U.S., Russia To Confer On Berlin

Press, Volume C, Issue 29625, 22 September 1961, Page 11

U.S., Russia To Confer On Berlin

iNZ.P.A -Reuter—Copyright) NEW YORK, September 21. Preliminary exploratory talks will open in New York today between the United States and the Soviet Union on the Berlin problem and other critical issues.

Meanwhile, United Nations General Assembly delegates will seek to resolve the vital issue of appointing an interim successor to the late Mr Dag Hammarskjold. The United States Secretary of State (Mr Dian Rusk) is due back from Washington to give a lunch for his Soviet counterpart (Mr Andrei Gromyko)—their first official contact since the Assembly opened on Tuesday Agenda Items

The Assembly's steering committee has scheduled meetings today to consider a record 96 items proposed for the agenda, with Chinese representation looming as a dominant question. United States and Soviet sources both said that the Rusk-Gromyko talks today were not expected to do much more than skim the surface of the urgent problems in the present critical stage of EastWest relations. An American Informant said that Mr Rusk expected only to “feel out" the situation over Berlin and Soviet attitudes in general

A Soviet informant told Reuter that the confrontation was likely to be the first of many on all problems of common ’ interest to East and West.

Mr Gromyko, who spent yesterday at the Soviet Union's country estate «n Long Island, will return to

the city for the luncheon meeting in Mr Rusk's luxurious suite in the WaldorfAstoria Towers. Mr Charles Bohlen, and Mr Foy Kohler, two leading United States experts on cold war strategy, will join Mr Rusk.

Mr Gromyko would have his deputy. Mr Valerian Zorin and other key advisers in the Soviet party, sources said. Successor Sought

Meanwhile, confusion over the appointment of an interim successor to the dead Secre-tary-General appeared to be as great as ever, as name after name was suggested to fill the hiatus, with no indication that any would be acceptable to an overwhelming majority of the United Nations members. Speculation continued on the possibility that Mr Mongi Slim (Tunisia), the Assembly president, might be requested to perform a dual role as administrative head of the Secretariat also

Other names put forward by various interests were: Mr Boland (past president of the Assembly), U Thant (Burmese resident representative), Mr James Barrington, a former chief delegate of Burma with long experience of United Nations affairs. Dr Raul Prebisch, Argentine Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Latin America, and Mr Con-

stantine Stavropoulos, a Greek who is the United Nation’s legal counsel.

Various regional groupings are due to have further backstage talks today in an attempt to come up with a nominee who might command the support of at least two-thirds of the United Nations membership. Mr Slim said at a conference last night that an “immediate and urgent solution” was imperative, but some other diplomats said they did not believe the problem was so pressing that a decision could not wait for a few days. The Soviet Union is said to favour the designation of three under-secretaries, representing the Soviet bloc, the West and a neutralist State, to head the secretariat until a decision was taken on a permanent successor to Mr Hammarskjold. Agenda Items Items proposed for the agenda which the 21-natioa steering commitete is to consider include, as well as Chinese representation, the problem of disarmament, the cessation of nuclear tests. South African racial conflict, the Middle East, and a host of other subjects of political importance. China is expected to capture the spotlight, as the committee decides what action to recommend on counterproposals by New Zealand and the Soviet Union. New Zealand, backed by the United States, wants the Assembly to debate an item titled in genera! terms ’’The Question of Chinese Representation," while the Soviet Union seeks debate on "The Restoration of the Lawful Rights of the People’* Republic of China.”

Whatever recommendations the committee may make may only be overruled by a two-thirds majority of the Assembly.

It is not certain that the committee will even reach a decision today, although Mr Slim aaid he hoped the Assembly would be able to begin its world affairs debate tomorrow.

The United State* customarily is th* first speaker in this debate, and President Kennedy is to address the Assembly. Informants said they did not expect his appearance before Monday. The United States, anxious to avoid a head-on clash over Chinese representation a* this Assembly, is understood to have prepared a plan to set up a study panel to look into the whole question. Britain, although favouring the seating of Chinese Communist representatives, also would prefer that the Assembly avoid a bitter debate that would sharpen orrrent cold war tensions Meeting Fastponot A Security Council meeting on membership applications. tentatively scheduled for Saturday, ba* been postponed until next week because the admission of Communist Outer Mongolia is a key link in the Chinese representation issue. Outer Mongolia, Sierra Leone, and Mauritania are all candidates for United Nation* membership, but the Nationalist Chinese have threatened to veto the Outer Mongolian candidacy, creating fears that in retaliation the Soviet Union might veto Mauritania.

The Brazzaville group of African State* have indicated that such a chain reaction to a Nationalist veto could colour their own attitude to the continued recognition tn the United Nation* of the Chian* Kai-shek regime. Sierra Leone 1* expected to be endorsed by the 11-mem-ber council, which has to eleer applicants before the Assembly may vote them Into membership.