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30 May 1951
3.5(c)
Copy No. CJ_,°l
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CURRENT )NTj!:LLIGENCj!: BULLEi

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7 3.5(c)

SUMMARY

GENERAL,. .....

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3.3(h)(2)

NEAR EAST
3.3(h)(2)

7! Egyptians dissatisfied with Britts eon curren

issues (page "I).

'EASTERN. EUROP~
8. Czech police incre·ase activity against Western- news
agencies (page 8). ·

WESTiRN EUROPE
.
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,., ·,
9.. West German leaders disappointed over.Council of Europe
session '(page 8). · · · . .~
10. French Communists ain in
in1,1nici al elections e 9). 3.3(h)(2).

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GENERAL

1.. Belgium favors membe rship of Greece and Turkey in NATO:

A Belgian Foreign Office official 3.3(h)(2)
has informe d the US Ambass ador
. in Brusse ls that, on balance , -13elgium
feels that Greece and Turkey should
· :become NATO membe rs. Although Belgium wishes first to
have ·fuller understanding Qf -the views of other countri es and the
risks involved, ~elgtum does not conside r the fear of. Soviet
reactio n to Greek and Turkish membe rship in NA TO as a valid
reason for opposition in view of the defense commit ments
already underta ken by Western Europe.
. Comment: Belgian support of the US
position is an indication of a definite break in the opposition to
Greek and Turkish membe rship in NATO on the part of the small
countri es of Wester n Europe. The Netherl ands, which has been
· speaking for the s:mall countri es, has indicate d a possibl e modi-
fication ·of its opposition if the importa nce of Greece and Turkey
in the defense of the Medite rranean is spelled out.
3.3(h)(2)

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3.3(h)(2)

·'1. Egypt ians dissat isfied with Britis h attitud e on curre nt issue s: I

Accor ding to US Amba ssado r Caffe ry

in Cairo , the Egypt ian Foreig11
Minis ter is not please d with (a) the
UK attitud e regard ing the transi t of 3 .
tanke rs throug h the Suez Canal , and .3(h)(2 )
(b) the curre nt situat ion regard ing
Anglo -Egyp tian defen se negot iation s.
The Egypt ian .Forei gn Minis ter re-
ceive d the Britis h prote st on the block ing of oil tanke rs throug h
the Suez Ca:nal coldly and said that ilie Egypt ian Gover nmen t had
no intenti.on of charnging its policy in that respe ct. As a resul t
of the Britis h failur e to reply on the defen se negot iation s, the
Egypt ian Forei.gn Minis ter indica ted to Caffe ry that he was in
"desp airu and sees only troubl e ahead.
Comm ent: There is no indica tion
that the Arab determ inatio n to preve nt oil from .reach ing Haifa
has weakened; Britis h repre senta tions on this subje ct will only
exace rbate alread y strain ed Anglo -Egyp tian relati ons.

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EASTERN . Eli.IROJ?.E. ,.....

8. · C.ze~h police incre ase activi ty again st Wester.J;\,-p.ews.. 5enc ies;

US Amba ssado r Briggs. in Pragu e has
been notifie d by his Frenc h collea gue 3.3(h)(2)
that the Actin.g . . Chief of the_Agence
Franc e Pr.esse,. a Czech nation al, has
been arrest ed. Increa se.d police activi ty .again st the Czech o-
slovak emplo yees of the Un.Ued Press and Reute rs News agenc ies
is evident, as well. Brigg s interp rets this activi ty as an attempt
to intimi date Weste rn corres ponde nts :into leavin g Czech oslov akia
or at least into refrai mng. from repor ting . mater ial unfav orable
to the Comm unist .reg.ime. . Ile points out, however,. that the
Czech oslova k GoverlllD.eut niay be prepa ring to arres t other
foreign. correspoimdenits as 'accom pltces of the recen tly arres ted
US correspo!lldelllit~ William Oatis.

