European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 23, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 the stars and stripes James Reston saturday september 23, 1978 Carter deserves much credit for Mideast talks on one thing and maybe Only on one thing there seems to be general agree ment about the Middle East conference at Camp David it would never have happened without the determination of presi Dent Carter or avoided failure on several occasions without his Resolute personal intervention. It started badly in a Stormy confrontation Between president Sadat and prime minister begin Over who was responsible for the strategic deception of the yom kippur War. At this Point Carter decided that he should meet separately with begin and Sadat and avoid any More direct israeli egyptian meetings for a few Days. The conference almost collapsed Over Sadat s proposal that All agree to language columns comments out of the preamble to United nations Security Council Resolution 242, which begin thought would commit Israel to withdraw to the frontiers that existed before the 1967israeli-Arab War. There were other critical moments when Sadat suggested Arab sovereignty Over the Arab sector of Jerusalem and also asked for the emplacement of the Flag of one Arab state on Temple Mountain in Jerusalem As Well As for israeli compensation for past attacks on the Arab states. Another crisis arose on the last Day of the Camp David meetings when the United states proposed to deliver a letter to both Sadat and begin reaffirming the american government s refusal to recognize Jerusalem As the capital of Israel and suggesting that control Over that City be divided. In All these cases begin not Only refused to Compromise but stated that he would not sign any Camp David agreement that even implied Israel s acquiescence on these Points. Again it was up to Carter to Amend or finesse these disagreements and produce the ambiguous compromises finally announced. This was done under circumstances that were unusual if not unique in diplomatic history. It was a new kind of shuttle Diplo Macy compressed into a military com Pound with Secretary of state Vance rid ing Between the three Cabins on a Golf cart and Zbigniew Brzezinski Riding Back and Forth on his bicycle with new suggestions or drafts for Compromise. On two occasions Brzezinski and begin actually stopped to Pray together in be Gin s Cabin though it was t so Long ago that some pro israeli leaders were denouncing the president s Security adviser As being hostile to begin s policies if no downright anti semitic. Those in attendance at the conference praised Carter on several Points. First for calling the conference at the beginning. He had been advised against it on the grounds that there was Little Chance of Success and that one More failure would contribute to the theory that he was a Well intentioned but ineffective Leader who started Everth ing and finished nothing. He decided to Force a dramatic political decision any Way. Second and perhaps most important he won the Trust of both Sadat and begin by what they both describe As his personal integrity and by presenting his Case not As an Issue of Power and National politics but As an historical Opportunity to work for the defense of moral values essential to these purity of the entire free world. Third though he has often been accused the opinions expressed in the columns and cartoons on this Page represent those of the authors and Are in no Way to be considered As representing the views of the stars and stripes or the United states government. Of paying too much attention to detail observers in the negotiations believe that Carter was effective precisely because he had mastered the intricate details of this complicated set of problems. For example he spent hours with the israeli defense minister Ezer Weizman go ing Over the strategic maps and critical de sense Points of the area and even helped draft the Compromise agreements work ing with his aides at one Point until 4 in the morning. The Camp David Compromise is so complicated and fragile that it May be prudent now to avoid big splashy conclusions about where it will Lead and instead stick to som simple facts. Before this meeting the legalistic ministerial meetings were loitering Down into a crisis of hopeless frustration. There is Rea son for believing for example that if the Camp David meetings had collapsed in failure begin would have been under severe pressure to intervene massively in the lebanese War with a Prospect of a major clash Between the israeli and syrian air forces. Instead president Carter departed from his prepared text before the Congress to announce that president Sadat and prime minister begin had agreed with him on the helicopter ride Back to Washington to work together with other nations in a new Effort to resolve the lebanese tragedy. There Are Many other complicated Tan Gles to be unravelled in the carefully ambiguous words of the Camp David Docu ments which will be discussed Here later but for now at the very least there is a re Vival of Hope and of respect for the Leader ship of president Carter who has Given peace another Chance in the Middle East. C new York times tm6 Boston George f. Will Era has Apsa going in circles Tys to r t a a �1 s in Vav a new enough of sobriety gentle Reader. Let us turn instead to the recent convention of the american political science association. Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery said Jane Austen and so say i turning to Apsa s business meeting in new York earlier this month. In 1976, the Apsa always energetic about occupying the moral High ground declared that it would not Convene in any state that refused to ratify the equal rights amendment As Long As Era was pending before the states. This strategy of trying to buy ratification reflects the understandable reluctance of Era support ers to rely on their arguments about the merits of the amendment. But in 1973, Apsa contracted with the Palmer House a Hilton hotel in Chicago to Convene there in 1979. In 1976 Illinois had roots not As it still has not ratified Era but the deadline for ratifying was March 1979 before Aspa s autumn convention time. However it now seems possible that Congress will extend the deadline to 1982 faced with the Prospect that Era might be pending and a ratified in Illinois in autumn 1979, the Apsa this month voted by a 4-1 margin to renege on its Palmer House contract. Hilton sent a Tough Well Semi Tough talking fellow to threaten to sue Apsa unless Apsa agreed to meet in another Hilton hotel. But Hilton also sent another fellow to say How much Hilton valued Apsa s Friendship. This demonstration of the fiber of the business Community left Apsa convinced that Hilton was not to be take seriously. Had the vote gone against Chicago by less than a two thirds margin the Issue would have been submitted to the entire Apsa membership by mail ballot and the outcome might have been different. Apsa business meetings have a Peculiar composition imagine the political tempera ments of people whose idea of a Well spent saturday afternoon is one spent passing resolutions in hotel ballrooms. The meeting overturned a ruling by the chairman that support for Era violates Apsa s Constitution which stipulates that Apsa will not take stands on questions of Public policy except regarding academic Freedom and Freedom of expression. Not even political scientists can believe Era is such a matter but the majority at the Busi Ness meeting was at least even handed. It showed As much contempt for its Constitution As for its contractual obligations. Next the meeting rejected overwhelmingly a proposal that Apsa not participate in the International political science association s 1979 meeting in Moscow. Those opposed to participation argued the impropriety of holding a political science convention in a nation where political science is impossible. Free investigation of say Power relations or interest groups in soviet government is unimaginable they also argued that to hold the ipsa meeting in Moscow at a time of increased repression and when Many natural scientists Are re fusing to go there would amount to Scab Bing against the protest movement. " those who favored going to Moscow used the arguments and rhetoric that have been used for about 61 years. From the ipsa. Influence on the growth of International dialogue and increasing Levels of Mutual knowledge tolerance and the reduction of extreme aspects of ethnic in Tricis. Contribute to the building of Bridges of Trust and Confidence from the state department. Influence soviet and Eastern european behaviour on human rights by continuing con tracts so it came to pass that political scientists having voted to shun Chicago in the name of human rights voted to go to Moscow. By this time All but the most avid activists had drifted away into the scented dusk of Manhattan and the meeting looked like something left on the Beach by the tide. Fortunately someone had the wit to notice the absence of a quorum. That dissolved the meeting before it could vote to condemn the University of Maryland without any investigation for not giving the chair Manship of its political science depart ment to a marxist who believes that to understand marxism is to accept it. But my dear sir cried or. Weston in Jane Austen s Emma if Emma Early it will be breaking up no great harm if it does said . The sooner every party Breaks up the  c Washington Post