TALKS POLICY SWITCHED

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28658, 7 August 1958, Page 11

TALKS POLICY SWITCHED

Call For Assembly Meeting (N.Z. Press Association— Copyright) ~~— (Rec. 10 p.m.) NEW YORK, August 6. President Eisenhower is expected to lay down the terms under which the United States is prepared to discuss' the Middle East crisis m the United Nations General Assembly says a Reuter correspondent in Washington. The President, who will hold his first press conference for five weeks, is likely to be besieged with questions on this matter, after the Soviet Union’s abandonment yesterday of an immediate summit meeting, and its call for an emergency General Assembly session. It appeared certain today that the General Assembly would be convened in a special emergency session within the next few days, to debate the Middle East crisis.

The Security Council is due to meet tomorrow, to take up both United States and Soviet resolutions calling for an emergency Assembly.

Mr Lodge, the American delegate, last night claimed priority in the voting for his resolution, which he is expected to revise before presentation, since it refers to the Lebanese complaint of internal interference by the United Arab Republic. A Reuter correspondent said that, in the view of most delegates, this is now outdated. The Soviet draft, on the other hand, would have a special assembly, to consider American and. British intervention in Lebanon and Jordan.

Under the ‘‘uniting for peace” resolution adopted by the Assembly in 1950, seven affirmative votes of the Council are necessary to convene an emergency session of the Assembly. Now the United States has found , this course acceptable, after the Soviet Union’s rejection yesterday of the Westernproposed summit council meeting, the majority appears to be a foregone conclusion.

Although the Assembly might meet within 24 hours of the passage of the Council resolution, informed sources said today they thought a longer delay was likely, because a number of delegates might wish to be represented by foreign, or other senior, ministers

A hint from Washington last night that President Eisenhower himself might appear raised the possibility also that the British Prime Minister (Mr Macmillan), and even Mr Khrushchev, might decide to come. But it was conceded that it appeared more likely that lesser ministers might represent those two Governments —possibly Mr Selwyn Lloyd, the British Foreign Secretary, and Mr Andrei Gromyko, the Soviet Foreign Minister, or Mr Vassily Kuznetsov, his first deputy. Mr Kuznetsov, who led the Soviet delegation at the last three assemblies, accompanied Mr Khrushchev to Peking last weekend for the crucial talks with the Chinese head of state, Mr Mao Tse-tung, which apparently were decisive in dooming the Western plan for Security Council talks. Intensive consultations among the Western Powers were going on today, in preparation for'the Council session tomorrow, and the ultimate Assembly. The United States decision to take the initiative in asking for a special session was said to have been taken without consultation with its closest allies. Earlier, usually reliable sources had ridiculed suggestions that a special session would be generally acceptable. The United States decision caused a complete aboutface, and appeared to make the meeting inevitable, observers said.

Film Producer Injured.—Mr Jack L. Warner, the veteran American film producer, was reported to have been seriously injured in a car accident today not far from his villa near Cannes. He was taken to a Cannes hospital. The first reports said he suffered serious head injuries, according to the American Associated Press. —Paris, August 5.