MEETING IN WASHINGTON

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28528, 6 March 1958, Page 11

MEETING IN WASHINGTON

Reported Plan Of Russians

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 8 p.m.)

WASHINGTON, March. 5. The American Associated Press said last night that the Soviet leaders were reported to have sent word to the United States that they would be willing to consider holding a summit conference in Washington.

"This was the latest indication that Marshal Bulganin and the Communist Party leader, Mr Khrushchev, would like to visit this country if they could manage to arrange a trip,” the news agency said. Mr Menshikov, the Soviet Ambassador, had said in an interview last week that he personally favoured exchanges of visits by very high level officials, and bis remarks specifically covered Mr Khrushchev and the United States Vice-President, Mr Richard Nixon, the American Associated Press said. Authoritative officials had reported earlier yesterday that Mr Nixon was considering a visit in September to Russia in exchange for a trip to the United States by the Deputy Soviet Premier, Mr Mikoyan.

State Department officials said that the indication of Soviet interest in a possible summit meeting in Washington was given through diplomatic channels several days ago. The United States Ambassador to Moscow, Mr Llewellyn Thompson, had a long talk with Mr Khrushchev a little more than a week ago and late last week talked with the Soviet Foreign Minister, Mr Gromyko. Mr Menshikov met President Eisenhower at the White House on Monday. The American Associated Press said that some United States diplomats said there might be advantages in having a top level conference in Washington. Such an arrangement would make it unnecessary for President Eisenhower to leave the United States for such a meeting. It also would give Mr Khrushchev and Mr Bulganin a first-hand look at the United States. On the other hand, these same sources noted that the Soviet Union was bringing every possible pressure—short of important policy concessions—to get a summit conference, and they might think that an indicated willingness to hold it in Washington would spur American interest. Actually, these informants said, the question of a meeting site in the American view was far less important than the question of finding out whether there are possible East-West agreements on major issues which would justify having a conference at all.