French Leave

Nothing is more frustrating at a press conference than an official who refuses to talk--unless it is newsmen who refuse to listen. During his visit to Cambodia last week, France's Foreign Minister Christian Pineau met with Cambodian newsmen, but refused to talk to foreign correspondents.* As a sop, Pineau set up a conference for U.S., British, Chinese and other foreign newsmen with Quai d'Orsay Asia Bureau Chief Pierre Millet. Simmering, the shunned newsmen waited until Millet entered the door, then stalked out. The only stay-behinds: Anatoly Kurov of Moscow's New Times and Russian Press Attache Alexander Kongratiev.

*He has been especially wary of them since his unhappy interview last month with Syndicated Columnist Joseph Alsop, who quoted him as saying that France's bombing of Sakiet-Sidi-Youssef in Tunisia was a "sad error" (TIME Feb. 17).

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