CONFUSION IN WASHINGTON

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27048, 25 May 1953, Page 9

CONFUSION IN WASHINGTON

U.S. Attitude To Bermuda Talks

(Rec. 8 p.m.) WASHINGTON, May 22. Considerable confusion was evident in Washington today about the approaching conference of Sir Winston Churchill, Mr Eisenhower, and the Prime Minister of France. The White House has been embarrassed by the statements of both Sir Winston Churchill and Mr Rene Mayer yesterday, describing the Big Three meeting as in some way preparatory to a meeting with the Soviet leaders —a proposal to which the United States Government was opposed except under certain conditions and qualifications. Sir Winston. Churchill’s statement was: It is my main hope that we may take a definite step forward to a meeting of far graver import.” The Eisenhower Administration is very sensitive to criticism from Congress that there is a danger of the West making dangerous and unnecessary concessions to the new Soviet Government. Particularly embarrassing, therefore, was the even more precise statement of the French Prime Minister that “the aim of the conference will be to define British, French, and United States unity of views on problems which should be discussed at a new conference of the Great Powers (including the Soviet Union).” Immediately after Mr Mayer’s statement the State Department hurriedly issued its own, emphasising that Mr Eisenhower’s invitations for the Bermuda meeting “do not in any way commit\the United States to any ultimate Four-Power meeting.” .

Reporters Annoyed Later the White House press secretary, Mr James Hagerty, was confronted by angry regular White House correspondents who complained that more information was reaching the American people through Paris and London about the plans for the Bermuda conference than from their own Government spokesmen. Mr Hagerty insisted on refusing to go beyond the official White House announcement which made no reference. direct or indirect, to the possibility of a Big Four meeting being involved in the discussions but simply stated that “the primary purpose will be further to develop common viewpoints with these friends (Sir Winston Churchill and Mr Mayer) on many problems that must be solved.” Today the Secretary of State (Mr Dulles) at New Delhi threw cold water on the proposal for a high-level conference with the Soviet Union so long as the Soviet Government supported the war in Korea and Indo-China and refused to withdraw occupation troops from Austria.