World Notes EL SALVADOR

After a flurry of proposals and counterproposals, El Salvador was not an inch closer to peace. President Jose Napoleon Duarte, whose Christian Democrats are trailing in the polls, took the diplomatic initiative last week by calling for talks with the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (F.M.L.N.) and offering to postpone for six weeks the presidential elections scheduled for March 19. The army also unilaterally declared a cease-fire until June 1.

The F.M.L.N., which wants the elections delayed until Sept. 15, called Duarte's offer for talks "positive" but criticized the cease-fire as unworkable. To underscore their point, rebel forces on Thursday attacked San Ramon, a town on the outskirts of San Salvador, killing three soldiers and two civilians before making their escape. The incident was the first serious guerrilla assault on the capital.

U.S. officials are lending quiet encouragement to peacemaking efforts, but deep political divisions and intransigence in El Salvador threaten to stop the latest push. The right-wing ARENA party rejected any delay in the election. And the rebels have hinted that if no talks are held soon, they will resume the war with greater intensity.