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    "localId": "225249554",
    "label": "Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Reports and Estimates Report, Number 17-49, The Strategic Importance of the Far East to the United States and the USSR",
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    "title": "Central Intelligence Agency, Office of Reports and Estimates Report, Number 17-49, The Strategic Importance of the Far East to the United States and the USSR",
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        {
            "day": 4,
            "logicalDate": "1949-05-04",
            "month": 5,
            "year": 1949
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    "ocrText": "TOP SECRET\nTHE PROBLEM\nTo assess the strategic importance of the Far East to the US and the USSR in\nthe event of hostilities between those powers by 31 December 1952.\nSCOPE\nFor purposes of this study, the Far East is defined as Korea, China (including all\nborder areas and Taiwan), Japan and the Ryukyus, the Philippines, Australia, New\nZealand, Indochina, Siam, Malaya, Indonesia, Burma, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan\nand Ceylon.\nASSUMPTIONS\n1. A war between the US and the USSR will break out some time between the\npresent and 31 December 1952.\n2. General trends now perceived in the Far East will continue.\n3. Neither the US nor the USSR will basically alter its present policy towards the\nvarious areas of the Far East.\nNote: ORE 17-49 has been prepared through the collaborative efforts of the intelligence organiza-\ntions of the Departments of State, Army, Navy, and Air Force, and the Central Intelligence\nAgency. These agencies provided the basic data pertinent to the following aspects of the\nproblem: political (State), military (Army, Navy, and Air Force), and economic (Central\nIntelligence Agency). Coordination with Departmental Specialists was subsequently under-\ntaken on the intermediate phases of analysis and synthesis of the basic data. As pub-\nlished, the paper represents over-all conclusions drawn by the Central Intelligence Agency\nfrom analysis of the basic papers.\nThis estimate has been concurred in by the Intelligence Organization of the Depart-\nment of State, the Intelligence Division, Department of the Army, and the Directorate of\nof Intelligence, Department of the Air Force.\nThe Office of Naval Intelligence dissents for the following reasons:\n\"a. Although the factual matter is in general accurate, its presentation contains\nobscurities, apparent contradictions and unwarranted presumptions regarding\nU. S. plans and policies, which are beyond the intelligence field. As a result,\nthe reader is required to evolve his own analysis of the situation in order to reach\na sound appraisal of the strategic importance of the Far East.\n\"b. This inchoate development is apparent in the SUMMARY, which furthermore\ndoes not include all the salient points of the detailed discussion. Therefore,\nit\ndoes not present a comprehensive abridgement.\"\nTextual material is based on information available to CIA on 18 April 1949.\nThe supporting data for ORE 17-49 consist of basic material provided by the various\nIAC agencies, as indicated above, an area by area compilation of the factors of importance\nwithin the Far Eastern region, and a detailed regional examination of these factors. This\nis essentially study material of continuing value to national intelligence production on the\nFar East and is available in the Central Intelligence Agency for reference.\n3\nTOF SECRET"
}