European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 29, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes saturday. April 29,1989 Anthony Lewis . Must adapt of soviet moves or risk so of on winding Down the "10-year military confrontation with the soviet Union ending the cold War is an idea that fills she United Siales with uneasiness. That message is there in the Bush administration s angry reject Ion of Vest Germany s Call for negotiations on Short Range nuclear missiles in Europe. It is there in the administration s embarrassed Lack of response to the unilateral reductions ordered by soviet presi Dent Mikhail Gorbachev on soviet forces in Eastern Europe. It is there in the congressional outcry against modest proposed defense budget cuts that would Stop production of a few new weapons. What we Sec in i Host episodes and others like them is an attachment to the status quo. This country has lived with the cold War for a Long time. Interests have grown up around it. The Prospect of change is unsettling. That is understandable psychologically. In Many situations people prefer the Devil they know. The terrain of the cold War is familiar. We have grown comfortable with it. Moreover the drastic shifts taking place in soviet thinking Challenge our assumptions. For 70 years fear of communism has permeated american life and politics. We have been told that soviet communism seeks world domination and is incapable of change. To absorb the notion of a changing soviet Union moved less by ideology than by traditional National interests is hard. But whatever the reasons for the Unea siness in Washington policy that clings to the status quo will not work. Failure to adapt to the powerful forces of change in the world would do severe damage to american interests economic arid political. Think about the reactions in the House armed services committee when Secretary of defense Dick Cheney sex William Safire planned How he would Cut president Ria ban s $305 billion military budget by $ 10 billion. He would Stop production of such planned new weapons As the Navy s f l4dfighter plane. You Are putting Grumman out of business objected rep George Hoch Brueckner . The Grumman corp. On Long Island has the contract to build the f-i4d. The outcry from Long Island was  other localities objecting to Cheney s proposed cuts. The american Economy has become highly dependent on military contracts and local politicians almost automatically resist cuts that would Al acct their constituencies. But that should be a reason for con Cern. Of the United slates continues to de Vole enormous resources to weapons at a time when other countries develop civilian technology its already troubled economic position will be further endangered. When will politicians think about the urgent problem of How to Shin resources instead of defending the military status. In Europe the United slates is naturally wary of changes in nato Doc Trines that have helped to keep the peace. Dul. Here again to close our minds to changing reality would be self defeating. This week the soviet Union began moving an armoured division out of Hun Gary carrying out the Start of Gorba Chev s promised unilateral withdrawals. The . Ambassador to Hungary Mark Palmer interviewed on National Public radio said most hungarians wanted to see America withdraw forces from Western Europe that they reason would encourage. The soviet Union to pull out of Hungary altogether. The hungarian View May be Wishful. But we can determine thai Only by exploring the soviet position and by encouraging Gorbachev instead of meet ing his positive moves with sour grunts. Nato after All was created to resist soviet threats against Western Europe not to perpetuate the division Folh Conr Tinct. When Gorbachev talks about drastic cuts in the numbers of soviet tanks and other elements that would be needed for a sudden attack our european Ellics. Want to explore the possibilities. It is not just Bonn that wants to Nugo Liate on Short Range missiles As Well As conventional forces. Most nato Mem Bers do. The Bush administration s negative Demeanour risks political isolation. The stale of mind in Washington is beginning to look like the insularity of that famous British newspaper headline fog in Channel continent Cut off. Pulling out troops is Best response to Kohl ._., it it rtt in Citino Al in Iamb in the Csc Gnu inv.  the democratically elected Leader of West Germany bowing to his Public s opinion last week decided that the threat from the soviet Union had virtually vanished. With that policy changing decision made. Chan cellar Helmut Kohl informed his nato allies that nuclear missiles and artillery the equalizer weaponry thai had for decades offset the soviet bloc s huge advantage in conventional arms and troops would not Long be tolerated on his nation s soil. T his Cami As a stunning Surprise to stick in the mud american strategists who thought Europe would resist the Gorbachev peace offensive. Only weeks before Secretary of state James Dakar returned from a visit to Europe convinced that tic had negotiated defense in our  understanding was that the . And other nato allies would not press for modernisation of the most important Short Range missile until after the next German election in 1990, As if that would fool dovish German voters. In Rici urn. The germans agreed not to interfere Wilh the conventional arms reduction talks in Vienna i demanding other negotiations to Lake away our nuclear equal Iier or so Baker thought. I craps sensing a Lack of resolve in our Deal making Secretary and surely counting a weakening of support in German Public opinion polls. Kohl Shook up his Cabinet and chose a gel Tough Wajih Nat posture. He enl his Eminence gris Hans Dietrich Genscher to Washington to assert a policy that was designed to win votes at Home by thrusting a thumb in the Eye of the Atlantic Alliance. Thunderstruck americans and britons cannot understand the logic of the third Zero no nuclear weapons of any kind in the new German position. We Point to a peace in Europe that has now been kept longer than any period in centuries Hanks to the nuclear deterrent. We Point to the foolishness of re moving the big incentive to the soviets to end their tank and troop dominance. But the germans have a plan that transcends this logic of arms control. In German eyes the end of the soviet threat offers the Chance of an end to German postwar defer ence to the  have entered the Post postwar Era. Bonn has demonstrated its dedication to democracy and sees the time As Ripe to assert German National interest. That explains last week s split in nato. The Feder Al Republic is serving notice of a new assertiveness nest will come a half step Back offering a cordial com Promise in time for Handi Hacks at me gathering of Western leaders next month. The next assertive Slep is to strength in bilateral German soviet relations leading to recognized Ger Man leadership of the economic development of task trn Europe " that s a Market of 150 million people Roost of whom would prefer their economics 10 be dominated by efficient germans than repressive russians. And then comes agitation for the reunification of West germans know thai their future absorption of communist East Germany is the Prospect Iha sets Teeth on Edge in just about every country no Europe which is Why Germany s reunification is not on its Public Agenda. Talk of it now might mute some of the european Nineteen ninety tooling and tight federation with Western Europe is in Bonn s interest but count on this Easi Germany is not the brother land it is part of the fatherland and every politician Bonn s plan to seek its destiny eastward will work Best if ties to the West arc maintained. Thai Means continuing the pretence of nato As Long As the amen cans can be duped. However even americans can understand that 100qq . Troops stationed on West German soil denuded of a nuclear defense become pawns. That is Why a Small signal was sent from the us. Last week soon Afler the German third Zero Snocker. Two paragraph item 4,000 us troops who manned the missiles that were pulled out Are leaving. Despite All the Dush nato rhetoric  the next month those returnees arc the first of the Many. For after the third Zero ending the Chance of Effic Rively defending Europe from a soviet attack comes inc fourth Zero no am incan troops. Send Lac word. Send the word to our overconfident ally if germans will not defend themselves then it s Over Over there