U. N. Secretary General Confers with Israeli Leaders in Jerusalem

United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold conferred for 90 minutes here today with Premier David Ben Gurion and Israel Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett, Mr. Hammarskjold came alone to the meeting with Israelis two top leaders, after calling on President Itzhak Ben Zvi and touring both New Jerusalem and the Old City of Jerusalem.

Addressing a press conference later, Mr. Hammarskjold declared that at his meeting with Egyptian Premier Col. Gamal Abdel Nasser this week-end the Egyptian Premier had agreed to Mr. Hammarskjold’s plan for abatement of tension in the demilitarized zone of the Nitzana-EI Auja area. He said that Maj. Gen, E. L. M. Burns would shortly issue a statement on Col, Nasser’s agreement to the plan. Asked whether as a result of his seeing Col, Nasser he would say that his emission of rapprochement was a success, he asserted that no one in his right senses would “so rashly reply to such a difficult question.”

Correspondents asked him to explain the cancellation of a reception in his honor which was to be held at the residence of Mr. Sharett here today. The reception was cancelled after he indicated yesterday that it might place him in a delicate position since the UN still had on its books a resolution–honored by member Israel nor Jordan–calling for the internationalization of Jerusalem. He was also asked to explain his sudden decision to visit the Old City, which was seen here as an attempt to “balance” his visit to Jewish Jerusalem.

He replied that he felt that the reception might “lead to unfavorable interpretations and unjustified suspicions.” His visit to the Old City, he said, was to see the Holy Places there since he felt it his duty to visit the shrines as long as he was so near them.