United States Moves Cautiously Toward 4 Power UN Conference on Mideast

The United States is moving with deliberate caution toward a Four Power conference on the Mideast proposed by France and supported by the Soviet Union, and will not participate in one unless there is some chance of broad agreement among all parties concerned, the State Department indicated today.

The Department’s official spokesman, Robert McCloskey, told newsmen that the Four Power talks at the UN will not be held until bi-lateral meetings produce “sufficient consensus” and it appears that multilateral talks would be productive. Ambassador Yost met today with Soviet Ambassador Yacob A. Malik and French Ambassador Berard. Yesterday he talked with British Deputy permanent representative Sir Leslie Glass. He has also had meetings with the UN’s special Middle East envoy Gunnar V. Jarring and Secretary General Thant. Mr. McCloskey today sought to discourage speculation that the bilateral talks had produced nothing of substance.

Before entering Four Power talks, the U.S. is reportedly seeking clarification of the Soviet Mideast peace proposal of Dec. 30, 1968, which is seen as heavily favoring Egypt. A major consideration is that nothing should be done that might hamper Dr. Jarring’s mission. It is believed that he would be helped materially by a Four Power elucidation of some of the ambiguities of the Security Council’s Nov. 22, 1967 resolution from which his mission derives its mandate.

In Paris today, opposition members of Parliament and some Gaullists attended a public meeting at which President de Gaulle’s embargo on military equipment and spare parts to Israel was denounced and his policy of seeking a rapprochement with the Arabs criticized. The meeting was presided over by Nobel Peace Laureate Prof. Rene Cassin.

Prime Minister Harold Wilson, of Britain, visiting Bonn, told the JTA at a press conference that the Big Four would not try to impose a peace settlement. A British Foreign Office spokesman told the JTA in London that a meeting of representatives of the Western European Union, called by British Foreign Secretary Michael Stewart on the Middle East, will be held Friday but without French participation. Paris pulled out because a Mideast agenda item was postponed at last week’s Union meeting in Luxembourg.

French Foreign Minister Michel Debre said in Paris yesterday that the resolution has to be enforced in 1969. He said France always recognized Israel’s right to independent existence but not “her right to impose her will on others.”

A report by the official Soviet news agency Novosti here today said that Syria was prepared to accept “a political settlement in the Middle East” despite “reservations.” According to Novosti correspondent Georgy Dadyants, the Syrians are prepared to adhere to a settlement formulated by Egyptian President Nasser in an interview published recently in Newsweek magazine. Syria has been the most militant of the Arab participants in the June, 1967 war and has not accepted the Security Council’s resolution.

The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported today that President Nasser has agreed to ban the transfer of 4,000 Arab guerrillas from Egypt to Jordan while Four Power talks are pending. The transfer of the guerrillas, fighting arm of the Palestine Liberation Organization, was approved by Col. Nasser but created consternation in Jordan which is already overrun with guerrilla groups. The move was taken without consulting King Hussein. It was believed to have been the subject of talks this week between Jordanian Premier Bahjat al-Talhouni and Col. Nasser in Cairo. Mr. al-Talhouni said in Cairo today that Jordan would never act unilaterally in the Mideast crisis or negotiate with Israel.

Haaretz also reported that France has agreed to send about 40 military advisers to Lebanon at Beirut’s request to help re-organize the Lebanese Army. The advisers are reportedly expected in about six months. There was no immediate comment from Paris or Beirut.