European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 14, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The Short Range missile debate West Germany Calls for new defense strategy by Girard. Steichen associated Pressa major dispute within nato Over Short Range nuclear weapons reflects West Germany s growing disenchantment with what germans perceive As a defense strategy that could destroy the front line nation in a War Tho West German Public is becoming increasingly delian about heavy defense burdens put on the country by its membership in the North Atlantic treaty organization. Til it is West Germany s vulnerable location on the  West Divide that May Force the Bonn government to modify its insistence on superpower negotiations to Al Minale fhe Short Range missiles. West Germany s leaders and a. Majority of voters acknowledge there is no alternative to the Alliance that members of a West German peace group atop a . Military truck. West germans Are becoming More and More defiant about heavy defense burdens placed on their country by nato. Has protected the nation for 40 years. Most West germans Don t want their country to Boll from nato said renal Koecher a researcher at Iho National polling Institute in Allensbach. But there is a Strong sentiment in the country that nato should to Able of adjust to the changes that have occurred in recent years in East West relations Koecher said. Washington cannot afford to ignore Iho stirrings of its strongest military partner and Western Europe s most potent economic Power. The Days Are Over when you can sell a defense policy to germans that clearly threatens to turn their country into a smoking pile of ruins said Peter Danylow a Domestic and foreign policy expert with the Bonn based foreign affairs Institute. The presence of nearly 1 million troops in the Small country 400,000 from foreign armies and nearly 500,000 in the West German bund Estehr armed forces is an increasing concern to the Public. With Domestic anti nuclear sentiment threatening his own political survival Chancellor Helmut Kohl has called on Washington and Moscow to gel to work on reducing the Short Range stockpiles. But . And other nato strategists oppose a new round of negotiations on those missiles until the Warsaw pact has reduced its advantage in conventional armaments. Last week soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev Al a meeting in Moscow with Secretary of slain James a. Baker Iii disclosed proposals for reductions in soviet conventional arms in Europe As Well As plans Lor a Small Cut in the soviet nuclear Arsenal Bonn s refusal to endorse the . Missile strategy has caused a rift within the Alliance. Those charting Public opinion say the majority of West germans support the government s initiative to push for a revised defense policy. The West German Public has realized As never before that these weapons would spell the certain destruction of their nation if they were Ever used Hans Dietrich of i o o i i a in _ of \ a i i a vj3 l. M o w  Bonn foreign minister builds Bridges to the East by Carol  associated Pressw est German foreign minister Hans Dietrich Genscher whose avuncular appearance belies a driving nature personifies the germans struggle to heal a Continental wound inflicted by past misdeeds. Genscher has been a key architect of West German foreign policy Lor 15 years the longest serving foreign minister in the West and midwife of a new movement dubbed Genscher ism that would like to see Reform minded socialists in Eastern Europe succeed. He has charted the course for West Germany s overtures to the East expressing an eagerness for every Chance to Bridge the capitalist communist chasm. And he has stood guard Over the gains of Osl politic the strategy forged by former Chancellor Willy Brandt a generation ago to Loster better relations Between the two German Stales. Bonind the 62-year-old politician s quest for West German foreign minister Hans Dietrich Genscher. Page 16 the stars and stripes sunday May 14, 1989