TALKS ON BERLIN

Press, Volume C, Issue 29638, 7 October 1961, Page 11

TALKS ON BERLIN

Proposal To Germany

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, October 6. The “New York Times” said in a dispatch from Washington today that the United States has sounded out the West German Government on whether it would be willing to conduct negotiations with East Germany regarding the rights of access of the Western Powers to West Berlin. The West German reaction was not yet known. The newspaper said that reliable sources had reported that the United States State Department felt that if the East and West Germans reached a detailed agreement on access rights, the agreement could be guaranteed by the United States, Britain and the Soviet Union. Under this plan, an article maintaining Western access rights would be included in the proposed peace treaty between the Soviet Union and East Germany, the “New York Times" said.

The newspaper’s chief Washington correspondent, James Reston, today said although the danger of war in Germany had receded for the time being at least, the danger of defeat remained. The questions now were:— 1. Whether West Germany would accept the present Polish boundary and grant de facto recognition to the East Germans; and

2. What would be the psychological and political reaction in West Germany if it did.