APPROACH TO RUSSIA

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28463, 18 December 1957, Page 15

APPROACH TO RUSSIA

1 Shift Seen In Policy

(Rec. 11 p.m.) PARIS, Dec. 17. The British Prime Minister, Mr Macmillan, and leaders of at least four others of the 15 nations discussing how to face Russia’s space ige challenge today spoke of ipproaches to the Russians —an apparent shift In opinion from a tew days ago when Western leaders appeared to think new talks would be hopeless. Observers thought the shift did not mean the leaders were willing to accept Russia’s terms for disirmament, but only that they wanted to investigate them. Meanwhile they welcomed American moves to make N.A.T.O. stronger and more flexible. Mr Macmillan in his reference to the Bulganin letters, said the West, while maintaining its full security, must not be unwilling to enter into discussions with the Russians.

He hoped the conference would take the initiative against the Russians in the psychological warfare which was going on. He would go to any length in discussion, debate or argument that would prcve sincerity. On the military side, the;British leader said the separate J national concept of defence was no longer viable. - t

For example, he believed Britain’s naval contribution would be more effective if confined to inti-submarine defence, leaving the “offensive strike” side to America.

Dr. Adenauer (West Germany) proposed that the Permanent Council of NA-T.O. should make proposals on economic relations with Eastern European states, as l means to overcoming the division of Europe and on how to increase economic ties between the free world and the Near East. German reunification remained the No. 1 problem in world tension.

Calling for more activity, more imagination, and more vitality in the West, he said it often seemed that the West was not sufficiently conscious of the drawing power of its ideals.