Mikoyan’s Tour Hoped To Lead To ‘Germany Talks’

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28800, 22 January 1959, Page 11

Mikoyan’s Tour Hoped To Lead To ‘Germany Talks’

WASHINGTON, January 20.

In spite of the sour note which ended the visit of the Soviet First Deputy Premier (Mr Mikoyan) to the United States, the hope was still held in Washington today that his report to the Soviet Government would result in four-Power negotiations on Germany.

A pointer to Moscow’s thinking on the matter might be forthcoming during the 21st Communist Party conference, which is due to open in Moscow on January 27. Washington observers said. These observers said the Soviet Prime Minister (Mr Khrushchev) would then have had a detailed report from Mr Mikoyan on his conversations ~ with President Eisenhower and the United States Secretary of State (Mr Dulles) on the Berlin situation and the problem of German reunification. Part of that report, judging from Mr Mikoyan's public speeches, would be to draw a distinction between the desire for peace of the American people and the alleged refusal of the United States Government to move nway from “the old coldwar positions.” If Mr Mikoyan stressed that alleged distinction he would disappoint the leaders of the United States Government, observers They had been hoping that the emphasis in his report to Mr Khrushchev would be on the strofijg backing which the Eisenhower Administration enjoyed

throughout the country for its stand on Berlin ahd Germany. It is the Washington viewpoint that Mr Mikoyan could hardly have talked to so many congressmen. private individuals and busi- : »without sensing that the Government’s case was fully supported by the people. The sudden toughening of Mr Mikoyan’s attitude in his public utterances yesterday puzzled many officials and diplomats. In his speeches and press conferences during his coast-to-coast tour he had given the impression of “flexibility” and a desire to seek common ground with the United States. But his speech and replies to questions at the National Press Club yesterday bristled with evidence of the old “hard line.” While accusing the United States Government of refusal to move from its past positions, he gave no indication that the Soviet Union was prepared to make any concessions. Earlier he had accused the State Department of continuing the cold A State Department man retorted that thia was a

“fatuous’ ’ allegation. Why the Soviet visitor changed his attitude so soon before his departure and after getting, reams of favourable publicity throughout the United States was the subject of much diplomatic comment. This ranged from the theory that his reception by ordinary people had been so successful that he thought he could appeal to them over the heads of their Government and thus bring pressure to bear on Washington to the guess that he may have had instructions from Moscow to drop the “friendliness’’ and be sharper in his comments Whatever the reason, American observers in Washington privately expressed the belief that it was a good thing Mr Mikoyan had demonstrated before he left this country that there was a good deal of difference between professions of peacefulness and actual deed;. Continually on his tour. Mr Mikoyan called for an ending of the cold war. But his last public speech, in the view of many observers. was calculated only to prolong it.