Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-01-01
West Consents
10 Meet Soviet
0nJanuaryB
BohIen Delivers Note;
Selection of Place
In Berlin Comes Next

~ StFss SVbhaSS bNOAl
The United States. Britain and
France agreed today to Russia's
proposal Of January Is for q
meeting of the Big Four foreign
ministers at Berlin and moved
to avoid any further delay Of
the conference.
Aside from accepting the date
"a three weeks postponement
from the previous western pro-
posal Of January 4-the Western
powers also:
/. Agreed that representatives
Of the four high commissioners
in Germany should discuss the
precise place and any other tech
nical arrangements for the meet
ing.
2. Said that since the foreign
ministers themselves will be
meeting soon there is no point
now in discussing the questions
which will be raised at their
conference. This is designed to
avoid a preliminary, time-con-
Stunning argument over an
agenda.
U. S. Note Is Delivered.
The United States note on the
conference, the State Depart
ment announced. was delivered
to the Soviet foreign Office by
Ambassador Charles Bohlen at
/ pm. Moscow times am. EST.
British and French diplomats
delivered similar notes.
The Soviets may make some
acknowledgment, finally con-
firming the January Is date. but
the next serious business is
agreement on a meeting site in
Berlin.
Officials of the Western powers
are reported hopeful that the
Soviets will not seize upon the
technical problems which will
come up in preliminary discus
sionS on arrangements to stall
the conference.
The agreement to have the
discussions proceed in Germany
responded to a Soviet suggestion
and is an effort to avoid any
further delay.
Text Is Restricted.
The United States. Britain and
France agreed that they would
release the text of today's notes
at $3.50 pm. EST, today. Officials
here had no explanation why the
release time was fixed so long
after the time the United States
note was delivered when everyA
body who was interested knew
its contents anyway. Diplomats
here talked freely about it's pro-
visions.
The most American officials
really hope for from the confer
ence is to expose further what
they call the Soviet's "inde-
feasible" position on German
unity and demonstrate clearly to
all the free world that peace
propaganda from Russia's new
leaders does not mean they are
ready to make any real conces-
Sions on key issues.
1t would be welcome sur
prise to Western statesmen if
Russian Foreign Minister Molo-
tov makes any proposals at Ber-
lin for German unity that would
be acceptable to our side-or if
he agreed to Western conditions.
The long exchange of notes
on the subject, together with
public statements by Western and
Soviet leaders. make clear that
the two sides will enter the
Berlin Conference with a vast
QlIIerence IN their approach to
the German problem.
Want Free Elections.
The Vests position is that
really free elections throughout
all Germany-including the So
Wet occupied Eastern zone
constitute an essential first step
toward reunifying the country.
So they will insist on the ar
rangement of such free cleo
tions, under safeguards to as
sure German voters against
Communist coercion. to pave the
way for organization of an ALL
German government, and even
tual consideration with that
government of a peace treaty
(See BIG FOUR, Page A-30