ROLE OF U.S.

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30042, 29 January 1963, Page 13

ROLE OF U.S.

Questions To Rusk (N.Z.P.A -Kruttr—Copyright) WASHINGTON, Jan. 28. The Secretary of State (Mr Rusk) said last night that the United States had been in “very close consultation" with Common Market countries on today's Ministerial meeting in Brussels. In a televised interview, he said the “grand design" of Western unity that started after World War II would continue in spite of the fact that one country or another had expressed differences of view from time to time. He said that the nature of the Soviet challenge made it necessary for the grand design to continue. Mr Rusk, asked to discuss President de Gaulle’s apparent desire to diminish or eliminate the United States presence in Europe, said that the United States could not feel secure unless Western Europe was secure. "The defence of Western Europe requires the participation of the United States," he said. Asked whether General de Gaulle might turn towards Moscow as part of a plan to create a “third force” in Western Europe, Mr Rusk said it was premature to try to judge exactly what the French leader’s ideas about the future might be. “But 1 think the rest of Europe has some ideas on these subjects, and many people m France itself,” he added. Another question put to Mr Rusk was whether he was satisfied that ’ the West German Chancellor (Dr. Adenauer) had done all he could to persuade President de Gaulle to modify his opposition to Britain’s entry into the Common Market. He said that Dr. Adenauer, who was “one of the greatest Europeans," had been working for years in two directions which the United States welcomed, the unity of Europe and reconciliation between Germany and France. Both tasks were “very important things,’* Mr Rusk said. “We hope very much that Chancellor Adenauer will not be faced with the situation in which be will have to choose between his own two great objectives.”