The Big Four Ambassadors, meeting for an hour and a quarter yesterday afternoon, were urged by the Soviet Union to resume the Big Four deputies’ talks which had been suspended on Oct. 6 at the request of the United States. The State Department at that time said it was requesting the suspension because “serious and continuing violations of the standstill (cease-fire) agreement on the west side (Egyptian) of the Suez Canal have raised doubts whether there is a sincere desire for peace and have created an obstacle to resumption of negotiations under Ambassador Jarring.” A source said yesterday that no new deputies’ meetings were set because the U.S. believes there has been no change in the situation since it requested the suspension of the talks. The source reported that a suggestion that the Big Four ambassadors meet again on Nov. 4, just before the expiration on Nov. 5 of the current 90-day cease-fire, was rejected by the ambassadors who expressed the belief that to meet at that time might cause someone to commit a rash act–“perhaps start shooting”–in an attempt to force some action on the part of the Four Powers. The ambassadors did not want “Cinderella to turn into a pumpkin,” the source said. With both sides showing no inclination or desire to resume a shooting war on Nov. 5, the Big Four agreed to meet next on Nov.
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