European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 26, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes saturday october 26, 1985 Tom Wicker sandinista lend substance to Reagan s charges ii Iosi Mikk ass � consider in Illi,.-j and  fur ilk i nil cd Stales to intervene  k in ii  in Central american nations Haic Al   .1  Burden i Bear in  s  Nisla . Its a cavy hand Cit suspension of civil Lily relics has made  Burden  harder in Bear. I he  Ornu rom Cal is  marxism and Closel ill cd Uilah Cuba ill the Soi let Union. Bill Nicaragua is a weak and impoverished country that poses i discernible it Clit to i lit United Stales inner in in in president Reagan s nightmares. Its threat if Aiu. In her nations in Central America certainly to inc Panama t  could be countered easily by . Military assistance and guarantees. Since the sandinista came to Power Nicaragua has Mil been a Democrat -. Nor was it a democracy except cosmetic ally under the autocratic and sometimes pcs pulic Siniva regime in Long supported by the United slates. Ili Iman rights abuses chargeable to the Sandi nistas Are in in Way comparable to those inc Somo a regime perpetrated or la those of South Africa and Illey an sural no worse than those under either go Vern Nivenis the United slates has found acceptable South Korea. In instance or Chile or the Philippines. Nonetheless the Reagan administration has main  and there is some evidence to suggest it created a Mizilar insurgency the so called contras heavily tainted Wanh old , that operates from sanctuaries in Honduras across the Border into Nicaragua. All but openly the administration has conceded that ils aim is in overthrow or at least to change the form of. The sandinista government which it Calls a threat to its neighbors a band whose purpose is to extend marxist revolution and soviet Power North to the Rio Grande. It is this overwrought attitude and the administration s resulting attempt to overthrow a government it does not like that Many in the United slates and most latin american nations have strongly opposed. Most do not Admire the sandinista or the regime they have created but they deplore this new example of Lawless . Intervention in a Region where Gringo dominance backed by military muscle has often been detrimental to the Well being of the Region s people. Till a i Mustas have sought occasionally la build up Lens kind of internal and International dissent against the Reagan administration s interventionist. Hul More often they have seemed to go out of their Way to lend plausibility to the administration s charges against Mieir regime for example when they held National elections they insisted on doing so under rules that caused the major oppose inn parties to withdraw. Thus the sandinista not Only James Kilpatrick Liberal translation growing pmn5 made themselves appear afraid to test their strength when they won. As assured by their own rules they failed 10 prove the kind of popular support which Many observers believed they really had. Just when Congress had rebelled and Defeated Reagan s request for further Aid to the contras presi Dent Daniel Onega imprudently hew off to Moscow drama i ing sandinista links to the Kremlin. Congress immediately reversed itself and reopened the Aid pipe line to the insurgents. That May say much about us. Politicians fear of being thought soft on  nevertheless Ortega s ill limed trip rescued Reagan s nicaraguan policy from deep trouble. Now the sandinista in an apparent Victory for their hardest line faction have suspended civil liberties to an extent not before seen during their regime. Ortega s decree said this step was necessary because of the brutal aggression by North America and the contras. So. To some extent it May have been but the decree lends subs Anee to Reagan s charges that the Sandinia tas systematically abuse human and civil rights. There fore it will further diminish . Ami International opposition to Reagan s Campaign Ai Pinsl the Sandinia tas ii the new restrictions Are strictly enforced moreover this will put an effective end to the political Liberty Lulal us remained  i Ornus in Nicaragua thai could Only drive Mic internal political critics of the sandinista into the military insurgency against them. Laius if Ronald Reagan is not. The sandinista surely Are their own worst Erie in. Under his pressure they a cedi Dlo  id the world thai they were not the repressive dictators he said they Wen instead they seem almost determined to fit his description n american protectionist tide has japanese worried Tokyo it occurred to me. As Long As i was in Tokyo thai it would be an act of kindness to Call upon the prime min