Kennedy To Confer With Gromyko On Berlin

Press, Volume C, Issue 29637, 6 October 1961, Page 13

Kennedy To Confer With Gromyko On Berlin

(N Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, October 5. Prospects for eventual East-West negotiations over Berlin and Germany appeared brighter today after a White House announcement that President Kennedy would confer with the Soviet Foreign Minister (Mr Andrei Gromyko) tomorrow.

The meeting comes after a series of exploratory talks between the United States Secretary of State (Mr Dean Rusk) and the Russian diplomat in New York. The two men were understood to have sounded eacn other out on the prospects for broad negotiations, possibly beginning at the ambassadorial level and leading up to an East-West Foreign Ministers' conference. The United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union (Mi Llewellyn Thompson) is returning to Washington on

Mr Kennedy’s instructions. He and Mr Rusk are expected to be on hand for the White House conference, generally regarded as marking a decisive stage in attempts to set up satisfactory Berlin negotiations. The White House correspondent of the "Baltimore Sun,” William Knighton, said

in a dispatch from Washington that the conference “could determine the future of negotiations over Berlin.” He wrote that President Kennedy had been “encouraged” by the conversations between Mr Rusk and Mr Gromyko. “Both sides evidently agreed that something further might be gained by Gromyko talking directly with the President,” he said. Knighton added: “All of these conferences have been arranged to determine ! f negotiations aimed at settling the Berlin crisis might be fruitful.

“Gromyko up to now has given Rusk only a partial explanation of what Soviet Premier Khrushchev is demanding in Berlin, or what he means by his saying he is willing to give the Western Powers rights into West Berlin when he signs a peace treaty with East Germany. “The Soviet diplomat may go further on these points in his talks with the President than he has with Rusk. “However, it is certain that, he will be able to return to

Moscow shortly and report to the Kremlin’s boss exactly where Mr Kennedy and his Administration stand in regard to the controversy which has caused both sides to build up their military strength in preparation for a possible conflict.”

New System Urged (N.Z. Press Assn.—Copyright) JOHANNESBURG, Oct. 7. South Africa—which recently changed its coinage from pounds and pence to the decimal system—is now being urged to switch to the metric system for weights and measures to assist its export drive.' The Associated Press said this advice came from Dr. J. E. Holloway, the former High Commissioner for South Africa in London, who recently led a five-man trade mission to Europe.