In a Washington press conference today (June 25) United States Secretary of State Mr. William Rogers made an urgent plea to Israel and the Arab states to stop shooting and start talking about a Middle East settlement.

Mr. Rogers disclosed his Government's next moves for easing the Middle East crisis with the launching of new political and diplomatic initiatives to be held under the auspices of United Nations envoy Dr. Gunnar Jarring, Sweden's Moscow ambassador. The new initiative is in accordance with the United Nations Security Council resolution of November 1967 which called for a peaceful settlement.

Mr. Rogers remained silent on the peace plan but it is believed in the Middle East that the plan will call for a demilitarised buffer zone for 12 miles on either side of the Suez canal and Israel will be asked to withdraw from Arab territories occupied in the June 1967 war.