FOUR-POWER CONFERENCE

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27669, 27 May 1955, Page 13

FOUR-POWER CONFERENCE

West Waiting For Election Result (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8.40 p.m.) WASHINGTON, May 25. Western diplomats expected that preparations for the proposed conference of Soviet and Western heads of government would move into high gear next Friday, the chief Washington correspondent of Reuters reported today. British Government leaders had so far been unable to make any final commitments in the field, he said. They were waiting for the Rritish people to decide, in the General Election, who would represent them at the whole series of conferences preparatory to this meeting at the snnunit. The next step was expected to be the setting up, probably • next week, of a working group of British, French and United States officials. This group would exchange ideas and “working papers” designed to assist the Western heads of government, in setting out issues for the negotiation of a settlement of Soviet-Western differences. ■,

The first deadline to be met by this group would be June 20 when the three Western Foreign Ministers wculd meet informally with the Soviet Foreign Minister (Mr Molotov) in San Francisco during the United States Charter celebration.

If existing Soviet-United States differences on the location, duration and scope of the proposed top level Big Four Conference had not been resolved by that date, the Foreign Ministers’ conference in San jc rancisco should see some hard bargaining, the correspondent said.

Although the meeting would be most urgently concerned with settling these procedural questions. Western diplomats in Washington were fully alive to Mr Molotov’s ability to use “procedure” as a means of attaining tactical superiority of position in the discussion of matters of substance.

It was assumed that there would, be continuing exchanges with the Soviet Government through diplomatic channels between now and the time of the conference, the correspondent said. There might also be important consultations among the three Western Powers and with Jugoslav leaders after the conclusion of the SovietJugoslav talks opening tomorrow. Western diplomats were hoping that Mr Molotov’s behaviour in San Francisco would indicate whether the Soviet Union intended to use the top level Big Four Conference primarily for propaganda manoeuvre or primarily for the initiation of a genuine effort to settle East-West differences and to relax world tensions. But it was still assumed by many Washington officials that the main objective of Soviet policy was not so much a settlement of East-West differences as the mobilisation of public opinion in various European countries in such a way as .

To prevent the actual rearmament of Germany as a member of the North Atlantic Alliance. To weaken popular support for that alliance in Western European countries through the encouragement of neutralism, and To ’ncrease pressure upon the United States to withdraw its troops and bases, at first from West Germany and later, from all Europe.