START URGED AT GENEVA

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28894, 14 May 1959, Page 15

START URGED AT GENEVA

U.S. Wants To“ Talk Business”

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 p.m.) GENEVA, May 13. The United States Secretary of State, Mr Christian Herter, will try today to get the four Foreign Ministers to abandon procedural wrangling and “get down to business” at the third session of the East-West conference. i The Ministers spent yesterday’s session arguing over a Soviet demand for the immediate inclusion in the conference of Poland and Czechoslovakia. The West opposed this. A United States spokesman said Mr Herter, who is chairman for today, would not raise the matter of participation. “We just expect to go on with the opening speeches,” he said. Diplomatic observers believed Mr Herter had taken the decision independently of his British and French colleagues.

Yesterday's chairman, Mr Andrei Gromyko, of the Soviet Union, adjourned the discussion on Polish and Czech participation for it to be taken up again today. At the adjournment, both the British and French delegations were reported to be prepared to continue discussion of this point today. Mr Herter, however. was understood to hope to get the conference away from time-con-suming argument on procedure, so that it could start “talking business.” If Mr Herter is successful. Western conference sources said they hoped it would be possible within a few days to table the “package” offer of a German settlement, in the name of the United States, Britain and France. This offer, drawn up in weeks of consultations among the three Western Allies and West Germany, is reported to provide for a three-stage settlement of the German problem over a period of several years. The first phase provides for an expansion of non-political contacts between East and West Germany, and the seconcU is understood to cover European security measures, including inspection in an agreed area of Europe, and certain disarmament moves. The third phase, it is stated, would culminate in the reunification of Germany with free elections throughout the country, coupled with measures to impose ceilings on forces both sides of the dividing line in Europe. A peace treaty would be signed with the reunited Germany. Western conference sources said the “package” would not surrender Western rights in Berlin, rights of access to Berlin, or the freedom of the inhabitants of West Berlin. In the Western view, the “package” took into consideration the legitimate security interests of the Soviet Union as well as of the West, and sought to keep the balance of power which is considered essential to the maintenance of peace and the relaxation of tension.