Heavy security for Brezhnev in U.S.

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33254, 18 June 1973, Page 13

Heavy security for Brezhnev in U.S.

(N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright)

WASHINGTON, June 17.

Hopes are high for a further improvement in United States-Soviet relations as the First Secretary of the Soviet Communist Party (Mr Brezhnev) relaxes at President Nixon’s mountain retreat in Maryland on the eve of wide-ranging summit talks.

The Soviet leader, aged 66, arrived there yesterday from Moscow, to resume the dialogue on “peaceful co-operation” begun when Mr Nixon visited Moscow 13 months ago.

Mr. Brezhnev, looking tired after his long journey, arrived at Andrews Air Force Base, near Washington, under the heaviest security precaution laid down for years.

The general public was barred, hundreds of American and Soviet security agents roamed the sprawling base, and even press coverage was

severely restricted at the request of the Russians, who did not want the arrival ceremony to upstage President Nixon’s formal welcome on Monday. Mr Brezhnev flew to Camp David, the secret Marine Corps base in the Maryland mountains, after greeting United States officials and Soviet diplomats and citizens at the base.

President Nixon, 1200 miles away at the Florida White House in Key Biscayne, telephoned Mr Brezhnev at Camp David last night, welcoming him on his first visit to the United States and saying he looked forward to their talks. These will be held in the White House, Washington, at Camp David, and next weekend at the Western White House in San Clemente, California. No dramatic announcements were expected from the summit, but officials are confident that it will boost the atmosphere of reconciliation and co-

operation that emerged from

the Moscow talks. The Presidential adviser (Dr Henry Kissinger), who will confer with Mr Brezhnev

at Camp David today, predicts the summit will ratify bilateral agreements already negotiated in such areas as

ocean research, cultural and scientific exchanges, and methods of dealing with urban transportation problems.

One potentially troublesome aspect of the negotiations is the opposition of many Congressmen, led by a Democrat, Senator Henry Jackson, of Washington. They oppose trade concessions to the Russians unless Moscow ends what they consider to

be restrictions on the free emigration of Jews to Israel. American Jews plan a mass rally, to be addressed by . Senator Jackson on the' grounds of Congress today, to ! protest against Soviet emigra- < tion policies, despite Mr, Brezhnev’s assurances in ; Moscow last week that his ‘ Government did not discriminate against Russian Jews, i The talks were believed i likely to give new directions | to negotiators striving to , find further ways to curb the ' arms race. 1 In fact, going further, a bipartisan group of 26 < senators yesterday asked j President Nixon in a letter, to propose a suspension of underground nuclear testing 1 and to start United States- ] Soviet talks on a permanent test ban. Senator Edward Kennedy 1 (Democrat), who made the s letter public, is one of the t signatories. I