Affable Koslov To Meet U.S. Leaders

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28936, 2 July 1959, Page 11

Affable Koslov To Meet U.S. Leaders

<N.Z Press Association—Copyright)

(Rec. 10 p.m.) WASHINGTON, July 1. The Soviet First Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Frol Koslov, is in Washington today for a meeting with President Eisenhower, having already indicated his apparent willingness to discuss a broad range of world problems.

Mr Koslov, who is fast earning a reputation as an “iron man” because of his affability and poise in the east coast heatwave, voiced the hope last night that his talks with the President and other officials would help lead to some thaw in the cold war.

Mr Koslov, speaking at Washington Airport, said: “We hope that the meeting and conversations with your officials will provide us with the opportunity to understand one another better and will contribute to finding ways of removing the abnormalities that have accumulated during recent years between our countries.”

He appealed for a return to the Soviet-American “comradeship” of World War 11.

The United States VicePresident (Mr Nixon), who greeted the Soviet leader in Washington’s sweltering heat, said: “We trust that these conversations will be useful in discussing and pointing up some of the problems that exist between the United States and the U.S.S.R.”

Mr Koslov will begin has packed programme today with a call on the Secretary of State (Mr Herter), which will be followed 75 minutes later by a meeting with President Eisenhower.

Mr Koslov will meet Mr Herter at the same time that President Eisenhower ’tarts his weekly press conference.

The President is expected to be pressed to tell White House reporters whether he believes Mr Koslov’s visit will lead to any easing of East-West tensions. It was thought certain that the Berlin and German situation, the East-West talks on a possible nuclear weapons test ban, and the Soviet Union’s oft-repeated desire for a broadening of trade with the United States would head the agenda at today’s meeting between the two leaders. Mr Koslov’s busy day yesterday

started at a toy factory in suburban Queens, New York, and his geniality revived memories of the gaiety which surrounded a similar visit to Britain by the new-banished former Prime Minister, Georgi Malenkov—who left England for Moscow, and subsequently Siberia, with the nickname "Kissing Georgie.” Mr Koslov, at the toy factory, smilingly donned a “Steve Canyon" pilot’s helmet and shouted "Whoo. whoo, whoo,” as he held up a 20-dollar “electronic fighter jet” toy. He chose as a souvenir a 30dollar doll—the largest made in the factory—named “Patti Play Pal.” The doll was presumably for his 11-year-old daughter. Olga.

[Steve Canyon is a comic strip and television space pilot.]

Hotel Fire Disaster.—Police said today that the bodies of 23 of the 24 victims of the fire which destroyed the Stalheicn Hotel last Tuesday have been recovered The last five were found in the south wing of the three-storey wooden building, now reduced to a heap of ashes.—Oslo, July 1.