DULLES SPEAKS ON BERLIN

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28794, 15 January 1959, Page 9

DULLES SPEAKS ON BERLIN

“No Negotiations With Mikoyan”

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) WASHINGTON, January 14. cm T r^ e n U ? ,te ‘?. States Secretary of State (xVlr lies) told a press conference yesterday that the United States would not engage in bilateral negotiations with the Soviet First Deputy Premier (Mr Mikoyan). But, he said, it was in the general interest to have a meeting of minds” so that they could understand each other and thereby eliminate the danger of miscalculations and inadvertent mistakes. Mr Dulles caused considerable diplomatic speculation by his answer to one question. He was asked if. it was his position that without free elections in Germany there would be no reunification He said it seemed to the United States that free elections were the natural method, but he would not say it was the only method by which reunification could be accomplished.

This resulted in immediate conjecture as to whether Mr Dulles might be indicating a new American approach to the problem of reunification.

But United States officials suggested later, in reply to inquiries, that Mr Dulles’s statement had been over-emphasised in some press reports.

They said his remark should not be interpreted as the most important part of his statement, nor even as one of the most important parts, and it did not mean that the United States had abandoned or would abandon its basic view that there must be a free expression or opinion of the will of the German people as to their Government.

Mr Dulles spoke generally in what was regarded as a conciliatory tone and diplomats said he appeared to be trying to set as friendly an atmosphere for the talks he and President Eisenhower will have with Mr Mikoyan. The same diplomats remarked that the Soviet visitor apparently had the same object in view in his public statements during his tour of the United States.

Mr Dulles said that although there were wide differences between the Soviet Union and the Western Powers there seemed to be one common denominator in that on both sides there was a desire to get together and talk. A Reuter correspondent said that some observers believed that his remark suggesting the possibility of methods other than free elections for German reunification would at least give Mr Mikoyan room for inquiry when they met on Friday. Nevertheless, diplomats of other interested nations shared the view of United States officials that the significance of Mr Dulles’s remark had been exaggerated by some.

President Eisenhower may shed more light today on Western thinking on the Berlin crisis when he appears at a luncheon of the National Press Club in Washington.

The President, who will speak “off the cuff” and later submit to questions, *is almost certain to be asked about the prospects of a four-Power conference this year on the whole German problem.