Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-25
u. S. Backs Exchange
OF Visits With Reds
Continued From First Page

Continued From First Page
that he wouldn't be surprised"
if the Joint Chiefs of Staff would
accept an invitation to visit the
Soviet Union. He FASTENED to
explain that they had no invi-
tation.
Informal Discussions"
Mr.. Snyder. however, said
there have been informal dis
cussions about high officials of
our Government visiting Russia"
ever since the Geneva con-
ference last July.
The Pentagon became involved
when a spokesman for the Joint
Chiefs of Staff said no official
approach for a visit by the whole
group of military leaders had
been received but that if an
invitation did come in 1T will be
given serious consideration de-
pending upon the conditions
imposed"
Behind all this was a move
by the Soviet government which
appeared on the face of it to
be of much more modest pro-
portions than the United States
Government appeared ready to
make of it.
According to the office of Col.
Philip Bachinsky, air attache at
the Soviet Embassy, this is what
happened:
Col. Bachinsky last Monday
visited the Office of Col. J. H
Lackey. chief of foreign liaison
for the United States Air Forces
intelligence branch. He said ne
wanted to see Gen. Nathan F
Twining, Air Force chief of Staff.
to extend an invitation from
Marshal Vastly D. Sokolovsky
chief of the general staff of the
Soviet army Including the air
forcel.
Two or Three Invited
Cal. Bachinsky advised Col.
Lackey, it was indicated, that
Marshal Sokolovsky was invit-
ing Gen. Twining to send del
egation of two or three high
officers of the. Air Force to
celebration of aviation day in
the Soviet Union on June "a
Col. Bachinsky said through an
aide that he had not received
a reply.
At the Pentagon this eXplana-
ton was borne out by officials
who said Gen. Twining had in
deed received word that an in
vitation-meaning a formal one
to Moscow would be forth
coming.
The wording used by Penta-
gon officials suggested that the
invitation was regarded as being
for Gen. Twining personally,
whereas the language used by
Col. Bachinsky's Office about two
or three high-level officers APP
peared to leave it up to Gen.
Twining as to whether he would
like to go. American officers
said Gen. Twining promptly re-
ported the development to Ad-
miral Arthur w. Radford, chair
man of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
British Air Minister Invited
The British Air Ministry re-
vealed in London today that Pre-
mier Bulganin has invited Brit
ish Air Minister Nigel Birch and
a group of senior Raj officers
to attend the aviation day cere-
monies.
I'VE have the invitation under
consideration" a spokesman for
the ministry said. -
In addition to Mr.. Birch, Pre-
mier Bulganin's invitation is I'M
derStood to include Air Chief
Marshal Sir Dermot Boyle and
Marshal Sir Harry Broadhurst,
head of the British Bomber
Command.
Yesterday the New York Daily
News printed a report attributed
to United Nations source that
Russia had sent word to Wash
ington it would welcome visit
by the United States military
command "for inspection of So
Wet armed services"
Initial inquiries about this at
the Pentagon, the State Depart
ment and the White House
evoked only expressions of sur
prise. Apparently officials who
were contacted were unaware of
any development beyond the
Russian approach to Gen.
TWining.
There was much Scurrying
around and checking back and
forth among high civilian and
military officials. Admiral Rad
ford talked with President Essen