Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-08-06
Khrushchev Retreat

1t Is very difficult TO believe that
free wheeling, propagandistic debate In
the 8l-member General Assembly can
contribute a thing toward easing ten
sion In the Middle East. Nevertheless,
we think the President did exactly the
right thing in bouncing on the Khru-
shchev proposal for an Assembly meet
ing.
Only a few days ago Mr.. Khru-
shchev fully agreed" to summit meet
ing within the framework of the Secu-
rity Council Now he has reversed his
field and is running OF in the opposite
direction. Guesses as to his precise rea-
sons are dime dozen. He may have
hoped that the President, who has not
wanted a conference with the Russians
at this time, might make the mistake
of using the KhruShchev maneuver as
an excuse for refusing to attend an
Assembly meeting. Perhaps the visit
to Peiping had something to do with it,
although what the Kremlin boss calls
the political corpse" of Nationalist
China will be Just as much alive in the
Assembly as in the Council Or there
may have been any number Of other
reasons. The one sure thing is that
Mr.. Khrushchev thinks his Jump from
the Security Council frying pan into the
fires Of the General Assembly will work
to Russia's advantage.
Our Job is to see to it that this does
~aAk hanynaV VIZ NAV MT ha ah1a m
muster the necessary two-thirds vote
in the Assembly for any effective U. N.
action In the Middle East. But it is
also most unlikely that Mr.. Khrushchev
will be able to sell his bill Of goods
that the dispatch of American and Brit
ish troops to Lebanon and Jordan at
the request of the legal governments in
those countries constitutes aggression
and threat to world peace.
What is to be expected from the As
sembly session is a flood Of oratory
which would have Swamped Noah. How
ever, we should be able to keep our
heads above the torrent. We certainly
can establish that the United States,
however reluctantly, agreed to a sum-
NIT meeting through the Security Coun-
Gil, and that it was Mr. Khrushchev who
hrst accepted and then welshed on his
agreement. We can establish beyond
doubt that the internal situation in
Lebanon has greatly Approved and that
we are prepared to withdraw our troops
when requested to do so by the LebaneSe
Hra{V
matter of the indictments to asSassina-
ton which, with Mr.. Khrushchev'S en-
couragement, have been filling the Mid
die East airwaves from Col. NaSSers
Cairo radio There may even be occa-
sion to make some mention of Russian
troops in Hungary and the bloody work
they have done there.
1t is also just possible that an AS
sembly session may present us with a
real opportunity. Over the week end
an administration spokesman said the
President was preparing some broad and
constructive proposals concerning the
Middle East for submission to the sum-
nit meeting which Mr.. Khrushchev has
Scuttled. If these proposals really are
constructive, why not offer them to the
Assembly session? The Russians may
try to block their submission or to line
up their cohorts to vote them down. Lei
them do so. And also let them bear the
onuS of having done so. Then, at least
the world will know who is stocking the
burner under the witches brew in the
Middle East.