KOSLOV CLASHES WITH NIXON

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28937, 3 July 1959, Page 11

KOSLOV CLASHES WITH NIXON

Brter Al«ns In Argument

(KZ Pres* Assoctation—Copvnafit) (Rec. 9 pan.) WASHINGTON, July 2. m i l ’*?* P epu ‘y Prime Minister fffr Frol Koslov) » expected to explain Soviet pohcy towards the Berlin crisis and the adjourned Geneva Foreign Ministers’ talks in ggpeech today.

M.rM T rshv SOV will , ?l e L <h ° “ ln the Kremlin 85 guest honour at a Pr sponsorcd by the . National Press Club and overseas writers. -«^2J r a n^ 10 lL S . p . repa , red remarks and a question !Slt be televised from coast-to-coast in the United States.

,Th e Soviet leader ended another busy day with the Unit ed of St *te (Mr Herter) and President IS?™ Fi^h h „^ aI1 ’ b ! lt ®tnrtiing, reception at t fWsßlent .Eisenhowers guest residence.

This reception yas .the, scene of a verbal duel between Mr Koslov and his host, the Vice-President (Mr Nixon), who will visit Mosvw later this month. For a brief peried, Mr Herter also joined the argument. ' . The exchange, though brief, was in startling contrast to the cordial atmosphere which had marked Mr Rostov's earlier engagements, accenting to Reuter.

Mr Herter. who arrived at the reception an hour late, immediately joined Mr Nixon and Mr Koslov on arrival and at once rebuked Mr Koslov for a statement he had made during talks at the State Department earlier. ’ He said that Mr Koslov had ,aud that tbg Xoviet Government ha J used its gold to buy food from the United States during a famine in the early 1920’5. Herter in Russia "I was bi Russia in 1922, sailing down the Volga.” the Secretary nt State said. “You were too young to remember, but it was the Congress of the United States

who appropriated that money and made it a gift (to the Soviet Government) in and 1922.” Mr Koslov interjected: “I remember it well because I, too, was hungry.” But he said he would not dispute Mr Herter’s remarks.

A subsequent exchange between Mr Nixon and Mr Koslov was not unfriendly, but its sharp tone attracted other guests to the scene.

It covered widely the difference in Soviet and United States thinking and led to Mr Nixon saying at one stage to Mr Koslov that he was “a hard man—you never answer a question.” The debate broke like a sudden squall in the midst of the usual polite diplomatic exchanges. It was the nearest Washington equivalent to date of the lusty give-and-take exchanges which have marked parties in Moscow under the Soviet Prime Minister (Mr Khrushchev), said the American Associated Press. -

Reuter said that the conversation between Mr Koslov, and Mr Herter and Mr Nixon, while friendly, was politely sharp. At one stage, as if to emphasise United States unity. Mr Nixon observed that he considered Mr Herter to be his mentor in foreign affairs, adding: “Mr Herter and I speak as one."

Arguments with Associates Mr Koslov advised Mr Nixon to "start arguing” with his associates. “Truth is born out of argument,” he spid. Mr Nixon remarked that United States officials did argue and asked Mr KosloV if the Soviet leaders ever argued among themselves. “Of. course we do.” Mr Kaslov replied’ ' ** Mr Nixon then said that the difference was that the United State officials publicised their arguments but Soviet officials did not publicise theirs.

A.A.P. said that in the “verbal fencing” Mr Nixon also:

Challenged the Soviet visitor to appear on an hour-long television interview with no holds barred. Mr Frank Stanton, president of the Columbia Broadcasting system, who was a guest, promptly offered the time on the air; Pressed Mr Koslov to permit the C.B.S. to reopen its Moscow bureau, which was closed down because the Kremlin objected to its news coverage.

Mr Kostov’s presence in Washington and his verbal exchange last night naturally earned him further front-page space in American newspapers today. Successor to Khrushchev But his visit has now been furth". spotlighted by the "New York Times” reporting today that t’e Soviet Prime Minister (Mr Khrushchev) had indicated to a former Governed of New York, Mr Averill Harriman, in Moscow, that Mr Koslov was being grbomed as his (Mr Khrushchev’s) successor. The "New York Times’s” informant in Washington added that Mr Khrushchev was also reported to have indicated to Mr Harriman that “he is determined to get us out of Berlin and apparently thinks he can do so because he judges th a world balance of power has shifted in his favour." Officials in Washington said that yesterday’s meeting between Mr Eisenhower and Mr Koslov had failed to narrow the gap between the Soviet and Western negotiating positions in the Berlin crisis. This view has now been supported by the preliminary report of the Harriman-Khrushchev meetings—on June f 23—which have yet to be fully reported by Mr Harriman.