European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 16, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes wednesday july 16,1986 columns Tom Wicker Reagan sproling toward another Vietnam the soviet Union has apparently supplied Nicaragua s sandinista government with is More m-i7 helicopters bringing its Force of these crucial weapons to 22 or 23. Nothing could suggest More dramatically the futility and Dan Gers of president Reagan s course in Cen trial America. The new helicopters began arriving Al Corillo and Blu Fields Loo soon to be a direct response to approval by the House of representatives of $100 million in additional Aid to the contras the military Force organized and financed by the Rea Gan administration to overthrow the Sandi nistas. There can be no doubt however that he helicopters have been delivered in response to the sandinista Long held conviction which can Only Nave been strengthened by the House vote that Washington is determined to bring Down their regime. As a result the contras obviously will need More anti aircraft weapons perhaps stinger missiles to counter the sandinista enhanced air Power. Ste phen Kinzer of the new York times has reported that discussions already Are being held in Washington As to what kinds of anti aircraft weapons must now be sent. The consequence of that of course will be More soviet aircraft delivered to Nicaragua in the future to overcome the contras added firepower and so on and on in the familiar spiral of other soviet american arms races. Both superpowers seem to be step Ping up their military Aid at the same time a latin american military officer in Managua told Kinzer. That was As predictable As the cycles of the Moon. Sooner or later moreover in this lethal game of International leapfrog mos cow May decide to Send fighter planes instead of helicopters. Then the fat will be in the fire because Reagan already has said that the United states will no tolerate the acquisition of soviet fighters by the sandinista. So the futility of the Reagan policy lies in the ability of the sandinista to match with Aid from the soviet bloc whatever added military strength the adm Nistra George will lion and Congress provide to the con tras. And the danger is thai at the end of a fruitless spiral of escalation Reagan will see no other Way to accomplish his purpose than the direct use of unite states forces no doubt under some such cover As responding to the arrival of soviet fighter planes or 19 some real or proclaimed Border incursion into Hon Duras or Costa Rica the risk of another costly and protracted War like the one in Vietnam is not All that s at stake Here although that risk is real. The United states populace not Only does not want such a War by targe mar gins every poll shows that North Ameri cans do not even support increased Aid to the contras. And despite superheated White House rhetoric Reagan s Milita Ristic policy is not the Only course open to his administration. As often pointed out Here he could state publicly and forcefully that the United states would not accept a a so Viet or cuban military base in Nicara Gua and b any nicaraguan military movement against its neighbors. These verifiable and enforceable poli cies would be welcomed and supported by other latin countries and would Clear the Way for the Contador nations to conclude a regional peace treaty accept Able in both Managua and Washington. The United states has every reason to heed its own lectures to the world on the values of self determination and non intervention. And it s not yet too late to Stop the spiral toward an unwanted unnecessary and unjustified War in Central America. C the wort to Illinois governor s race May yet become a race the Chicago tone a minced words about elemental things was struck in a recent headline about the reaction of Dallas Green the cubs general manager to his players performance cubs nauseated  Adlai Stevenson Iii feels that Way about his two opponents gov. Jim Thompson and Fate. Stevenson uses the word lie repeatedly in his Litany governor candidates Are voted on As a team after the primary he resigned the democratic nomination for governor hoping to run As an Independent. However Illinois has a sore loser jaw designed to prevent losers of primaries from running As independents. It is not aimed against third parties it says Independent candidates must file months before the primary. Stevenson challenged that Law s Constitution so now he must organize a full slate for a Lis new Solidarity party must run a full election Day he lost by just 5,034 out of 3,627," 128 votes. Slate but he does not want the pro forma candidates of the polls had missed the surge of Black voting that would his party to take votes from regular democrats such As sen. Alan Dixon. So in his spare time he must teach the slumbering electorate How and convince it that it ought to perform a three punch operation on the voting machines in november. He wants them of vote the straight democratic ticket but then also for Ste Venson and his lieutenant governor candidate and his Secretary of state candidate. Stevenson smiles wanly As he says his woes have Given him millions of dollars Worth of  however but for the Honor of it he would As soon dispense with the attention he has received in a recent edition of the new York times. Elect a Black Chicago mayor in 1983. Stevenson is an unlikely beneficiary of increased Black voting. Think of everything Jesse Jackson is beginning with electric. Stevenson is not. Even when things Are going swimmingly and Stevenson is Chipper he is so diffident he seems melancholy. Today when absolutely everything is going rot Tenly he seems almost Chipper about the certainty that things can t get worse. These dog Days of summer were preceded Bybe followed by the dog the dog Days of Spring and mayday of autumn. In last Spring s primary because no one was paying attention candidates from Lyndon la Rouche s not so funny farm of political extremists beat the democratic organization s candidates for lieutenant governor and Secretary of state. Stevenson instantly said he would not run with them. Governor and lieutenant there goes my Money again he says imagining the depressive effect of the times Catalon of the mis adventures during his recent foray into Central Illinois. On his ill timed visit to the University of Illinois he missed the class break and got Only two signatures for his petition to get his party on the ballot. When asked at an Auto workers meeting about owning a japanese pickup truck he said his farm is hurting and the truck saved him $1,500 but if i had known i was running then i would t have done  in 1982 big Jim Thompson for 10 Yean Illinois has been governed by the adjective big said Stevenson was a  Stevenson was on his Way to shedding that image by acting decisively against the Larouche Itea then he hauled it Back in his pickup truck. In politics them that has has Money has momentum gits gits Money momentum. Big Jim radiates Energy and says Stevenson has never in his life taken an unpopular  of course neither has big Jim apologized for his pickup. However Ste Venson says Illinois is three states Chicago the suburban Collar counties and downstate. The City is democratic farm distress helps him downstate. Besides there is a natural attrition in governing. Thompson s 10 years of governing have been 10 years of choosing. Choosing Means pleasing some people but aggravating others and people have longer memories for aggravations than pleasures. Furthermore Steven son a representative of one of America s most distinguished political families May now have an appealing kind of anti Charisma stoicism in the face of unkind Fate. The contest May yet be a contest. C Wun not a spoil