Evening star., 1961-09-13
Kennedy Tells NeutroIs Hope
OF Peace Lies in Firmness
By GARNETT d. HORNER'
Star Staff Writer

star Staff Writer
President Kennedy tried to
convince two neutralist lead
ers today that their hopes for
world peace lie in the success
of Americas policy of resisting
Soviet nuclear blackmail.
Mr. Kennedy. who gave Pres
identS Sukarno of Indonesia
and Modibo Keita of Mali a
red carpet reception to Wash
ington late yesterday, met with
them twice again today-both
individually and jointly.
The Indonesian and Mali
Presidents flew to Washington
as special emissaries bearing an
appeal of the recent Belgrade
conference of IS non-aliened
nations for an East-West meet
ing.
A similar peace mission took
Indian Prime Minister Nehru
and Ghana's President Kwame
Nkrumah to conferences with
Soviet Premier Khrushchev in
Moscow last week.
Expects Talks
Mr.. Kennedy was expected to
assure Mr.. Sukarno and Mr..
Keita that the United States
wants and expects negotiations
with Russia on a peaceful set
tlement of the Berlin crisis.
But he also was expected to
tell them that he sees no pros
poets Of summit conference
with Mr.. Khrushchev unless a
successful outcome is insured
by advance negotiation.
Mr.. Kennedy stressed that
America wants peace which is
real" in formally welcoming the
two Presidents at Andrews Air
Force Base late yesterday.
He flew them by helicopter to
the White House where he and
Secretary of State usk con-
ferred with the two visiting
chiefs of state and their For
eign Ministers for nearly an
hour.
Schedule Changed
President Kennedy had in
yited the two neutralist ennis
sarieS back to the White House
this morning for a 10 am. con-
ference, but changed the
schedule to enable him to meet
separately with them.
Mr.. Keita, wearing flowing
robes and a gold embroidered
cap, met with Mr.. Kennedy at
11:15 am, As minutes ahead of |
Mr.. Sukarno. Original plans
had been for a Joint mid-morn-
ing meeting. !
Mr.. Keita came back to
the White House at / pm. for
a brief joint meeting before a
working luncheon" of the
three chiefs of state and their
advisers.
There was no official word as
to progress of the talks pend
ing issuance of formal COM
munique expected late today.
But it was understood that
Mr.. Kennedy and his Secretary
of State were seeking to make
clear their view that while they
are ready for "meaningful ne
gotiations" with the Soviet, they .
consider a summit meeting (
might be worse than useless \
without some advance prospect
of success.
Mr.. Kennedy has had some
exploratory soundings made,
chiefly by United States Am
bassador Llewellyn Thompson
in Moscow, to find out whether
Mr.. Khrushchev is seriously in
terested in negotiating q Berlin
settlement other than on his
own terms; that is, settlement
providing for abandonment of
West Berlin by the Western
powers.
So far, United States Off
cials report, the Soviets have
offered no encouragement for
terms of negotiation acceptable
to the West. But it is still be-
lieved here that eventually
basis for acceptable talks can
be developed.
Mr.. Kennedy, obviously dis
appointed at the failure of the
Belgrade conference to take
strong stand against Soviet re-
sumption of nuclear testing,
was reported anxious to con-
vince the neutralist repre-
sentatives that Americas firm
resistance to Soviet nuclear
-blackmail offers the best road
to peace with freedom.
Oblique Reference
In welcoming Presidents Su-
karno and Keita on their ar
rival at Andrews Air Force
Base, Mr.. Kennedy indicated
this objective obliquely when
he said:
I'VE realize that they come
on mission of peace, and We
Il. l.