KATHLEEN AGENA
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nothing to dampen the enthusiasm that had greeted his announce–
ment. Saying is believing at the U. N., it seems, and only truth has
consequences.
I suggested to David Adamson, a member of the U.S. delega–
tion, that Reagan could have come up with some new initiatives,
geared toward the sort of playing to the stands that the Soviets han–
dle so well at the U .N.-for example, stating that the U .S. was will–
ing to join the Soviet Union in a "no first use" pledge
on the condition
that the U.S.S.R. reduce by half its conventional forces in the
Warsaw Pact countries,
*
or challenging the Soviets to agree to bilat–
eral reductions in the number of nuclear weapons tests, an agree–
ment that would cost us virtually nothing, since in recent years the
Soviets have conducted more such tests than the U .S. Adamson
replied, "We're not interested in propaganda."
That is a noble response , but it misses the point. In the first place,
the proposals could be backed up, which takes them out of the realm
of propaganda. More important, by recoiling from what it rightly
views as the prevailing propaganda manufactured at the U. N., the
U .S. goes too far and fails to represent itself authentically, appearing
instead to be reactive, rigid, and shrill.
It
becomes, in other words,
precisely what it decries.
One more point on Reagan's speech, a copy of which was dis–
tribu ted in the U. N. press room.
It
was badly typed and on poor
quality paper-looking like something that might have been pro–
duced by only the poorest developing country. The Soviet speech
was embossed with the U .S.S.R . seal and impressively packaged.
These things count at the U. N. Check another point for the Soviets
under" typing. "
But there are more critical areas in which the U.S. misplayed
its hand.
For example, in the final weeks, the session was primarily con–
ducting its work in "closed" working and drafting group meetings
that were not open to the press or the public. However, an "open"
Ad Hoc Committee meeting of the Whole was called for the Friday
afternoon preceding the last week. At the meeting, the Eastern bloc
• According to the Stockholm International Peace R esearch Institute (SIPRI), if
French and British submarine missiles were counted as pa rt of the NATO forces ,
and if the Soviet Union reduced by half its conventional forces in Eastern Europe ,
there would be rough parity in the European theater.
