Evening star., 1949-03-04
Danish Minister
Coming Herefor
Alliance Par|eys
Norway Enters Pact
Talks After Rejecting
Soviet Accord Offer

Danish Foreign Minister Gustav
Rasmussen will come to Washing
ton next week to seek "the best
possible basis for DenmarkS final
attitude toward the North At
lantic pact, government COM
munique announced in Copen.
hagen today.
simultaneously, Norway entered
pact negotiations here formally
today after rejecting as unneces.
sary an offer of a nonaggression
pact with Russia.
Mr.. Rasmussen will leave Cop
enhagen Tuesday. His visit to the
United States will have the same
purpose as Norwegian Foreign
Minister Halvard Lange's talks
with State Department officials
last month, Copenhagen infor-
mants said.
Decision for West Seen.
The Danish. governments de-
cision was interpreted by diplo-
matte lnformants as a sign Den.
mark finally had chosen the West,
although the announcement did
not so specify.
Denmark is following NorWay's
course and no doubt remains that
she will end up in the same
place-along with Norway and the
Western Union powers in the
North Atlantic defense pact" one
of the informants said in Copen-
hagen.
The decision to send Mr.. Ras-
mussen to the United States was
made at a Danish cabinet meet
ing last night and was indorsed
by the Foreign Relations Com
mittee of Parliament today.
Mr.. Rasmussen is planning to
stay in Washington for at least
10 days, Danish spokesman said.
He added that the foreign min
lister intends to have talks with
Secretary of State Acheson and
leading State Department Of
flcials.
Envoy Joins Farley Here.
Meanwhile, Norwegian Ambas-
sador Wilhelm Munthe de Nor
genstierne Joined in negotiating
session today with Secretary Of
State Acheson and the ENJOYS Of
the six other countries drafting
the Atlantic treaty - Canada,
Great Britain. France, Belgium,
the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
The original negotiators met at
the State Department at II am.
Mr.. Morgenstierne went into the
session an hour and half later.
Sweden, for the time teing,
stood alone among the Scand nav
ian nations in stunning the Galks.
But high diplomatic sources havs
predicted Sweden will join up in
six months, or sooner if Russia
should make move toward Fin
land. Sweden tried and failed to
have the Scandinavian nations
join a defense agreement of their
own.
In Russia the newspaper Eve
ming Moscow blasted the ruling
circles" of the Scandinavian ma
tions as "traitorous. Commenta-
tor Nikolai Yastrebov declared
the Norwegian government was
exhibiting special zeal" in aiding
the plans of the British and
American organizers of the pact.
Oslo Sends Note to Russia.
In a note to Russia made public
in Oslo, Norway stoutly defended
her right to decide her security
problems for herself and turned
down Russia's offer of a nonag-
gression pact.
/ The Soviet warned Norway jan
uary % not to join in what IL
called the aggressive Atlantic al
lance On February S the Rus
slams proposed a nonaggression
pact with Norway as a proof Of
peaceful intentions.
, Norway's reply, handed the So
Wet Embassy in Oslo yesterday.
said such a nonaggression pact
was unnecessary because both
Norway and Russia are members
of the United Nations. The o. N.
Charter pledges the members to
refrain from the threat or use
of force against any state.
Expressing a desire to maintain
(See ATLANTIC PACT, Pg. A-30