European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 11, 1981, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 the stars and stripes february 1981 Tom Wicker Reagan would not Only arms does the Reagan administration seriously want a new strategic arms agreement with the soviet Union Reagan himself told a group of interview ers the other Day that anytime soviet Lead ers want to sit Down and discuss a legitimate reduction of nuclear in willing to get into such that was a Little since at his first news conference Reagan tried to main Tain a distinction Between negotiations for a new Salt treaty and discussions leading to Here he lumped discussions and negotiations into one statement of willingness to engage in either or he was not much clearer at the news when he said that he was will ing for our people to go into or let me say discussions leading to Neotia that we should Start negotiating on the basis of trying to effect an actual reduction in the numbers of nuclear but whether in discussions or Neotia Reagan clearly is saying that he wants to talk about strategic arms reduce not just few but some of the Hawks who supported his election would quarrel with that aim some Senate doves were even prepared to vote against Salt ii because it did not achieve arms but if All this sounds the car Ter administrations experience is instruct president Carter came into office impatient with the  View of Salt As primarily a Symbol of a broader process of during which the most significant arms agreements would have to wait on improved East West rela so in March he sent Secretary of state Cyrus Vance to Moscow with a Salt proposal going beyond anything previously discussed a reduction from 308 to 150 in the number of heavy icbms allowed the soviet Union under Salt i and the Ford administrations Vladivostok a ceiling of 550 on each sides icbms carrying independently targe table War or a ban on existing Ballis tic missiles or deploying new and a Range limit on cruise an aggregate ceiling for each country of to to of which could be fitted with multiple War Heads both ceilings were significantly lower than agreed at this was close to real arms but the russians rejected it immediately be cause they were unprepared for such a Radi Cal departure from the accepted Salt and because under the Carter proposals soviet icbms programs would Nave had to be Cut Back while the american Force would have been held at projected judging by this Reagan should not expect the soviet Union to be eager to discuss far reaching new proposals for actual Force reductions rather than limitations on types of launchers and the certainly he has no reason to sup pose that the russians will negotiate them selves into inferiority or that they will easily accept cutbacks not imposed on the american even if the result is equivalent forces any More a conservative Republican senator would happily accept an american Force reduction to a soviet reagans for arms there May sound More impressive than the political background warrants and if his position actually is that he will discuss or negotiate Only an arms he May be taking a stance that will result in no real Salt negotiations at Given the instinctively ant soviet tone of his remarks so Reagan might also Pic Ture a soviet Rebuff of new american arms reduction proposals in a Rebuff of strategic arms negotiations of any he would then be in a position to say to the american people that he had tried for an Only to be turned Down by the warlike so that he had no alternative but to resume the arms since Reagan also insists on linkage soviet Good behaviour in the world As the Price of strategic arms bargaining his record so far does not encourage the idea of an Early resumption of Salt and the president did not inspire Confidence with his confused description of Salt ii at his news Confer he said the treaty permits a continued buildup on both sides without pointing out that the buildup would be sharply for example to of the missiles with multiple he said the treaty authorizes an imme Diate increase in soviet but did not note that it would limit soviet heavy missiles to 10 without which limitation the proposed american my Mobile missile system would have to be expanded or Reagan also said flatly that verification of the number of warheads on so Viet missiles would be impossible a Point repeatedly disputed by the Carter administration and which Only reflects the doubts of some c new York times Gregory Nokes san Yoo moot a Tho fo66 from tw6 id 1m6 Rcw stakes ouf foreign claims Secretary of state Alexander Haig is moving with considerable Speed and Success to establish his authority Over anything dealing with the United states foreign Short of the president just two weeks after taking Haig already has made his influence Felt in the following ways he fought off attempts by director David Stockman of the office of manage ment and budget to initiate deep cuts in foreign he persuaded president Reagan to wait a while longer before deciding whether to lift the Grain embargo against the Sovi he has reassured the nations allies that recent remarks favouring the Neutron warhead by defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger did not mean there has been a change in the Carter administrations policy of opposing the in All Haig was swimming against the current of the Reagan in 3lad i got out of the Market the Idip a a which came to office pledging to slash spending and lift the Grain the Republican party which Reagan called for deploying the Neutron warhead after consultation with Haig said during his confirmation hear Ings that he  be bound by every thing in the party platform because he didst have a role in drafting since Reagan took office on a great Deal of attention has been focused on stockmans efforts to Cut government there is unquestionably a great Deal of support for this among both Laicans and but while Stockman surely knew he would run up against opposition from those whose ones were being he will Proba by be sorry that the first Battle was fought with because he that signals others that Stockman can be beaten and could Lead them to greater opposition when he zeroes in on their depart but How was Stockman to know foreign Aid has been an unpopular expense in recent especially among those around Rea Congress failed even to pass a foreign Aid Bill during the last two years of the Carter so it must have seemed like a Safe bet to propose cutting former president Carters billion Aid proposal for fiscal 1982 by but Haig was Quick to signal his oppose he said at a news conference on 28 that he was concerned about possible cuts in foreign and disclosed that he was talking with Stockman about i Hope that we Are going to be Able to get a recognition that both foreign assist Ance and foreign Security assistance is sometimes a very cos effective vehicle for insuring that the ideals and interests of this country Are carried out effectively he the next the bomb plan was leaked to the the nations allies and Haig took these protests and his own views to a Cabinet meeting where the cuts were shelved for the time some cuts Are still the state department but nothing like Stock Man the cabinets decision to delay a decision on lifting the Grain embargo also reflected Haigs during the Reagan had said the embargo was ineffective and unfair to Farmers and that he would lift it if among those at a Cabinet session who urged Reagan to keep his Promise was agriculture Secretary John who looked columns comments decidedly displeased in telling reporters afterwards that a decision to lift the embargo had been put Haig said it would be a mistake to lift the embargo while soviet troops were posed on Poland Haigs View is that the embargo has dam aged the soviet state department officials have argued in interviews that the embargo contributed to a 3 percent decline in soviet meat production last the feeling at the state department now is that the embargo will be left in place for some Haig also has Given every indication that he will hold tight to the reins of foreign policy and keep them out of the hands of National Security adviser Richard which was his plan from the he has reagans support on this and apparently Allen Hast Allen had been scheduled to give a Back ground briefing to reporters at the White House on the visit of South korean presi Dent Chun but alien did not the briefing was Given by a state department c associated press