CONDITIONS IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM ZONES OF NORTH VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00810A000300480010-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 13, 2001
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: March 2, 1953
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2001/04/12 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA000300480010-5
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
INFORMATION REPORT
SECRET
SECURITY INFORMATION
COUNTRY
Indochina
REPORT NO.
25X1 A
SUBJECT
Conditions in the Democratic Republic
of Vietnam Zones of North Vietnam
DATE DISTR.
,'Z March 1953
25X1A
NO. OF PAGES
3
DATE OF INFO.
25X1 C
REQUIREMENT NO.
REFEREN
RD
CES
THE SOURCE EVALUATIONS IN THIS REPORT ARE DEFINITIVE.
THE APPRAISAL OF CONTENT IS TENTATIVE.
(FOR KEY SEE REVERSE)
Administration
The Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV) is currently attempting to reduce the
number of employees in the Administrative and Resistance Committees and technical
bureaus of North Vietnam. This slash in personnel is designed to reduce
administrative expenses and at the same time to greed out all but the most
efficient workers. 1 Those employees who are retained are being given raises in
salary and family allowances on the theory that better work will be produced if
the workers are lens burdened with family cares,
2. Administrative and military personnel are currently undergoing political review
courses, During the three-month course, papers are prepared on such topics as
IIThe DRV National Force t History and Develo menthe My and for Whom are we
Fighting?II, "Zong4erm ardship will Lead to Victory,, and Ilgelf Relianoec One
Must not Depend on Outside Aid", At the close ofthe courses self-criticism
meetings are held and exemplary cadres chosen,
3. Women are now being used to replace drafted administrative personnel. At the
end of the current school year it is also planned to take students who have
oompleted the seventh year of Secondary school as apprentices in the technical
organisations.
Military Rations
4. As the result of Chinese Communist aid, each regular soldier will be provided with
the following year's supply of personal equipmentz
three blue suits
two pairs of Chinese shoes and sooke
one mosquito net
This Document contains information affecting the Na-
tional Defense of the United States, within the mean-
ing of Title 18, Sections 793 and 794, of the U.S. Code, as
amended. Its transmission or revelation of its contents
to or receipt by an unauthorized person is prohibited
by law. The reproduction of this form is prohibited.
SECRET
STATE ARMY #x I NAVY AIR X FBI
Q
(N.hi We,hinolen Dbp roved For or Indlealml Release Approved W0 I/0O4/''IIL : tI ~- * P80-0081 OA000300480010-5
 Approved For Release 2001/04/12 : CIA-RDP80-081 OA000300480010-5
one blanket
two meters of cloth to be used as a ground sheet
The following rice rations are allotted each soldiers
a. 1.3 kilograms per day, the normal troop ration
be 1.7 kilograms per day during operations
a. an additional 2.1 kilograms per month for officers
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d, an additional two kilograms. per month for seniority 2
6. In order to encourage women'to work., allowances for wives have been abolished.
Children?s allowances, however, have been increased from 5.5 to 12 kilograms
of rice per child.
Economic Situation
In an attempt to increase the value of the Ho Chi Minh piaster, the DRV is
withdrawing all piasters issued by the Ministry of Finance and substituting
new notes issued by the National Bank. The new note is worth ten of the former
Ministry of Finance notes. The current official piaster rate is ten Indochinese
piaster to 7,200 Ministry of Finance piasters or 720 new National Bank notes.
The free market rate is ten Indochinese piasters to 8,000 Ministry of Finance
piasters or 800 National Bank piasters.
The following are examp3as of current good prices in the ARV zones
rice
Ho Chi Minh piasters (HCM
180,000 for two baskets
salt
HOM
3,000 for about one-
half a pound
oil
HOM
20,000 for 75 cubic
centime term
chickens
HOM
20000 each
ducks
HOM $ 15,00? each
10. Schools are found in the following placest
Dac 0i ng Provinces Ngo By Lien, Hiep Hoa and Bao Quay, schoolso
be Bea Nish Province' HriII Th t n schools
d. Thai Nguyen Provinces. Luong Ngoc Quyen school.
d. Lang Son Provinces Lang Son Secondary School, which was recently established#
e. Tuyen Quang Provinces Tan Trai school.
Vegetables are very inexpensive.
Education
A three-grade suporiar-primary school (ecole primaira?superieure) has been
established in every DRV'distriot. Teachers in these 5ohoalf are responsible
to the Provincial Education Bureau. The students are permitted to organize
student led groups. Political lectures are given weekly by a member of the
local Administrative and Resistance Committees Auto-criticism meetings are
also organized.
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11. In addition to the above schools, two five-year teachers colleges were recently
established in the China border area near Chungking.
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1. Comment. Presumably this reduction in personnel is also part of the
program to retain only convinced Communists in the government bureaus.
2. 'Comment, The length of service was not specified -
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SECRET
Approved For Release 2001/04/12 : CIA-RDP80-0081OA000300480010-5