European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 30, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes saturday August 30,1986 columns William  Reagan in t Likely to get Chance to run again the television news in particular has taken to inviting people seriously to weigh the possibility that in deference to the popularity of Ronald Rea Gan a constitutional amendment will be passed re pealing the amendment that limits a president to two terms. Concerning All of which a few observations 1. The 22nd amendment was a reaction to Frank Lin Delano Roosevelt in three parts. There was to begin with the sentiment to continue the tradition of a president s retiring after two terms. Then there was the reaction that followed the news that gradually leaked out about the Semi invalid we elected for a fourth term. The show put on by for and his Doc tors during 1944 was one of the great deceptions in american history. It transpired that Well before he accepted renomination for had been told by his doctors that he should limit his workload to two or three hours a Day. There Are those who wish he had limited his workload to Zero hours per Day going Back to 1933, and that is the third element that contributed to the passage of the 22nd amendment the anti Roosevelt sentiment. The amendment passed a democratic con Gress in March 1947, and was ratified by the 32nd state in february 1951, the Speed a Little grudging but Sug Gesting a reflective Resolution by the people that the unwritten code of two terms should be explicitly stated. 2. The irony lies in the partisan shift in sentiment. Although the Call to repeal the 22nd amendment is anything but a National Issue it is obvious that were it to become one the sentiment in favor would be pre dominantly Republican the sentiment opposed pre dominantly democratic. This is in Sharp contrast to sentiment at the time of the amendment s passage. Elmer Davis the populist intellectual who ran several of for s wartime programs denounced it As an act of retroactive  they could t beat him while he was alive he said or words to the same effects kick him around when he s dead. So although the Issue is not National in fact Michigan rep. Guy Vander Jagt who was the Keynoter at the Republican National convention in Kansas City in 1976 that turned Reagan Down in favor of Gerald Ford has introduced legislation calling for repeal. 3. Ronald Reagan speaking in Texas two weeks ago was clearly being Kitt Enish with the crowd when he did one More try the crowd roared even As they roared for Roosevelt at the convention in july 1944 that nominated him for a fourth term. Now if the repeal of the 22nd amendment were to become a serious proposal almost certainly the word ing of it would be As direct As that proposed by Vander Jagt. It does t take a lot of language to repeal an Tom Wicker turd Tom  Wop tit 1989 jeu1ru10ndolurdsiot est soft. Amendment. When the 22nd was passed Congress needed a sentence the effect of which would be not to affront Harry Truman. The 22nd says that any presi Dent who was served for More than two years in a term to which another person was elected and has served a full term besides can t serve again. Truman became president a few months after the re election of Roose velt and would have been prevented from running again in 1932 save for the phase but this article shall not apply to any person holding the office of president when this article was proposed by the con Gress " 4. Ronald Reagan has indeed come out several times in favor of the proposition that if the people want to elect a president for three or More terms that ought to be their business. But he has always been careful to say that this excludes him. Almost certainly he is sincere in saying so but one step might be taken to remove the proposed debate from partisan Contention namely to write into the legislation the reverse clause used for Truman i.e., a clause that would exclude any president in office at the time the amendment was passed from running for a third term. There will not be a clean debate on the Issue at All if it is viewed As animated by a desire to draft Ronald Reagan for a third term. 5. What would be Best of All in the judgment of some is a defeat of the proposed repeal whatever its language. Against the proposition that a democratic people should have the right to continue whosoever sin Power for whatever period they want is the Republican tradition of the citizen Leader the Cincinnati who lays Down his plow to serve and picks up his plow again having served. If we do get into the business of amending terms we should go in the direction of a single term six years Reform an endless list of Polit ical thinkers left and right have endorsed but which has never taken flight. What then is likeliest to happen nothing. C in Herzl Proa syn diem contras won t be the ones to oust sandinista president Reagan has come out of the closet about his goal of overthrowing the sandinista govern ment of Nicaragua. But his Hope to use the so called contras to do it looks More and More like an  whose time will never come. Reagan told the mexican newspaper Excelsior that unless the sandinista establish democracy in Nicara Gua the Only alternative would be for the contras to have their Way and take  taking Over even in Reagan administration Doublespeak can Only mean new government in Managua. But Reagan is wrong about the Only  he has another option if the contras can t do the Job for him and not even the . Military believes that they can. He can Send in . Forces and even though the administration denies any thought of doing so which Reagan do you believe the one who clearly wants the sandinista thrown out or the one who says hell never Send in the marines but even As the president spoke openly about a take Over by the contras he called them Freedom fight in but that does t make them so a new and predictable difficulty reared its head. No nation in Central America has As yet agreed to allow . Advisers to train the contras on its soil. The advisers Are to be paid for out of the $100 million in . Taxpayers Money that Congress foolishly has agreed to Send the contras. If the very word evokes bad memories of the 12,000 advisers that America sent to teach reluctant South vietnamese How to fight for what were then perceived As . Interests it should for that earlier adviser program like the one for Nicaragua also began with Only a handful of men. The first three nations to refuse to accept the advis ers were Panama Honduras and Al Salvador. The Tat Ter two have been the most reliable allies in the Region the United states makes heavy military and other in vestments in each. Panama though not so amenable has Long been Host to a . Military establishment. That these nations want no part of the Contra train ing program suggests How forlorn is Reagan s Hope that these terrorists organized and managed by the Cia can destroy the sandinista regime and take its place. Those closer to the scene know better. The attitudes of Panama Honduras and Al Salvador suggest also that Only Washington thinks that bringing military pressure on the sandinista is the right Way to make them negotiate some kind of settlement with their neighbors. In the Region such pressures Are believed rather to push the sandinista further into a fortress mentality causing them to con elements that they t that s Why none of Nicaragua s neighbors wants to be perceived in Managua As aiding the United states and the contras. They Don t believe this $100 million Effort can either oust the sandinista or cause them to cry Uncle As Reagan once fatuous by wished out loud. They fear instead that a continuing Contra War will make the sandinista More hostile and stronger militarily probably with the help of Cuba and the soviet Union hence More of a threat to surrounding coun tries than the president claims they Are now. But the administration finding no Host country eagerly awaiting the advisers naturally has set out to buy one. A new Aid package for Honduras is being negotiated and Washington is hinting that if the Booty is increased sufficiently Honduras will see the Light and accept the advisers. This displays not Only a sour cynicism about allies in general but a Lack of self respect is the briber any More to be admired than the bribed it shows want regard for a neighbor country already too nearly converted into a puppet state. And if the cooperation of Honduras actually can be bought How Long and at what Price will that country stay bought but if Honduras or another Central american Host can t be bought the administration apparently intends to have its advisers train the contras in this country. Imagine that the world s strongest critic of state sponsored terrorism bringing foreign nationals to its own territory to teach them now to overthrow a Legal government. Does anyone suppose the tricks and tactics to be taught will somehow have nothing to do with those of terrorism c new York Timm