Reagan’s Stance on Salt II

In a classic case of “Ego vs. Reality,” President Reagan has decided to pull out of the SALT II treaty, probably launching an all-out arms race with unthinkable consequences.

Can it be that this former actor is still so proficient at role switching that he can go from the robes of a peace-seeking proponent of Summit talks to the donning of a war-god helmet, much to the amazement of political supporters and opponents alike?

It appears that our “Rambo”-admiring President, now nearing the final stages of his rule, has decided that if he can’t lick the U.S.S.R. while still in office, he will leave a legacy: An unlimited, hopeless arms race leading to an eventual superpower showdown.

One irony of this rash macho decision is that it flies in the face of the House Armed Services Committee report, which states: “The Soviets are in a better position than the United States to benefit from the abandonment of the accord.” The report furnishes backup data, which obviously is meaningless to Reagan.

What an affront this latest move constitutes to all Americans and peoples of the world whose hopes for a productive Summit meeting have now been dashed! With a dismal future of Gargantuan costs and sacrifice ahead, and only disaster on the horizon, one can only wonder what the President really thinks in his very secret mind.

If his decision represents, as some believe, a pre-Summit maneuver to pressure the Russians, then he may well be destroying the only existing detente and chance for co-existence available to us at this time--or possibly ever.

GEORGE GRAMAN

San Diego