Evening star., 1961-03-13
BRANDT
West Berlin Mayor Sees Kennedy
For Talk on German Issues

COuGInue0 from E1fSC rage
dorsed at the early October
meeting Of the Communist
Party Congress.
Mayor Brandt Is the Socia-
lists candidate to run against
Chancellor Konrad Adenauer in
the September elections.
His visit with President Ken
nedy today is what amounts to
the opening gun Of the Brandt
campaign. In West Germany,
the White House meeting is
taken as an indication the Ken.
nedy administration intends to
avoid charges Of partiality
toward Chancellor Adenauer-
charges which were leveled
against the Republicans in the
West German elections of 1853
and 1857.
Mr.. Adenauer's previous So
cialist opponents were not re-
ceived at the White House in
election years. der Alte" has
been able to call each spring,
in election years and off-years,
to seek q renewal of pledged
United States support for Ger
man reunification and freedom
IN West Berlin.
Domestic Issues
The Socialist Party does not
plan to make foreign policy q
major issue in the West Ger
man campaign. Principal do
mestic policies in dispute are
expected to be education,
health and road construction.
Mayor Brandt has been
pleased with the Kennedy ad-
ministration's statements about
standing firm in Berlin and
its public remuneration Of Eli
senhoNer administration hints
that the United States might
be willing to reduce the West
ern occupation garrison in West
Berlin. Communist sources have
limited they would not be i'm
pressed. anyway, by a token re-
duction in the West Berlin oc-
cupation forces.
The West Berlin Mayor Is
understood to advocate prep
aration now of Western count
er-proposals, however, in antic-
ipation OF Q new Soviet push
against West Berlin. His pref
erence would be to have count
er-demands ready for .increas-
ing freedom in Communist East
Berlin II the Soviet Union pro-
poses changing West Berlin's
status.
Backs Status Quo
Mayor Brandt said in q tele-
vision interview last night 1t
still would be dangerous" for
the West to propose q change
ID the status Of West Berlin.
He would not exclude discus
sion Of details, he said, but
maintaining the status quoI I
would be better than accepting Il
Q status Quo-minuS." &
He told reporters ''it would
not be Q good idea to replace Il
Western responsibilities In Ber- {
lin by United Nations resp0nni- ]
bilities," and referred to other j
continents" where the U. N. is 1
having difficulties. This was
an obvious reference to the t
:: Congo.
The people Of West Berlin
feel much more secure" under {
Western protection than they
would under United Nations >
protection, Mr.. Brandt OBJ :
served. =
His party will support efforts :
10 increase West Germany's :
share in NATO defense and aid .
to underdeveloped countries, he :
Said. J
X
Backs u. 8. Ties
If he were elected Chancellor, !;
the West Berlin Mayor said he =
would continue to regard .
friendship with the. United
States as the cornerstone" Of I,
West German foreign policy, :.
and membership in NATO as :
ian Interchangeable part" Of that '
policy.
Mr.. Brandt conferred at the a
State Department this morning l.
and was to lunch with Under
secretary Of State Chester
Bowles. After the White House
conference, Mayor Brandt is
to be the main speaker tonight
at O Roosevelt memorial dinner
sponsored by the Americans for
Democratic Action at the
Shoreham Hotel.
Tomorrow he meets with the
Senate Foreign Relations Com
mittee, Secretary Of State Rusk, O
and Secretary Of Defense Nc =
Namara. Wednesday he will
be in Chicago, Thursday in I
New York to open the Berlin q
Exhibition at the Waldorf-AS-
tnria EIntal and Ia recaive the