RUSSIA AGREES TO TALKS

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27670, 28 May 1955, Page 7

RUSSIA AGREES TO TALKS

Sincerity Of U.S. Doubted

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10.30 p.m.) MOSCOW, May 26. Russia today accepted the West’s invitation to a “summit” Big Four conference, but accused America of seeking to exert pressure in advance and putting forward plans which could not but condemn the meeting to failure. Mr Molotov, the Soviet Foreign Minister, said in Notes handed to the British, French, and American representatives in Moscow that the proposed meeting could help to create the essentia] conditions for a settlement of international problems, provided this was really desired by all the parties. The Notes to Britain and France suggested that their governments could “hardly agree” with recent statements by leading figures in the United States on the conditions for the meeting. The reference was omitted In the Note to America.

The Soviet Note says that the heads - of the Soviet, British, United States, and French Governments should meet in Vienna, but that the date could be settled later. The Note says: “The Soviet Government considers that a meeting of leading statesmen can help to create conditions which are essential for the settlement of outstanding international | problems, providing there is a real desire for this on the part of all the interested parties.” It says that the United States is approaching the Four-Power confer- i ence “from a position of strength,” which shows a desire to exert inadmissible pressure on the conference. ( “American personalities have gone « so far as to make statements on the j necessity of interference in the in- t ternal affairs of other States, making . attacks of various kinds in relation to 1 the peoples <sf the democracies who are defending the freedom and in- i dependence of their peoples.” the i Note says. This appears to be a reference to a . speech by the American Secretary of 1 State (Mr John Foster Dulles) on ( American television last week, when Mr Dulles suggested that the status of r the Communist countries in Eastern x Europe should be examined by the Big 3 Four. ■ < “Aggressive Aims” I The Note continues: “It is quite evi- t dent that such attempts to interfere < with the inernal affairs of other States c are incompatible with the principles of i the United Nations, and must be re- s jected as an expression of the aggressive aims of particular circles who c have as their aims, the intensification ( of the arms race, continuation of the t cold war and further heightening of e international tension. s “The United States, contrary to its < statements, in fact, is obviously not c striving for a settlement of urgent international problems.” The Note says that the subjects for 3 discussion should be decided by the t: heads of Government themselves, who C would also determine the way towards t their solution and give corresponding c instructions to their Foreign Ministers. I