ister. After All. No one else had informed the gentleman of certain rising hostilities in the . Congress and a wandering Newspaperman might be in a position to perform a useful service. Thus i set out lion my hotel by taxi cab and arrived shortly hereafter two years older and noticeably More Gray about the temples at tin modest Resi Dence that series is both Luime and office for Yasuhiro Nakasonc. The House sup Posedly was designed by i rank Lloyd Wright or by someone who knew prank Lloyd Wright but it reminded me most clearly of the mansions that Oil tycoons used to build in Oklahoma City in the 1920s big rooms wide Halls but nothing much to put on a House tour. I find the prime minister in a recep Tion room sparsely furnished with three chairs one for him. One for me and one in Between for a handsome Young interpreter. I had not figured to gel any hard news out of or. Nakasonc. And i had figured exactly right i would have wrung More hard news out of the great bronc Buddha of Nara who weighs 4.52 tons und sits 53 feel tall. Nevertheless it was a cordial Conversa Tion. The prime minister 67, is As solid and As seasoned As a charred Oak Keg which indeed he somewhat resembles not in Girth but in a dominant sense of presence. He sits for an interview Asim Mobile As a Frog on a Lily pad his eyes occasionally moving beneath heavy brows his fingers now and then drumming gently on the Arm of his chair. As it turned out my helpful intentions were not really required. Others had preceded me. Ambassador Mike Mansfield had Given the prime minister an earful. Sen. Bob Dole had been in own a week or two before and he too had provided an earful. Or. Nakasonc now has both cars full of warnings about the protectionist Stampede on Capitol Hill. I asked what he was doing about it. Well said inc prime minister the buy foreign Campaign he launched last april is shoving some encouraging Prog Ress. Japan is buying a $300 million satellite made in the United Stales. The government is buying  helicopters. Japan s automobile Industry will be buying More components from american manufacturers. Every major City is planning a Trade show or a car Ihal will promote american products. A psychological change is occurring among the people and within the business  1 asked for his opinion on the major causes of a Trade imbalance thai will reach s50 billion this ear and suggested such factors As our overvalued Dollar the perceived poor Quality of american goods a Bias in Japan in favor of Japa Nese products ineffective marketing by american manufacturers. Japan s overt and Covert barriers to Trade and Domestic political considerations. He responded Wilh a smile As enigmatic As the smile on the Greal Brone Buddha of Nara. All of the above he said. He Winlon to say that Japan is doing its pan to relieve the situation import standards arc being re Vised and american representatives arc participating in their revision. Foreign lest data will be accepted on Many food and agricultural products electrical appliances and pharmaceuticals. Over the next three years simplified standards will be established for 15 categories of cosmetics. Tariffs will be significantly reduced or eliminated on 1.h5.1 items rep resenting 80 percent of All imports. He left hanging in the air an unasked question what is the United Stales doing for us part1. Our overvalued Dollar accounts for perhaps iwo thirds of the Trade imbalance. The overvalue results in pin from the High interest Rales that ire linked to a j200 billion deficit. The prime minister was too courteous to dwell upon ulese Embarrass Smeilis. I threw him a hard one. High and tight.1 did l he sometimes resent All inc prod Ding he �j., gelling from . Spokesmen1. He backed smoothly away from the plate. As prime minister i shall never lose my Courtesy to other noun iries Japan he said is doing everything that possibly can be done Given inc pres sures of Lime tradition and politics to relieve the imbalance in Trade. Suppose Congress enacts a Tough protectionist bill1 we sincerely Hope that such Bills will not pass but if they do we Hope the president will veto them and thai the veto will effectively stand. And since we arc in fact making these strenuous efforts right now we Hope the . Side will watch our efforts for a Little More Tiff to. If some of the protectionist Bills pass then the result will be a very unhappy one thai will nol bring soul into inc  on that not we adjourned. The prime minister had to announce an increase m his budget for defense. I had to gel Back in the taxi. It was a fair question whose life was about to be More endangered 10 univ i top. Syndic cum Mil and  on � � he � T in 01 it 5u"