The Big Four held their fourth meeting today–in morning and afternoon sessions–amid reports that they regarded it as crucial and might, depending on its results, consider a re-evaluation to see whether the talks are worthwhile.
The meeting was hosted by Ambassador Charles W. Yost, chief U.S. representative to the UN. Attending were Lord Caradon of Britain, Yacov A. Malik of Russia and Armand Berard of France. Diplomatic sources said the meeting ended the first round of talks by the Big Powers and that unless significant progress was made, there might be a pause for reassessment to determine whether their continuing efforts to find a settlement acceptable to Israel and the Arab states were worthwhile. But a British spokesman today said, “Of course the talks will go on.”
The Big Four meetings, started at the initiative of France and the Soviet Union, were undertaken on the assumption by all Four Powers that a new outbreak of war in the Mideast was imminent, a view not shared by Israel. King Hussein of Jordan warned in speeches at the National Press Club in Washington last week and at a UN press luncheon yesterday that the Big Powers had “very, very little time” to come up with a solution if a full-scale war was to be averted.
The Four Powers appeared to have reached an impasse. According to diplomatic sources, a working group set up by the four ambassadors to establish what the Israelis and Arabs would accept as an “honorable peace” has shown no results and might be abandoned.
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