European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 5, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Paga 10 the stars and stripes columns Robert Burns nato focus on conventional arms a diversion Brussels Belgium nato is sounding a louder alarm about the threat posed by bigger East bloc armies in Europe in Hopes or turning Public attention away ram Moscow s drive to free the Region of nuclear weapons. The Shin in tactics also is designed to sidestep a split within the Western Alli Ance Over How to approach future negotiations on nuclear arms. President Reagan and leaders of he i other North Atlantic treaty organization members highlighted the new Western emphasis on non nuclear arms by declaring wednesday their eagerness to open new negotiations the conventional imbalance in Europe remains at the Core of Europe s Security concerns the nato leaders said in a joint statement. Their aim is to portray the Western Alliance As United on an important aspect of East West arms control at a Lime when Moscow is seeking to exploit a split among the . Allies on Noctor arms strategy. A Central message that emerged from the nato Summit which ended thursday was that the East bloc s numerical superiority in Many key categories of conventional arms not the presence of nuclear weapons in Europe is the greatest danger to Western Secu Rity. The most direct threat to our Secu Rity and to stability in Europe lies in the soviet Union s massive military presence at a level exceeding its de sense needs Reagan said after wednesday s meetings. The nato statement said the Large soviet armies cast a Shadow Over the whole of  Washington Hopes nato can begin a new set of conventional arms negotiations with the soviet Union and its is Warsaw pact allies this fall. The nato initiative also shifts the Public spotlight away from West Ger Many s dispute with its allies Over whether and when to replace very Short Range nuclear weapons with new More effective ones. Most of these weapons if fired would strike German soil. East or West. The Brussels Summit was aiming to gloss Over the German problem by Terence Hunt saying in a broader declaration thurs Day that talks on Short Range nuclear missiles could be undertaken in con Junction with but not necessarily at the same Lime As other arms negotiations. Thai leaves open the question of whether nato should insist that the soviets reduce their conventional forces before the two blocs engage in negotiations to further reduce their nuclear arsenals in Europe. According to Western estimates the Warsaw pact holds about a 3-to-l advantage in numbers of tanks and Artil Lery although nato enjoys an Edge in some crucial naval forces and in fighter aircraft in Europe. The new stress on conventional arms nato Hopes will steal some of the Thunder from soviet Leader Mik Hail s. Gorbachev s Campaign to woo the West european Public with Calls for freeing the continent of nuclear arms. All nato members agree they must keep some nuclear weapons in Europe to deter a soviet attack Al though they also have fully endorsed the .-soviet treaty to eliminate All intermediate Range nuclear missiles. The More than 400 . Inf missiles arc based in Western Europe. Gorbachev bos significantly improved his Public image in Western Europe by agreeing to the inf Deal first proposed by Reagan in 1961. It cast him As a dramatically different More peaceful Kremlin Leader. Now nato wants to test Gorba Chev s intentions further by proposing that he eliminate the Warsaw pact s capability la launch a Surprise attack by conventional forces. The two military blocs have been working far one year to agree on a framework for a new set of negotiation to establish a More stable bal Ance of non nuclear forces in Europe. The talks May begin this fall. These talks would replace a narrower set of East West negotiations on cutting troop Levels which have gone nowhere in is years. The new negotiations would be even More complicated encompassing a wider geographic area involving More nations and including not Only troops but also a wide Range of weapons and equipments note no twi own com h Nam to y  Tran bit boat it Bra ill ism i Reagan left nato with virtually All he sought Brussels Belgium in his final appearance on the nato stage. President Reagan got virtually every thing he wanted including a bouquet for his peace making efforts with Mikhail s. Gorbachev and a Man Date to demand More from the soviet Leader this Spring. Reagan left Brussels thursday with a Strong reaffirm Malion of Alliance Solidarity criticism of the soviet record on human rights and nato demands for sweeping cutbacks in Warsaw pact tanks artillery and other non nuclear forces. In the spirit of Harmony major differences Wen muted or ignored As nato leaders celebrated the sign ing of a u , treaty to eliminate a whole class of nuclear missiles in Europe and Asia. As the Leader of the Western Alliance Reagan can Lake satisfaction that nato weathered the disarms Nicini storm of 1982 and deployed intermediate Range nuclear missiles a step that brought the soviets Back to the negotiating table and produced the inf treaty. Now with just 10 months remaining in office he has a vote of Confidence for Degoti axons with the Kremlin toward a so percent Cut in strategic nuclear arms As Welt As a strategy for East West talks in which nato will insist on lower Levels of Warsaw pad tanks artillery planes and ground forces. Gorbachev has scored Points in Europe with his talk of peace and disarmament and now Reagan has been put in the same spotlight with new attention focused on the inf treaty. Over the last several months a number of people have said the inf agreement has caused Fis sures within the Alliance the Alliance is troubled Europe is adrift they re not sure of the United states commitment said it. Gen. Colin Powell the presi Dent s National Security adviser. Well the president reaffirmed our commitment to Europe. He did u clearly and that  was welcomed by the other members Ollie Alliance pow Ell added. So t think it s been a most useful meeting one that was necessary one that was  the Summit was a Bright spot in what is Likely to be a difficult year at Home for Reagan. As a lame Duck president with a democratic con trolled Congress hoping to keep republicans out of the while House Reagan will have Tittle Chance to and Vance his legislative Agenda. Traditionally then foreign policy becomes the focus of outgoing presidents and Reagan 1 no exception. The nato Summit with the leaders of is other countries was another in a series of Farewell sessions though he will Sec five of the officials in Toronto at the annual economic Summit in june. Before the economic Summit however comes the trip to Moscow his fourth meeting with Gorbachev. It is expected sometime in late May or Early june. Both sides seem eager for Reagan s visit even though it appears unlikely the leaders will be Able to sign another major arms pact. Reagan said in a recent interview it appears unlikely there will be enough Lime to wrap up a strategic arms treaty before the Moscow Summit but he Suid he thinks it could be completed before he leaves office. Regardless a Reagan trip to Moscow to the heart of what he once called the evil Empire would dominate world attention and give both the president and the soviet Leader another forum to seek a legacy As peacemaker