Summit Talks Plans Expected

Press, Volume C, Issue 29518, 20 May 1961, Page 11

Summit Talks Plans Expected

IN Z P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, May 19. Final arrangements may be officially announced today for the widely-predicted summit conference between President Kennedy and Mr Khrushchev in Vienna on June 3.

The White House also may announce plans for the President to stop in London on his way back in order to confer with the British Prime Minister (Mr Macmillan). If the official announcements are made, they probably will come when the President's press secretary, Mr Pierre Salinger, meets with reporters at 2 p.m. G.M.T.

Mr Salinger brought forward his usual press conference one hour, possibly to coincide with a simultaneous announcement from Moscow At the same time, Mr Salinger, in reply to questions. left open the possibility that the President might visit London. He did, however, definitely rule out a trip to Bonn.

Reports reaching Washington from Vienna spoke of plans going forward at the request of the United States to set up a meeting place between President Kennedy and the Soviet Prime Minister.

President Kennedy conferred for a half an hour yesterday with the United States Ambassador to France, Mr James Gavin.

Later, Mr Kennedy met his adviser on Atlantic Alliance affairs, Mr Dean Acheson, the White House International security aide, Mr McGeorge Bundy, the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs, Mr Foy Kohler, and the State Department’s Russian expert, Mr Charles Bohlen.

Mr Salinger said President Kennedy had discussed his forthcoming visit’ with Gen-

eral de Gaulle at the conferences —and nothing beyond that. The President scheduled a meeting of the National Security Council for 7 p.m. G.M.T. today, possibly to go over plans for the summit meeting. The council is the foremost policy advisory group.

The President appeared to be going ahead with his intention to confer with the Soviet Prime Minister even though reservations about the wisdom of doing so at the present time were expressed by some Senators and by some American newspapers.

About a year ago. President Eisenhower went to Paris for a four-power Summit meeting -with Mr Khrushchev, a meeting which broke up even before it started.

This time, apparently, only the Heads of Government of the United States and the Soviet Union will be present. President Kennedy is believed to want the meeting in order to find out whether Mr Khrushchev genuinely desires a nuclear test ban agreement or whether he is prepared to face the prospect of renewed testing. He also wants to gauge the temperature of the cold war in the light of recent Communist advances in South-East Asia.

Tire President is reported to be particularly desirous of letting Mr Khrushchev know that the United States does not intend to stand by while more and more under-devel-oped areas of the world fall under Communist control