European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 30, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 columns William Safire the stars and stripes saturday november 30, 1985 very Little happened at Geneva and Shaf s Good Geneva Switzerland a stroll in the Park a fireside Chat and thou beside me is the Rubaiyat of Ron Ald Reagan. Let us use our checklist of criteria Tor Success in Summit Xiv w see How we made out. First on the standards that should not be used for judgment 1. Did the leaders get on Well a . The extended minuet of this die hard duo will surely play in euphoria. The president s decision to go it alone on on on for More than four hours was Roosevelt Ian in its audacity and its arro Gance. True we elect one Man and Trust him but sometimes personal diplomacy goes too far. Mikhail s. Gorbachev should be reminded that no understand Ings reached Man to Man count beyond Jan. 20, 1989. 2. Were tensions reduced this false criterion was met the russians who last month were insisting that nuclear War loomed unless we gave up Star wars have abandoned that pose and Are now hailing a new personal detente which they Hope will be useful to them in Dis solving the mistrust that invasion repression and treaty violations have earned. 3. Was a breakthrough achieved in arms control of course not although this is written while statements arc being drafted it appears that Reagan refused to accept this soviet criterion fur Success in this resumption of Normal relations after their Long snit. 4. Did we get into the agreement sign ing Summitar habit they Are to participate in a ceremony on symbolic stuff Ano i fear we have agreed to follow up meetings too quickly but Fig leaves for Diplomatist denied breakthroughs should not be begrudge. So much for the phony standards for judging Success. Now o the real criteria 1. Did we link arms reduction to soviet behaviour yes by not yielding to inc so Viet desire to make this an arms control session by pressing on such other issues As soviet discomfiture about its debacle in Afghanistan where we Are looking for a Summit Surprise we sent word linkage lives. Progress on one front is made possible by civilized behaviour on All. 2. Was realism shown on arms Raduc Flora Lewis a we my 6koup we it to you soft/0/7, to a f of item & 7& meet a 64/m my c4me out so zing use a 7% of i did 7w� lion itself thanks to hard line work by of Dward Rowny Richard Pyrle Fred Klc and Ken Aderman Reagan resisted the temptation to hamstring testing of re search on space defences. The russians Are notorious 1 lib hour negotiators and the Good news is that we realized it is not yet 11 o clock. 3. Was harm done we cannot know what went on in the fireside Chat but there is reason to Hope that Gorbachev found himself with a disarmingly warm but doctrinaire superpower companion. The shorthand notes of our interpreter should not wait until Memoir time for transcription certainly Senate foreign re lations deserves an unexpurgated look. 4. Did the Summit meeting provide the cover for real movement both leaders grabbed the Chance to pretend to Lessen their mistrust of each other. Each will Tell colleagues he opened the other s eyes for at least a squint at truth. Both will mini Mize the failure to reach agreement. That provides the camouflage they need at Home for serious negotiating in Standard channels especially if the changing rus Sian team gets the word that we Don t Cave at Summit talks. Without yet comparing parallel statements i get the feeling the . Did not fare badly at Summit Xiv. If that holds through the final meeting the Suc Cess Here can be attributed to Reagan s Faith in his travelling Hawks and a pc Summit miscalculation by Gorbachev. Secretary of stale George p. Shultz went to Moscow Wilh a 26-Poinl basis for a join communique. He was All but slammed against a Kremlin Wall in a crude attempt at intimidation. That was Lucky because our draft contained some of the usual state department pablum after that Awakening slap we went to Geneva determined to let the russians Lead to us. Our negotiators reminded them selves and Reagan that the arms building momentum which for a decade favored the russians had switched Side that Moscow had to be worried not Only about Star wars defense but also an oncoming stealth technology that reduced the radar profile of a cruise missile to that of a housefly. Moreover the russians know that our d-5 missile is coming on line in 1989, giving us a silo Buster in a sub which will overcome inc current soviet advantage of accuracy in their land based icbms. As a result we sat tight. The russian now have More to gain from suggesting future restraints they know it and we know it. This week they saw our inclination to play a