Last Minute Procedural Haggle Stalling Preparations for Confab

A last minute procedural problem appeared tonight to be stalling preparations for the Cairo conference scheduled to open officially tomorrow morning. After an “informal” 90minute session between the two top Israeli negotiators and their Egyptian counterparts this evening, an Israeli spokesman said “further work would be needed” before the conference could begin.

Because of the hitch, the nature of which was not disclosed, the Israeli and Egyptian negotiators met with Assistant Secretary of State Alfred L. Atherton, the U.S. representative to the Cairo talks, for 45 minutes before breaking for dinner. The Israelis and Egyptians were scheduled to meet again later tonight.

The involvement of Atherton seemed to signal that a snag had developed because the American diplomat indicated earlier that he intended to keep a low profile and be involved as little as possible in the substance of the Cairo talks. The Israeli spokesman refused to say whether chief Israeli negotiator Eliahu Ben-Elissar has already had to refer to Jerusalem for instrucations. He has facilities for direct, secure communications to the Israeli capital.

The problem is beieved to be over the labeling of the seat reserved by the Egyptians for the Palestinians invited to the Cairo talks. That seat is likely to remiain vacant. But Israel was said to have balked at the name plate that said “Palestine.” Premier Menachem Begin refers to “Palestinian Arabs” but never to “Palestinians” as such.

An Israeli official said tonight that the negotiators intend “to talk until the problems–which were not unexpected–are solved.” He dismissed speculation that the conference may not open on schedule night ahead.