Hammarskjold Arrives in Israel Today for Talks with Ben Gurion

Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold, accompanied by his chief Middle East expert. Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, undersecretary, will arrive in Israel tomorrow for a series of conferences with Premier David Ben Gurion and Foreign Minister Golda Meir.

In his party will also be Claude de Kemoularia, a French national, a personal assistant and adviser to Mr. Hammarskjold since the Middle East crisis developed last fall. He will also have with him William Ranallo, his personal aide.

There is no specific agenda for the talks between Mr. Hammarskjold and Premier Ben Gurion, according to high UN sources. These sources said that the Secretary General initiated a correspondence which has resulted in the joint decision by Mr. Ben Gurion and Mr. Hammarskjold that a “useful purpose” would be served at this time by the visit.

(From Jerusalem it was reported today that Mr. Hammarskjold’s detailed proposals for the Israel Government will be prepared by him and his aides when they arrive. It seems, however, that the talks will be devoted to the general problem of Israel-Arab relations and the chances for peace in the Middle East and will not turn toward specifics unless progress is made in the general talks. )

Mr. Hammarskjold last saw Mr. Ben Gurion for two days in July, 1956. The present visit is expected to last two days or possibly three, and Mr. Hammarskjold will return directly to headquarters, according to present plans. It is not expected that he will go to Cairo on this trip.

A spokesman for the Secretary General, when asked whether Mr. Hammarskjold has yet received any reply from Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser about whether the Cairo Government still insists that it has “right of belligerence,” said here today there has been as yet no reply to pending questions from either Israel or Egypt.