National Affairs: Pinpoints

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Secretary of State John Foster Dulles carefully waited until the day after President Eisenhower's first press conference to hold his own first session with State Department correspondents last week.

He expanded briefly on the broad purpose of Administration policy for Asia and the "secret agreements" resolution, then pinpointed his way around the world with some other sharp observations on U.S. policy. Items:

¶In Berlin, the U.S. has its eye on mounting Communist pressure, knows exactly what supplies are on hand there in case of blockade, and has carefully studied alternate routes in & out of the city.

¶The French seem to be proposing new modifications of the European Defense Community, but, said Dulles, he had recently been told in Paris that the French have no intention of weakening EDC.

¶Rumors to the contrary notwithstanding, NATO Commander General Matthew Ridgway is doing a splendid job, and has firmest Administration support.

¶A recent Dutch proposal for a tariff union of the six EDC nations is fine; the Administration favors all moves toward European unity—the more the better.

¶In Asia, a naval blockade and an appeal for a tighter U.N. embargo of Red China are under "very careful scrutiny" in the State Department.

¶In the Middle East, the U.S. wants both Israel and the Arab states in some kind of defense organization, and is most certainly not engaged in a policy of cold-shouldering Israel.

¶At home, a State Department economy drive is underway; Under Secretary Don-old Lourie has ordered all missions abroad to cut down 25% on cable dispatches, which now cost $2,500,000 a year.