Adenauer Defends Ambassador

Press, Volume C, Issue 29674, 18 November 1961, Page 5

Adenauer Defends Ambassador

IKjL. Pint Assoctotton—CopvrisjOt) BONN, November 17. The West German Chancellor (Dr. Adenauer) yesterday came to the defence of the West German Ambassador in Moscow (Mr H. Kroll) who was recalled in the face of criticism over a reported new Berlin plan, Reuter reported. Dr. Adenauer aaid Mr Kroll “had not made anv indiscretion” in his talks last week with Mr Khrushchev and would return to his post within a few days.

Dr. Adenauer said Mr Khrushchev bad invited the Ambassador to a talk before his originally scheduled departure for Bonn to help in preparations for the Chancellor’s visit to Washington. The invitation from a Head of State could not be refused. Dr. Adenauer said. The unusual thing about it all was for a Head of State to ask an Ambassador "how he (the Ambassador) thought we could get out of the present situation,” Dr. Adenauer continued. "If Mr Kroll had said he was not in a position to answer, that he must consult his Government first. he would have been justly criticised by the Foreign Ministry.” Dr. Adenauer said. ‘‘Now he has been scolded because what he said was not in total agreement with some of the views held here which he apparently did not know about,” the Chancellor said. Dr. Adenauer did not explain what these points of difference were, nor did he make any reference to the government spokesman’s earlier description of Mr Kroll’s action as an ‘‘unauthorised initiative.” The Chancellor made the statement to a small group of American newspaper men in connexion with his forthcoming meeting with President Kennedy, the Associated Press reported. He said these points on Berlin are non-negotiable: The freedom of Berlin must be preserved. The wall must be removed Communications between Berlin and West Germany must be secured, because without them Berlin cannot live. British Protest Meanwhile British authorities in Berlin yesterday sent

a strong protest to Soviet authorities in East Berlin over detention by East German custom officials of two British tourists and two officials in separate incidents, a British spokesman said. The spokesman said the written protest was sent by the British Commandant (Major-General Sir Rohan Dalcombe) to his Soviet opposite number (Colonel Andrey Solovyev). A British Military Government statement on the affair said earlier that the tourists were detained on Wednesday night and asked to give the East Germans details of the deployment of allied troops and tanks in West Berlin. They were freed after four hours and a half. The officials, attached to the Army, were seized when they walked into East Berlin and forced to sign a statement that they knew they had broken East German law.

"They were detained illegally by the so-called East German customs men for some nine hours,” the statement said. No official East German comment was available on the incident.