East-West Berlin Talks Possible Soon

Press, Volume C, Issue 29681, 27 November 1961, Page 15

East-West Berlin Talks Possible Soon

(NJZ. Press Assn.—CopvrtgHt>

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26. United States officials foresee the possibility of negotiations between the Western Powers and the Soviet Union early next year on a peaceful settlement of the Berlin crisis, according to Associated Press. But two problems must be dealt with before the negotiations could be considered as reasonably certain. Gov-

ermnent authorities said. They were:— To win the agreement of President de Gaulle, of France, who was in London this week-end for conferences with the British Prime Minister (Mr Macmillan). To get some indication from the Soviet Prime Minister (Mr Khrushchev) that he was prepared to negotiate for a compromise settlement instead of insisting an his demand that West Berlin be made a “free city.” Issues Resolved

The Washington talks last week between President Kennedy and the West German Chancellor (Dr. Adenauer) gave the Western Powers a major start in resolving disputes and misunderstandings in their own ranks—a step that had to be taken before they could seriously consider negotiations with the Soviet Union. AJ*. Dr. Adenauer was to meet President de GauHe in Paris on Thursday. The 85-y<ear-old West German Chancellor, often regarded as the personification of rigid policy positions in relations with the Soviet Union, was represented after the Washington talks by both United States and German diplomats ae having shown considerable flexibility in Washington on Berlin issues.

This strengthened hopes of the Kennedy Administration that a basis for fully agreed Western negotiating policies would be worked out by the middle of next month when United States. British, French and West German Foreign Ministers met in Paris. Their decisions would then be presented to a meeting of jhe North Atlantic Treaty Council with the aim of winning N AT 0.-wide support. The West German Foreign Minister (Dr. Gerhard Schroeder), who was ta Washington for the Aden-auer-Kennedy conference, was reported in AJP. dis-

patches from Bonn yesterday to have told parliamentary members of Dr. Adenauer’s Christian Democratic Party that he looked for East- West negotiations on Berlin early next year.

Mr Kennedy and Dr. Adenauer announced that they had reached agreement which would permit peaceful resolution of the Berlin crisis through negotiations “if there Is reasonableness on the part of the Soviet Union.” Basie Rights

Officials said they agreed that there could not be any bargaining with the Soviet Union over basic Western rights to keep troops in Berlin, to hold access routes to the city open and to maintain close economic ties between West Berlin and West Germany.

Mr Kennedy was reported to have assured Dr. Adenauer that in spite of rumours and reports to the contrary in recent months he never had any intention of yielding on those vital interests. At the sam.> time. Dr. Adenauer was reported to have told Mr Kennedy that lie was prepared for negotiations on marginal issues related to the Berlin problem, including such questions as closer West German relationships with East Germany and practical arrangements with East Germany for operating the supply lines. Whether the Soviet Union would be interested in going into negotiations knowing that the key Western Powers had rejected its main Berlin demands in advance was a question which. United States officials said, could only be answered in Moscow. But Mr Khrushchev’s re-

laxation of pressures on Finland tn the last few days, his decision to resume nuclear test negotiatiom next week, and his action last month in lifting his year-end deadline for an East German peace treaty, had created some belief in official Washington quarters that he was interested in negotiations in Berlin, A.P. said.