Eban Arrives in U.S. for Talks in Washington; Invited by Canada

Israel’s new Foreign Minister, Abba Eban, was invited today by Canada’s Prime Minister, Lester B. Pearson, to confer with the Dominion leader at Ottawa, it was announced here today. Mr. Eban arrived last night from France, where he had conferred with French Foreign Minister Maurice Couve de Murville. The Pearson invitation reached here today. Mr. Eban accepted immediately, saying he would visit Mr. Pearson a week from tomorrow.

On Friday, Mr. Eban is scheduled to lunch with United Nations Secretary-General U Thant. He will be accompanied on that visit by Ambassador Michael Comay, Israel’s permanent representative to the U.N. Tomorrow night, Mr. Eban will address a dinner here of the Friends of Tel Aviv University. Meanwhile he will spend the rest of his time conferring with leaders of various Jewish organizations.

In all of his conferences with foreign leaders, the principal item on Mr. Eban’s agenda has been, and will be, the situation in the Middle East. That topic will be given his major attention next week when he will spend three days in Washington. He is scheduled to meet with Secretary of State Dean Rusk on Tuesday, and with Vice-President Hubert H. Humphrey the following day.

Next week, Mr. Eban will deliver two major addresses in Philadelphia, one at the University of Pennsylvania, the other at Temple University, where he will be the recipient of an honorary degree. Over the weekend, he will address an Israel Bond rally in Los Angeles.

(In an interview printed today by the Paris morning newspaper, Combat, Mr. Eban stressed his governments “anxiety” over the Eastern bloc’s arming of Egypt. He noted that the Western bloc has, on the other hand, helped consolidate Israel’s position “for years.” He said that, in his talks with foreign affairs leaders in Paris, the subject of Israel’s defense problems “comes up constantly,” as it does in Israeli talks with other friendly powers.)