President Calls In Advisers

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29802, 19 April 1962, Page 13

President Calls In Advisers

(N Z.P.A.-Reuter— Copyright) WASHINGTON, April 18. President Kennedy was to hold a top-level review of world problems today before leaving with hi s family for a long Easter holiday in Florida. The President had called in the National Security Council (N.S.C.), composed of his chief diplomatic, defence and intelligence advisers, for a session at the White House. It was believed that the imminent resumption of U.S atmospheric nuclear tests as well as the Berlin problem were on the agenda. Date Of Tests The impression in some diplomatic quarters was that the new test series would open early next week at —ritish-owned Christmas Island, in the Pacific.

But others thought the President would withhold the go-ahead signal until the British Prime Minister (Mr MacMillan) arrived in Washington on April 27 for a week-end of talks. Since the President and Mr Macmillan made another joint appeal to the Soviet Prime Minister (Mr Khrushchev) for a safeguarded nuclear test ban treaty last week, it was believed possible that the two Western leaders would want to issue a final statement before authorising the first “shot.” It was widely assumed that the President was conferring with the N.S.C. today to review’ the final stage of test preparations before flying to Palm Beach for a 10-day visit, expected to last until just before Mr Macmillan arrives

Mr Khrushchev’s rejection of th; joint British-American appeal for a test ban treaty with effective controls and inspection seemed to have left the President no alternative but to go ahead with the Pacific tests. The N.S.C. session was arranged to follow a press conference at which the President was expected to throw light on the talks on Berlin held in Washington last Monday by the Secretary of State (Mr Dean Rusk) snd the newly-appointed Soviet Ambassador to the United States (Mr Anatoly Dobrynin).