Evening star., 1953-12-06
Big Three 10 TEST
Soviet; Agree 10
Germany Discussion
Continued From First Page.>

companied by the foreign minis
ters, continued their talks this
afternoon. After discussing the
reply to the Soviet note they
proceeded to hold preliminary
exchange of views on the EDO"
Details Withheld.
The press Offices would give
no details regarding either the
Soviet note or EDO discussions.
But, it was learned authorita-
lively that the main points re-
manning to be agreed upon are
in regard to the proposed meet
ing with Foreign Minister Molo-
tov concern:
/. Time and place.
2. Whether there is any point
in emphasizing anew in the
reply to Moscow that Soviet de-
mands for scrapping of Western
defense plans can get nowhere.
Russia proposed on November
&c that the four foreign minis
tiers meet in Berlin-after hold
ing out for more than four
months against Western pro-
posalS for talks on Germany and
Austria except on unacceptable
preconditions. The Russians
suggested no time.
Gen. Eisenhower and Secretary
of State Dulles. who a few days
ago were indicating doubt about
whether the Soviet offer was a
genuine one worth accepting,
now are urging here that the
West should press for the pro-
posed Berlin meeting to be held
at the earliest possible time.
LanieI More Reserved.
Mr.. Churchill and British
Foreign Secretary Eden are re-
ported taking much the same
line. Both the Americans and
British seem willing to accept
Berlin as the site.
Premier Laniel and French
Foreign Minister Bidault have
some reservations about both the
time and place however. In
formants insisted no actual dis
agreement had developed on
these points-that they just re-
mained to be talked out.
The question of how the reply
to Moscow should treat Soviet
attacks 0n the NATO base system
and the project for arming
German soldiers as part of the
proposed European army, as
we'll as Russian insistence on
bringing Communist China into
a later big Five" meeting, also
remains to be ironed out.
Meanwhile, the Big Three lead
ers aired somewhat different
views on the real meaning of
developments in the Soviet
since the death of Premier
Stain last spring.
But they were reported firmly
agreed on such fundamental
points as:
l. The West must act on the
assumption that the fundamental
hostility of the Soviet to the free
world has not changed.
2. Therefore, the Western
powers must continue building
up their defenses against pos
Sible Soviet attack.
3. At the same time every op-
portunity for sincere negotiations
with the new Soviet leaders for
easing world tensions must be
pursued.
What differences showed up in
the Big Three assessments of
Soviet policy and proposed stra-
tegy to meet it were described by
delegation spokesmen as merely
variations in approach not to be
taken as indicating any funda-
mental conflict of views.
The main difference seems to
be that Gen. Eisenhower puts
more emphasis on keeping his
fingers crossed in any dealings
with Moscow than do his British
and French colleagues.
Mr.. Churchill has argued in
the conference here that there
is a new look" in Moscow since
Stalin's death and that the
Western powers are duty bound
to try to find out what is behind
it by seeking exploratory talks
with the new Russian leaders at
every level.
Mr.. Bidault, speaking for
France, took much the same line.
He advanced the view that pre-
occupation of the Malenkov re-
gime with internal difficulties,
especially efforts to boost agri-
cultural and consumer goods
production, may mean some
lessening of the Soviet threat
to the free world.
Gen. Eisenhower Is expressing
greater skepticism about any real
change in Kremlin policy.
The President stressed that the
Western powers, in taking a look
at what Mr.. Churchill called the
Moscow new look" must re-
member that, whether or not the
Kremlin has put on a new dress,
its fundamental doctrine still is
hostility to the non-Communist
world.
Churchill Agrees.
Mr.. Churchill agreed that such
must be the approach. But he
made clear that he put more
stock than Gen. Eisenhower in
the possibility of a real shift in
Soviet intentions.
The four-power foreign min
listers conference-if it comes off
thus becomes something of a
test of varying Allied views about
what to expect from the Soviet
as we'll as Soviet intentions.
For the West, the main busi-
ness of the conference will be to
seek agreement on some basis
for unification of divided Ger
many, with the first step to be
free elections in Soviet-con-
trolled East GERMANY as we'll as