30 November
that at some point the United States
and Japan "would have to face facts"
and recognize "two Chinas." He stated that Japan
would consider it a threat to its interests if Taiwan
should fall into Communist hands, and suggested vaguely
that a plebiscite would make clear the people's desire to
remain in the free world.
In suggesting a continuous exchange
of views on China, Shigemitsu said it was not too early
to consider what would happen when Chiang Kai-shek
dies. He said that unless prior thought is given to this
problem, both Japan and the United States may be placed
in a "most awkward" position.
Shigemitsu stated that Japan's close-
ness to continental China and its historical relations with
the mainland made it impossible for Japan to maintain
as aloof and uncompromising a posture as the United
States might think desirable. He said that Japan had no
intention or desire to trade in strategic items with Commu-
nist China, but that it hoped to expand trade in consumer
goods.
Comment Tokyo has long believed that a nor-
malization of relations with the
Communist bloc, particularly with Communist China, is
necessary for Japan to achieve economic self-support
and political power in Asia. Tokyo has increasingly en-
couraged unofficial business and cultural contacts with
Communist China in an effort to accomplish a detente
which will gain acceptance of the "two Chinas" principle
by Peiping despite the latter's repeated rejection of the
principle.
2 Dec 55
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 5
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EAST GERMAN LEADERS REPORTEDLY GOING
TO CHINA
An East German delegation including
Premier Grotewohl, party first sec-
retary Walter Ulbricht, Foreign Min-
ister Bolz and political officials of
the Foreign Ministry will leave for Communist China
on 5 December,
\Richard
Gyptner, the newly appointed East German ambassador
to China, left for Peiping on 28 November to be on hand
for the arrival of this delegation.
Comment Such a visit would probably be de-
signed to enhance East Germany's
prestige and at the same time to emphasize Soviet bloc
support for Communist China. The two regimes might
sign a treaty of friendship. East Germany is one of the
most important Satellite suppliers of capital goods and
technical assistance to China. (Concurred in by ORR)
2 Dec 55
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 6
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5. USSR REQUESTS JORDAN TO ESTABLISH DIPLOMATIC
RELATIONS
The Soviet Union has asked Jordan to
establish diplomatic relations,
Comment This Soviet overture to Jordan, follow-
ing similar overtures to Yemen, Saudi
Arabia, and Libya, may find a favorable reception unless
Jordan can obtain substantial military aid from Britain.
Egypt's arms deal with the Soviet bloc
has been widely approved in Jordan. Jordan, feeling it-
self particularly exposed in the Arab conflict with Israel,
also feels a need to increase its arms.
2 Dec 55
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 7
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6. ECUADORAN-CZECH ARMS NEGOTIATIONS
Comment
Arms negotiations between Ecuador
and Czechoslovakia have been under
way for about a year, but apparently no firm agreements
have been reached to date.
Ecuador is currently in an arms race
with Peru because of a long-standing boundary dispute,
and has turned to Soviet Satellite countries for arms be-
cause of its inability to make purchases from American
and Western European sources on the terms it desires.
in by ORR)
2 Dec 55
(Concurred
Current Intelligence Bulletin Page 8
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THE ARAB-ISRAELI SITUATION
(Information as of 1700, 1 Decejnber)
No significant military activity has
been reported in the last 24 hours. The American army
attache in Tel Aviv reports that Israel's "desperate
attempt" to gain a favorable American decision to supply
arms makes it very unlikely that Israel will undertake
any retaliatory raids at present.
Press reports that Syrian troops are
massing on the Syrian-Israeli border probably result
from routine troop' rotation. Syrian chief of staff Shuqayr
told the American army attache in Damascus on 29 No-
vember that the frontier continued to be calm, and that
if it remained so, he planned to continue his rotation of
troops.
Shuqa7,,r also said that Syria and
Lebanon continue to oppose suggestions--which he broadly
hinted come from the Egyptian military attache in Damascus--
that Egyptian terrorists be allowed to operate from their
territory.
The Syrian chief of staff indicated
that considerable progress had been made in the recent
Syrian-Egyptian military talks in establishing the mecha-
nism of the joint command and that a fairly detailed joint
military plan on the use of troops had been drawn up.
He also said that he and the Lebanese chief of staff had
reached agreement on joint use of troops along the Syrian
and Lebanese borders with Israel. Despite Shuqayr's
apparent satisfaction over these talks, it is unlikely
Syrian-Egyptian military capabilities have been signifi-
cantly increased. The Syrian-Lebanese agreement merely
formalizes existing arrangements.
2 Dec 55 Current Intelligence Bulletin
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