DISCUSSIONS ON BERLIN OPEN

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29801, 18 April 1962, Page 15

DISCUSSIONS ON BERLIN OPEN

Rusk Meets Soviet Ambassador

(N Z.P.A .-Reuter— Copyright)

WASHINGTON, April 17.

The United States consulted its N.A.T.O. allies today about the first round of resumed AmericanSoviet talks on the Berlin problem.

The U.S. Secretary’ of State (Mr Dean Rusk) and the newly appointed Soviet Ambassador (Mr Anatoly Dobrynin) conferred for 65 minutes yesterday on means of continuing the talks, which have been transferred from Moscow to the United States capital.

The State Department issued no formal comment. Officials said little in the way of substance came up which had not already been the subjects of talks in Geneva last month between Mr Rusk and the Soviet Foreign Minister <Mr Andrei Gromyko). The officials said no date had been set for another conference between the Secretary of State of Mr Dobrynin. The State Department was

today giving its Western allies a full account of the exchanges, while Mr Dobrynin was reporting to his Government. It was believed that Mr Rusk and the Ambassador would confer again by the end of the month, perhaps within a week. Agreement Sought The chief goal of the United States in the resumed talks, according to officials, was to obtain Soviet agreement for an international authority to supervise the access routes between West Germany and West Berlin. A similar proposal by the Soviet Union was ruled unacceptable because it was tied to the removal of Western forces from Berlin. But Soviet willingness to consider an international authority, on which the Soviet Government presumably would be represented, was viewed as an encouraging sign that Moscow realised its responsibility for avoiding dangerous incidents on the access routes.

If such an agreement were reached which would remove the harassing tactics which have prevailed hitherto, then that could open the way to discussion of other matters Mr Gromyko is understood to have intimated in Geneva that the Soviet Union would be interested in discussing further the idea of an international authority. The composition of such an authority has been left open by both sides, but the United States is believed to envisage the participation of neutral nations. The Bonn Government is known to fear that East German participation in management of the access routes would imply limited recognition of the East German Government. But informed sources in Washington said the United States had no intention of granting such recognition Reports of “Leak” The State Department reacted sharply yesterday to a second reported “leak” within a few days on the American position on Berlin in the talks with the Soviet Union. The department spokesman. Mr Lincoln White, described as “wholly inaccurate” a ‘Washington Post” report from Bonn that America was suggesting a possible reduction of Western garrisons in Berlin as part of a settlement offer to the Soviet Union. The United States Government already is worried at the premature disclosure in Bonn during the week-end of a four-point working paper setting out the American position on Berlin. The West German Government has denied responsibility. Yesterday’s “Washington Post” report, quoting “reliable sources,” said the United States had suggested to its allies the possible reduction of Western garrisons in Berlin from a total of 12,500 to 9000. State Department officials described the “leak” of the American proposals as damaging to the Western bargaining position at yesterday’s talks between Mr Rusk and Mr Dobrynin. The report, they said, could hardly help to strengthen the United States’ hand in the talks, which are a resumption of exploratory talks on Berlin begun in New York and Washington last year