AMERICAN VIEW

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30171, 1 July 1963, Page 11

AMERICAN VIEW

Widening Of Rift

(N.Z. Press Assn— Copyright) WASHINGTON, June 30 Moscow's expulsion of three Chinese diplomats was rated by United States officials today as widening of the rift, but not enough. to prompt any early, formal break in relations between the two Communist giants, the Associated Press reported. United States authorities said they expected the Soviet Union and China to go ahead with their meeting in Moscow over ideological differences. When that discussion was over, it was predicted, the dispute would still be there. Some State Department officials suggested that within the traditional context of diplomacy, Russia was quite right m expelling the Chinese. They noted that dispersing big quantities of propaganda material, especially attacking the host Government’s policy, is not the proper function of a diplomat Khrushchev in Berlin Word of the expulsion of the Chinese added to the speculation that the Soviet Prime Minister (Mr Khrushchev) is now lining up his European allies for the forthcoming ideological battle. It was also speculated that Mr Khrushchev is talking with his satellite chiefs — assembled in East Berlin—about East-West relations or about troubles in the East European bloc, w-here there have been signs of discontent with Kremlin leadership. The fact that Mr Khrushchev has gathered the bloc leaders in East Berlin has led most Washington experts to conclude that something more is afoot than they had previously supposed from the hurried announcement of Mr Khrushchev's visit to the East German capital. Originally it was generally thought that his main aim was to shore up the East German regime of Mr Walter Ulbncht after President Kennedy's triumphant appearances in West Berlin and West Germany.