WESTERN Et!IROPE

9~ . West Germ an l~gtders disappo!n.ted over Council of Europe

sessiO)l')l.,l

West Germ an deleg ates to the recen t 3 _3(h)( 2)

Council of Europ e meeti ng in Stras~
bourg have indica ted their gener al
. dlisappointment with the failur e of
the CouncU. to a«;hieve colThcrete result s. They are now con ..
vince d that Britai n is unwUUng to join a United Europ e and
that? wtthom1l: Engl:.:.md~ Frem!.Ch suppo rt is at best h1~ewarm.
· Leade rs of the Germ an gover nmen t coalit ion were, howev er,
please d with fue posiUve acUon of the Council in endor sing the
Schumarn Plan~ arrn.d want to proce ed with rapid ratific ation of
the Plan in Booo 11111. IQ>rder to give new impet us to the Europ ean
nioveme)Dlt. MealThwh!le the oppos ition Socia l Demo crats have
critic ized the Coun~il sessio n and its endor semen t of the
; j.

Bchuman Plan a.s irtco:i:\dusive.

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Comment: . Initiat:West German

enthusia~m. over achieving equal status in th,e. C.ouncU of
Europe. has apparently waned as a result of the recent.Council
session. . The. Germatl government leaders sUU feel, however,
that the Council can provide a good. opportunity for increased
;German ln(luence in W~stern European affairs, and they will
continue to pres, for tl}f,3 creation of an effective European
Parliament within the CouncU structure.
~~
.._,_

10. r~ench Comm~.~~e5ts f~~n in munt~ipal elections~

Frencp Communist Party lists
were :ret\Jrned with outright 3.3(h)(2)
majorities in two municipal elec ...
tiQ.,is. in the Pa:fiS region on 27 May.
'Although both electtons occurred in traditional Communist
stronghold~, tt is llOtew<>rthy that in each case Communist
candidat~, registered an increase over the previous municipal
election fi~res, )umping from 43 percent to 54 percent in one .
instance. CommUl\lst propaganda is pointing out that the French
Communist J?artf i~ il,pw C'1,pable of aichteving a flat majority and
thereby winning all "ats tn the departments where tt ,ecured
40 p~reent of the 1946 vote, · The US Embassy in Paris comments
· - that i,:i 1946 Communist candidates secured 40 ·percent of the
popqlar vQte tr,. onlf two ·departments.
· _ , Com.91ent~ - While elections in the Paris
"Red Belt" give Uttle basts tor ari estimate of the national strength
of the Comri;luQists, these ·res1.Jlts bear out recent reports that
the party is reco\lpil\g its ear'tier losses. Infla.tion and successful
strike activity have re-established Communist prestige in working ...
class communities, and can be expected to counteract the effects
of electoral reform aqd Umit French Communist Party losses in
the June nation;il elections.

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. lN°FORMATION RECEIVED JUST PRIOR TO PUBLICATION

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Viet Minh ;()ff ensive in southern Tonkin:
-

US Consul Blanrcke in Hanoi reports that the

..anticipated V1let Mi.nh offensive in the south ...
em. Tonkin delta. apparently has begun. A 3.3(h)(2)
r~w:ted Viet Minh version of the offensive
stattes ,tb.a1t "some 20". rebel ba.ttalio-rlls hav® ail:tacekrn:i the French i:le-
fense ·perimeter at Ninh Binh1 50 milt-is souttll"h ru Hanoi. ·Blancke
reports olbise:rvi:ng strong French ·tr-oop :reiimforcements and air support
being srem1t to the battle area on 29 M~,y.
Comment~ Pravli.ous reports had predicted
'an offe:,rns]vcei imi the Ninh Bfiinareadurtrng tlhle.'la:st week in May with
the objei~'tlll.ve of capturing rice stores and the rllce-producing land east
of Nbih Binh. The average strength of a Vlet MinlhJ. battalion is 500-800;
thus true attack ~\ould involve as maimy :!a.:S: 16~ 000 m(fm. Earlier evidence
of 11:he (dl.epifo)yrnent of three Viet Minh {!tvisllpns opposite the so~ern ·
1

pe:rime1lex· » ccou.pl~d w'Uh the allegerli co:rmnitmerm11: of 20 battaHons !ndi-

cateJs tfmal t"m~ V:i.u.~it Minh may have lam1\ched {l)Jme of ]h::i largest offensive
efforts: tcr) ti.ate.

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