The nature of the X-ray source RX J0052.1-7319 is discussed from observational data obtained from ROSAT observations performed in 1995 and 1996 .
An accurate position is derived from ROSAT HRI observations of the source performed in 1995 .
The 6 ^ { \prime \prime } error circle contains two OGLE microlensing optical variables of which one has previously been identified with a 14.5 mag Be-type star in the Small Magellanic Cloud .
During the October 1996 observation RX J0052.1-7319 was found to be extremely bright ( with a count rate of \sim 1.1 \pm 0.1 s ^ { -1 } ) and 15.3 \pm 0.1 second X-ray pulsations have been discovered during this observation .
This would indicate for a high-mass X-ray binary nature of the source .
During the 1995 observation the X-ray source detected at the position of RX J0052.1-7319 was a factor \sim 200 fainter .
The corresponding luminosity has changed from \sim 5.2 \times 10 ^ { 37 } erg s ^ { -1 } to \sim 2.6 \times 10 ^ { 35 } erg s ^ { -1 } assuming SMC membership of the source .
It is unclear whether the so-far unidentified second optical variable contributes to the X-ray flux of the source .