Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-08-31

for a ban on nuclear weapons
game of golf today.
The Presidents reaction t,
conditional okay on the start
posed by the United States and
Great Britain was disclosed by
White House Press Secretary
James c. Hagerty.
Deliberately playing down the
conditions set out by Mr.. Khru-
shchev that may turn out to
be unacceptable to Washington
and London, Mr.. Hagerty said:
1.-THE President is gratif1ed
that the Soviet government has
agreed to start negotiations
with us and the British on Oc-
tober 81. And he hopes that
as a result of the negotiations
a workable agreement can be
reached between the three
countries"
Mr.. Eisenhower also gave
some attention to the critical
situation in the Far East,
where Chinese Communist
threats of new attacks on Que
moy and possibly Formosa it
self increased the risk Of Amer
lean involvement in fighting
with Red China.
Shoots Fair" Game
But world troubles seemed
far away as the President, in
bubbling good spirits, started
his vacation activities here on
the sunny, breeze-swept New
port Country Club champion
ship golf course.
He had what Mr.. Hagerty
called a fair" game, shooting
about co." His partner, Club
Pro Norman Palmer, reported
the Presidents best hole was
the 187-yard, par-S eighth,
where his three-iron tee shot
rolled to within two feet Of the
pin and he sank the putt for
a birdie 2.
Mr.. Hagerty reported the
President planned to relax as
much as possible through the
Labor Day week end. He was
not expected to show up at his
vacation Office in the Newport
naval base administration
building until Tuesday.
News of Mr.. Khrushchev's
agreement to the American
British proposal of August %
to start negotiations for a nu-
clear weapons test ban on
October 81 was relayed to the
President last night at his
quarters at Fort Adams, a part
of the naval base across New
port Harbor.
Comment withheld
When MIR. Hagerty reported
today the President was graft
fed, newsmen sought comment
on Mr.. Khrushchev's indication
that Russia may resume some
testing before October 81.
The United States and
Britain offered last week to
suspend their own nuclear test
ing for a provisional year
starting October 81 on two con-
ditions-that the Soviet agree
to start negotiations then for
a test ban agreement. and that
the Russians not resume tests
which they suspended last
March 81.
Mr.. Hagerty firmly refused
any comment on what he called
1.-The conditions expressed by
Mr.. Khrushchev."
BY limiting official comment
to expression of qualification
and hopeful outcome, the PreSi-
dent and his press secretary
appeared to be leaning over
backward to keep the door to
negotiations and avoid stirring
up any propaganda winds from
this side that might blow it
shut.
Mr.. Hagerty said that Geneva
was all right with the United
States as a site for the negotia-
tions. Mr.. Khrushchev Sug-
gested the talks be in Geneva.
instead of in New York as had
been proposed by the British
with American approval.
Experts Talk First
Ruling out any idea of the
President going to Geneva for
the start of the talks, Mr..
Hagerty said the negotiations
would have to be conducted by
technical experts and probably
would take some time"
But he left wide open the
possibility of the President TAX
ing part in a summit meeting
to stamp final approval on ar
agreement if the proposed
negotiations by experts are
successful.
Asked about a possible fol.
low-up summit conference, Mr.