Bulganin Looks Back To “Martini Road” Of Peace

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27916, 13 March 1956, Page 16

Bulganin Looks Back To “Martini Road” Of Peace

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

MOSCOW, March 11. The Soviet Prime Minister (Marshal Eulganin) today recalled at a Danish Embassy reception the “Martini road of peace and friendship” which, he said. President Eisenhower had opened at the Geneva summit conference last summer. He was drinking Martini cocktails with the Danish Prime Minister <Mr Hans Hansen), who is on an official visit to Russia, and the Soviet Foreign Minister (Mr Molotov). Marshal Bulganin said: “We can never forget those moments” when the Soviet leaders drank Martinis with President Eisenhower at the Geneva meeting last July. He added: “It was Mr Eisenhower who opened the Martini road in Geneva. We sometimes drank with him in the intervals in Martinis tn friendship and peace in the world. We cannot forget these moments and we hope it will always be like that.” Mr Molotov interjected: “On every apnropriate occasion.” Marshal Bulganin repeated his words. The party, one of the gayest and liveliest seen in Moscow for many months, ended with the Danish Prime Minister throwing his glass over his shoulder in the traditional Scandinavian way. Marshal Bulganin, not to be outdone. threw his glass over his head at the wall, where it smashed to pieces. Marshal Bulganin, at one point, turned to a Western journalist, ruffled his hair and patted his head with the remark, “I want to be young.” Marsha) Bulganin said: “There used to be a time in Europe when we loved one another and traded with one another because it was to our advantage. “Mr Hansen belongs to the category

of very bold people who can open the way to this aim,” he added. | When Mr Hansen was proposing a; number of “Skaals” in the Scandin-! avian custom, Marshal Bulganin said with a grin: “Are we going to say ‘Skaal’ all evening and never drink?” Later, when the Prime Minister began to sing “Auld Lang Syne” in English. Marshal Bulganin waved him into silence and said: “We don’t understand that.” Mr Hansen told the Soviet Prime Minister: “We hope you will make the trip to Sweden, Norway, and Copenhagen. We would be very, very hanpy to see you in Copenhagen.” Marshal Bulganin said the matter would have to be examined because of the need to co-ordinate the visits. The chief of the Soviet Communist Party (Mr Nikita Khrushchev) could not attend the reception because he was not feeling well, said Marshal Bulganin. Mr Tage Erlander, the Swedish Prime Minister, will carry invitations to Marshal Bulganin and Mr Khrushchev to visit Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, when he goes to Moscow at the end of this month. He will be the fourth Scandinavian Prime Minister to visit Russia recently. The invitations to the Soviet leaders were discussed by the three inviting nations at the Nordic Council meetings last month, and approved.