American Ambassador Confers with Ben Gurion on Bulganin’s Note

On instructions from President Eisenhower, United States Ambassador Edward B. Lawson interrupted his Sunday rest and called today on Premier David Ben Gurion on Soviet Premier Nikolai Bulganin’s note, the American Embassy announced tonight. The text of the Embassy statement read:

“Today, at the request of President Eisenhower, Ambassador Edward B. Lawson called on Premier David Ben Gurion to convey personally a copy of President Eisenhower’s reply to Soviet Premier Bulganin who last month proposed a ‘new summit’ meeting. The Prime Minister and Ambassador Lawson discussed the major points of the latter for one hour and a quarter.”

Ambassador Lawson also conferred today with Premier Ben Gurion in connection with Jordan’s complaint to the United Nations Security Council against Israel’s afforestation project in the no-man’s land area outside Jerusalem. The complaint may be taken up this Wednesday.

Meanwhile, the Israel delegation at the UN has been instructed to move at the Security Council session for dismissal of the Jordan complaint as “frivolous.” The Israelis maintain that the planting of trees is a normal civilian activity and cannot be described as a “threat to peace” which the Council should debate.

Observers here believe that the Jordanian authorities have revived the afforestation complaint only to strengthen its position among the Arab countries and to picture itself as taking a tough stand with Israel. They noted that Israel has never attempted to interfere with civilian activities in the Jordan half of the area, including the construction of a road between that district and Bethlehem.

When Jordan originally filed the complaint with the Council, Israel cross-complained that Jordan had not lived up to the section of the armistice agreement guaranteeing Israelis access to the Holy Places under Jordanian control. There is no information available here whether Israel will press that complaint, although it is presumed that if the Council rules against Israel on the afforestation issue the Jewish State will move ahead with prosecution of its own grievance.