European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 26, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes tuesday november 26, 1985 Tom Wicker world might have had full test ban 22 years ago  the first significant nuclear arms control achievement was the limited test ban treaty negotiated in july 1963, ratified by the Senate in sep tember and taking effect on oct. 10 of Thil year. President Kennedy having signed the treaty on oct. 7. Travelled later thai month to a number of Western states. Ostensibly he was on a tour of conservation projects in fact As any assiduous reporter could learn. The trip was designed As a sort of pc Campaign swing before the 1964 election year. Kennedy was then in a period of declining popularity and his trip was not at first a great Success. Crowds always turn out to see a president but experienced campaigners noted a general Lack of enthusiasm and a Low Piej response to Kennedy s conservation speeches. In great Falls. Mont., however Kennedy partly dropped the Guise of touring conservation projects and bulked Joboul the limited lest ban treaty and what it would do Stop All nuclear testing in outer space under water and most important in the atmosphere. Hence it would drastically reduce the threat of nuclear fallout. The great i alls audience responded with roars of approval. At every remaining appearance mostly in Republican and conservative states. Kennedy repealed and expanded his remarks Riboul inc Tecsi Bun. Everywhere the response was enthusiastic and As he moved West the president s trip did begin to take on something of inc atmosphere of a  swing. I was covering that trip for the new York times when i was Over 1 asked Pierre Salinger Kennedy s press Secretary and Kenneth o Donnell. One of Kennedy s top political advisers if the audience response to the treaty would cause he president to emphasize it in his re election Campaign. No doubt about in both re plied the treaty would provide the Cornerstone for a peace Issue in 1964. Years later Jerome Wisner. Who was Kennedy s Sci ence adviser told a Washington audience thai the presi Dent had returned from his tour of conservation projects deeply impressed with the Public enthusiasm for inc limited test ban treaty. Had he realized How popular such a treaty would be he suggested he might have been Able to mobilize the necessary Public support for a comprehensive test ban slopping All nuclear tests. In the perspective of More than iwo decides it seems tragic l  he did not do so. Useful of Jugh it was the treaty merely moved nuclear to swing underground where the two superpowers have staged hundreds of nuclear less in the intervening years As i hair arsenals have grown in numbers Flora Lewis t 7wx was an we w and destructive Power. In fact the Ltd by ending the most obvious threat of fallout May even have reduced Public demand for an end to testing. Yet in 1963, after negotiations that had begun in the 50s, the iwo sides Al least in retrospect seem to have been Lahlali singly close to a comprehensive lest ban. The Western nations were demanding seven an Nual on site inspections within soviet Borders in order to verify compliance inc Sovil Union was willing to accept no More than three such inspections. The differ ence no doubt seemed vast then today in View of an arms race that has grown out of All reason Cost each of the superpowers untold billions and degraded rather than enhanced the Security of each the risks of Compro Mise in 1963 appear to have been Well Worth taking. Neither Side yielded. Nuclear weapons to swing continued unabated and nothing was to come of whatever new determination might have been born in John Ken Nedy by those Western crowds enthusiasm for the limited test ban treaty. Just weeks later on another Wisl pm tour he was shot to death in Dallas. Now president Reagan has concluded meetings with Mikhail Gorbachev in which their profound differences on the control of nuclear weapons apparently were not overcome. Once again As has been the Case for most of 30 years no Progress was made toward a Cessa Tion of nuclear testing. It s not Clear that the subject was even discussed though the russians Are in the midst of a six month test moratorium that Reagan has refused to enter. To swing will go on. The arsenals will continue to grow. Cd new York Tirawi new service Summit talks produced Little in Way of surprises there were no evident hitches us the Summit und nobody gave away any thing. Kinh president Crugar. And Sovil Leader Mikhail Gorbachev Cwm Home clicking on inc same conflicting positions incs brought to Start so tar us could be told. Despite a remarkable five hours of Pri vate talks in the presence Only of interpreters each said he was still sure the other would come around after thinking Over the sensible ideas he had offered. So much for Charm and persuasion. Thai was no Surprise. Sum Mitry is nol a Mailer of affection. For All the White House talk about personal chemistry in makes Little difference Short of such an abrasive approach that it leads to temper tantrums. And both Reagan and Gorba Chev were determined to be civil so they could announce they had gotten along very nicely thank you. And looked Forward to Mcling again. They talked past each of her. Repeating All inc things that each has been saying for months now without any Hinl of being ready to Budge and reach further for Compromise. American officials say Reagan s Star wars program has put the United slates in a Strong bargaining position. But there is still no sign Hal the president has any interest in bargaining away even a period of restraint on his cherished project and inc Sovil Leader is Adamant about everything else hinging on its renunciation. At his closing press conference which he handled with smooth self Confidence. Gorbachev gave a foretaste of the theme Moscow will sound. Arms control is the Centrepiece of the whole soviet american relationship he said. If the United states goes ahead with the strategic defense initiative he insisted it Means putting weapons in space and that would Stop any constraints on the arms  he said Reagan repeated again and again that his plan was purely defensive but Gorbachev replied arc you going to Tell your people that you refuse to Cut Back on offensive weapons we arc ready for a Radi Cal reduction in the Mountain of weapons if the space door is  this is a very Strong argument particularly since Gorbachev suggested he would go even beyond his recent proposals to wind Down the arms race if he Felt secure about space. Otherwise he warned dryly without a tone of threat but with term determination soviet scientists and agencies would act on instructions they pc been Given to build a  that would be effective less costly and More rapidly achievable than american space defences. So the idea of a fresh Start and a new warmth in soviet american relations the possibility of a safer and More relaxed world less frenetically focused on arms remains highly conditional. Now the it Jestion has to be the purpose of further meetings and negotiations. The leaders have gotten acquainted and exchanged assurances of Good will. They can t keep repeating that performance without the risk of turning it dangerously sour and of undermining their Domestic positions. Reagan still does t seem to have nude the Basic decision on whose advice to take in his divided administration. That showed not Only in inc leaked letter from Secretary of defense Caspar Weinberg or seeking to s if fun him up on the eve of the Summit bul in the All night in fighting among americans Over the text of a joint statement. In resulted in Wal Crinel Down what might have been a Whit Man encouraging diplomacy. The Summit was called a first ilex and it worked in terms of climate. The next Steps cannot be so equivocal. Theft is still a fundamental need to decide what the . Wants and expects from the so Viets. There will always be dispute. To of can be sharpened or managed. The us. Cannot resolve them alone. C new York time new service 1 i