Strong hand strongly. Rea Gan took a Long draught of Heady wine and then wisely turned Down an empty Glass. C n0w Yak time Newt or vat superpower Summit gave new Hope of Europe there is no ambiguity in the delighted West european reaction to the Geneva Summit. Senior officials at nato Headquarters confess that their reaction stems in part from Relief Many had feared that something would go seriously wrong if Only by miscalculation. But there is also unstinting admiration for the Way president Reagan handled his first meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev and a satisfied sense that things Are going to be a bit easier for everyone now. British prime minister Margaret Thatcher was the Only one to caution against euphoria at the nato conference just after Geneva. Whether Washington likes it or not serious expectations have been released. For a number of allies with Strong Domestic peace movements among them West Germany Britain Den Mark and the Netherlands being Able to Call the sum Mit meeting a Success is a Welcome internal political gain. It will take the spirit out of demonstrations and make it harder to mobilize anti american opinion. Eastern europeans Are also pleased. Gorbachev has Sig naked them that he intends to be Tough on both economic and political issues inside the soviet bloc. But the Eastern ers always manage to wangle a Little More Elbow room when soviet american tensions Are eased and they look Forward to doing so again. One aspect of the Summit session that will anger right Wing americans when they learn of it but that also soothes official european apprehensions on both sides is the Concession Rea Gan made on How to pursue the human rights Issue. The president told nato that he explained in his private talks with Gorbachev the fundamental importance of human rights concerns for the american people and Congress. It is part of our ideology it is very profound is How one official quoted Reagan. But the president went on to say that he had told the soviet Leader that the United states would t seek to exploit human rights politically that it would make less noise and be quieter about the cases taken up. That was already reflected in the Reagan Gorbachev joint statement where the question of rights was re named humanitarian problems less galling to the russians. Reagan also told his own staff he now saw that the United Stales had been pushing too hard on this Point and had to find a better Way to do it. In this switch he has tilted Back toward classical diplomacy which puts trying to get a Point across w the a minimum of friction ahead of making a propaganda score. U remains to be seen How this Wil fac worked out but it added to the european sense that even though very High negotiations Are ahead the danger of East West confrontation has passed. A Veteran belgian Diplomat Andre de Staercke retired after a lifetime of involvement in International crises said he sensed at last that the advice Cardinal Richelieu gave King Louis Xiii was being accepted. The Cardinal told the lung that when he first came to serve he thought the King s position was the Best on everything. Then he had Learned it was essential to negotiate All the time with everyone and especially for Rome read Moscow in the contemporary world. De Staercke then turned to the Book of revelation quoting St. John s letter to the Church in Philadelphia which says behold i have Sci before the an open door and no Man can shut that is the door of salvation. The implication was that people around the world will not tolerate having their new Hopes dashed again and will demand that the superpowers now move on. Although Reagan got Gorbachev to drop threats of breaking up the Summit meeting unless there was some give on Star wars in european eyes the president by now engaged himself personally and deeply in the Pursuit of an agreement with Moscow. Whether the president intends it or not it tips him away from the Washington hard liners who Are against any Compromise. Already. European officials Are looking for ways to exploit the new atmosphere in their own interests. Thu it particularly True of West Germany preparing to Puih again for More accords with East Germany. Chancellor Helmut Kohl s conservative government is just As eager for accommodation Wilh East Berlin As arc the opposition socialists. Re this is the kind of response that Washington was worrying and warning about Wilh ils Delibac rally Low key approach to the Summit meeting. And it has developed even Wuh Oul any subs Antic Progress. But it s not at All bad Hal inc two most powerful leaders have edged them selves into Pon sirants for improving the chant of peace. Debut kind cd Hopes Hal w � press them to go on and new York Tom i twi or in
