European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 03, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes columns Bryan Brumley president adjusts his european defense strategy lightning changes in the soviet bloc prompted president Bush to take a step he walked adjust eight weeks ago. Proposing further cuts in the number of superpower troops in Central Europe. Events in Eastern Europe with the collapse of communist  pressure from the allies and a Domestic clamor for the peace dividend persuade Bush to use his slate of the Union address to offer sharper reductions than previously envisioned a senior administration official said. Troops arc the costliest item in the Pentagon Bud get especially those stationed overseas and arc expected to be a prime target of congressional budget cutters reviewing Bush s 1991 spending plan in Hopes of finding Money for favored Domestic programs. In his speech. Bush credited the change to remark Able events events hat fulfil the Long held Hopes of the american  superpower talks on cutting conventional armies in Europe have quickened Over the last 13 months after being mailed for 14 years while nato and the Warsaw pact bickered Over How Many of what were stationed where. Soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev shifted the talks into High gear in december 1988 with his sur prise announcement that he was cutting global soviet troop strength by 10 percent and withdrawing six Tan divisions from Europe. Nato Leaden told Gorbachev they wanted much sharper Warsaw pact cuts in Europe. Last May. Bush proposed that the americans and soviets set a ceiling of 275.000 troops apiece. More than 265.000 . Troops arc in Western Europe and 565.000 soviet forces arc in Central and Andrew Rosenthal Eastern Europe. There arc an additional 35.000 . Troops in Britain. Italy Greece and Turkey that would not be affected by Bush s latest plan. Additionally Gorbachev has agreed to a step that analysts consider More important in assuring thai the soviets would not be Able to launch a Surprise attack. He has accepted a nato proposal to Cut the number of soviet tanks in Central Europe from 53.000 to about 20,000, while the Western Alliance reduces i stank Arsenal from 23,000 to 20,000. At their Malta Summit in december. Bush and Gorbachev said they hoped to sign the conventional Force in Europe treaty known As cafe by the end of the year at a Summit involving leaders of the 16 nato and seven Warsaw pact nations. Bush s proposal would be part of follow up negotiations known among arms control specialists As Cfe-2. At a news conference after the Malta Summit. Bus said he wanted to Complete the first treaty before Dis cussing its successor. But since then Poland. Hungary and Czechoslovakia have announced troop cuts of their own and asked the Kremlin to withdraw All its forces from their territory. And the Leader of East Germany has said that All superpower troops could be out of Europe by 2000. It became apparent a senior administration official said that events in Eastern Europe with the collapse of communist regimes with discussions with Eastern europeans suggesting the soviets ought to pull their troops out and so on. That the cafe proposal we made last May u nato and is now being negotiated was perhaps not where we ought to be at the present  it appeared that in the area of arms control specifically conventional arms control in Europe that events were running ahead of the negotiations said the source. So the president asked for a review of what made sense and. Following discussions with his advisers and military leaders he came up with a proposal which would be designed to maintain . Interests in Europe said the official. Bush s new plan brought immediate applause from Capitol Hill. Sen. Sam Nunn a a. Chairman of the armed services committee called it very  noting that last december he advocated a troop level reduction to Between 200,000 and 225,000. I believe that it makes the arms control proposal that we have on the table much More relevant to the changing circumstances in  Nunn said. The Senate will be receptive to  the Long feared soviet potential to launch a Surprise attack has virtually disappeared Over the last year said Ted Warner a military analyst at the Rand corp. The soviets have completed about half the troop and tank reductions that Gorbachev announced in de Cember 1988. Warner said. Moreover the collapse of hard line communist regimes Means that the Warsaw pact could by no Means count on any contribution from its East european allies to mount an offensive against nato Warner said. When All is said and done they have lost a great Deal of armoured striking Power he said. As a result Bush has decided that . Troops stationed in Europe during the cold War can begin to come Home. Bryan Brunley covers diplomatic Allain of the associated press Bush has a vision but his budget won t pay for it president Bush provided orator ical flourish and the weight of his office to his Domestic Agenda wednesday night but added link new substance to policies outlined earlier in budget proposals that democrats have already criticised As in adequate. The on major new aspect of Bush  on Domestic policy in his first state of the Union address Lay in a set of   Bush sought to portray3i ambitious including making every adult literate by 2000. Bui administration officials suggested hat the real goals in the department of education s strategy for the coming cars were actually More modest than Bush suggested in his speech and democratic leaders immediately complained about the scope of Bush s proposals for increasing education spending. This conflict has been Central to Bush s administration while he has out lined some Broad visions he has con stantly been constrained by the tightness of the Federal budget and his determination not to raise taxes. The speech wednesday night was shot through with the sense that while change is convulsing Europe Bush s View of Testate of the Union is More Placid less a Call to join the revolution of 89" than to build incrementally on a solid foundation. Dreams alone won t get us there Bush said in his prepared text. We Nee to extend cur horizon commit to the Long  our Challenge today is to take this democratic system of ours a system Sec Ond to none and make it belter he said. A belter America where there s a Job for everyone wh9 wants one. Where women working outside the Home can be confident i hair children arc in Safe and Loving care and where the government works to expand child care  for parents. Where we reconcile the needs of a clean environment and Strong  most of Bush s comments on Domestic to three is policy were vague and deliberately so in keeping with his stated plan to allow his budget proposal for the 1991 fiscal year which he sent to Congress monday to carry the Brunt of his legislative Agenda for the year. I come not to speak about the slate of the government " Bush told a joint session of Congress not to detail every new initiative that we plan for the com ing year nor describe every line item in inc  but Bush s comments reflected the general philosophy of his budget for inc 1991 fiscal year. He proposed major investments in what he called human capital including substantial increases in subsidies for Basic scientific research and space exploration and equally substantial reductions in the growth of benefits like medicare and Federal pensions. Bush said he was determined to encourage the creation of capital capital of All kinds including everything from our farms and factories to our workshops and production  but his budget systematically would reduce Federal investment in such areas As highways railroads and Bridges cuts that administration officials say reflect inc proper role of the Federal govern ment. The Only portion of Bush s speech that was not contained in his 1991 budget was his education stance. Last fall at the education Summit the governors and i agreed to look for ways to help make sure kids arc ready to learn the very first Day they walk Mlo that classroom Bush said referring to the meeting he held with the nation s governors following a conference on Edu cation in Williamsburg a. Last year. By the year 2000." he said every child must Start school ready to  Bush said his request for a $500 million increase in the budget for the head Start program made Good on that  he said by the end of the Century the High school graduation Rale must be no less than 90  the Bush administration calculates that figure by the number of children who finish High school within four years of Entrance. That rate Las calculated in 1986, was 72 percent. Education department officials said wednesday night. The education department has said thai 13 percent of americans 20 and older Are functionally illiterate. Officials said Bush was proposing dropout prevention assistance  but the White House has budgeted Only $45 million for the Effort and. As with Many of its Domestic programs is counting on the Grants to get Stales to increase their own spending. The idea is to inspire the states to work hard to make curriculum More interesting and find other ways to keep kids in High school one official said. In his reply to Bush House speaker Thomas s. Foley said we will set a National goal of making our schools once again the Busl in the world by inc year 2000. On this Issue the president s words seem to agree with us. But his actions say something  cd the new York times the opinions expressed in the columns and cartoons on this Page represent those of the authors and Are in no Way to be considered As representing the views of the slurs and stripes or the United states