Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-07-15
Optimism Marks Opening
Of KremIin Test Ban Talks
Partial Pact
On NucIeur
Uses Is Seen

MOONSWB OuAJ ~ NhE
Jovial and apparently opti-
mistic, Premier Khrushchev
personally opened talks today
on a limited nuclear test ban
agreement with special ENJOYS
of President Kennedy and
Prime Minister Harold Mac
milan.
Sitting in a Kremlin confer
ence room with UnderSecretary
Of State w. Averell Hartman
and Britain's Lord Hailshar1,
the Soviet leader quipped:
Shall we start off by signing
the agreement right away?"
Mr.. Hartman showed q pencil
and pad across the table toward
Mr.. Khrushchev. Foreign Min
lister Andrei Gromyko grinned
to his chief and said: Sign
it and leave it to be filled in"
The conference is expected
to last 10 days.
The first session lasted
about 31a hours. Mr.. Hartman
and Lord Hailsham left in sep
arate embassy cars and cor
respondents watching them
whisk through the Kremlin
gates said both Western Off
Gals we're talking animatedly
with their associates, smiling
/ and laughing.
Complete Ban Is Out
Mr.. Khrushchev's mood
seemed to share the optimism
of both the British and Ameri-
cans about the success in
agreeing on "a prohibition
which would bar nuclear test
explosions in the air, in space
and under water. The Western
side saw no prospect Of get
ting a complete ban to cover
underground explosions also.
Increasing the prospects for
an agreement was the worsen-
: ing split between the Soviet
Union and Red China, West
erners here believed.
News photographers were
allowed to enter the conference
room before the actual talks
began to take pictures Of the
negotiators.
The conference began with
nine representatives on the
. United States and British side
and five on the Soviet side.
On the Soviet side in addi-
ton to Mr.. Gromyko and
Mr.. Khrushchev was Semyon
Tsarapkin, a veteran Of the
Geneva nuclear ban talks.
On the British-American side
were Lord HaiIsham, Mr.. Har-
riman, United States Ambas-
sador Foy D. Kohler. Sir
Humphrey Trevelyan, the Bri-
fish ambassador, and q number
Of other advisers.
Counting the Years
The room had a table at
least 80 feet long. It was COW
cred with green cloth. Red
pencils and white pads and
green microphones dotted the
table.
Pictures Of Marx and Lenin
and a map Of the universe hung
on the wall. Bottles Of min
eral water stood between the
pads and pencils.
i Mr.. Khrushchev, in a jovial
mood, said to the 71-year-old
Hartman: You have started
counting your years back
wards"
Mr.. Hartman replied. you.
too"
i Mr.. Khrushchev smiled
broadly and replied. II started
doing that a long time ago."
He is SO.
This exchange came as they
entered the room from differ
ent doors and shook hands.
Then there was a bit of joshing
about how they should line up
for the photographers. Mr..
Hartman and Lord Hailsham
insisted that Mr.. Khrushchev
stand between them.
I'm surrounded by imperial
ists," Mr.. Khrushchev said in
mock despair. throwing UP his
hands and guffawing.
Then looking at Lord Halls
ham, Mr.. Khruschev said:
The Americans did a very
wise thing when they chased
you (the BRITISH out Of there
(the United States)."
Lord Hailsham quickly re-
sponded: My ancestors came
from both sides"
Then Mr.. Khruschev mo-
See HARTMAN, Page "A