Evening star., 1962-05-31
Dobrynin
Still Snagged
In Berlin Talks
BY JOHN M. HTGHTOWER
Associated Press staff Writer

Associated Press staff Writer
After nine months of ex-
ploratory talks, the United
States and Russia disagree
completely on how to tackle
the problems Of negotiating q
Berlin settlement.
United States officials are
becoming discouraged about
breaking the deadlock. but in
tend to go on trying for a
while.
Secretary Of State Rusk held
q lengthy meeting yesterday
with Soviet Ambassador Ana
toly Dobrynin but failed again
to get Russia to work out q
Berlin access agreement with
out demanding withdrawal Of
Western forces from Berlin at
the same time.
Compromise Likely
The East-West dispute pres
emily overshadows very serious
differences among the Western
allies as to what should be
negotiated with the Russians,
if negotiations ever become pos
sible. The United States favors
a 13-nation authority to control
access routes to West Berlin.
West Germany is opposed.
A compromise seems likely,
and Mr.. Rusk is due to meet
with West German Ambassador
Wilhelm Grewe in a day or so
to talk about resolving the diff
ferenceS. But, unless the pros
pect Of serious negotiations with
Russia opens up, the prospective
United States-German agree
ment will contribute nothing
toward a Berlin settlement.
However. it may contribute sub
stantially toward an improve
ment in relations between the
Kennedy administration and
German Chancellor Adenauer.
Rambling Discussion
Easing Of Bonn-washington
tensions probably will not con-
tribute to the betterment of
Paris = Washington relations.
There seems at the moment to
be a loss of confidence between
top leaders of the two allied
countries. due to very substan-
tial policy differences. These
include conflicting aims for
Western Europe and the West
ern alliance.
Mr.. Rusk and French Am
baSSador Herve Alphand met
Monday for a long rambling
discussion of Franco-American
difficulties, and they are ex-
pected to have another talk in
the immediate future.
French President de Gaulle
considers that President Ken
nedy is following an unwise
course in tackling an impossible
task in sounding out the So
VETS on a Berlin deal. Mr..
Kennedy has taken the position
that the United States must
explore every possibility of
avoiding a war over Berlin.
fregardless of what the allies
think.
Mr.. Rusk's meeting with Mr..
Dobrynin yesterday illustrated
the limitation which disputes
in the Western camp impose on
the probing. Mr.. Rusk was
able to talk about access only
in very general terms, associ-
ates said, because he felt he
had to keep the Berlin discus
sion within the limits of agreed
Western policy.
Could Be Grave Problems
This presents no serious prob
lem, so long as the Soviet posi-
ton is unchanging. 1t would
present a very grave problem
for the Kennedy administration
if the Soviet position should
become more flexible and the
possibility of detailed exchanges
on the access issue opened up.
Mr.. Rusk and Mr.. Dobrynin
met for an hour and As minutes
ana the state Department,
acknowledging lack of any
progress. said "the discussions
reflected the well-known posi-
tions Of each side" Officials
privately confirmed that this
meant that Mr.. Dobrynin re-
affirmed the Soviet demand
that the Western powers get
their troops out of Berlin and
give the city Of West Berlin a
new status. more to Soviet
liking.
The access issue, according
to Mr.. Dobrynin, could only be
settled as part of a package
deal providing for a new free
city."