President criticises Mr Vance

Press, 12 May 1980, Page 8

President criticises Mr Vance

NZPA-Reuter Washington

I President Carter ended his first campaign-style trip outride the White House in ■many months by surprisingly criticising the way the former Secretary of State (Mr Cyrus Vance) handled United States foreign policy. Mr Carter’s off-the-cuff remarks at a town meeting in Philadelphia startled reporters and many in the audience. They prompted an almost immediate explanation through his press secretary. The President did not name Mr Vance, .who resigned last month in protest against the abortive United States military raid to rescue the American hostages from Iran. But he said of Mr Vance’s successor: “I see Ed‘Muskie as being a much stronger and more statesmanlike senior citizen figure who will be a more evocative spokesman for our nation’s policy. "I would prefer that Ed Muskie not be so personally involved in the details and negotiations with other nations.” Soon after he had spoken, Mr Carter said through his press secretary (Mr Jody Powell) that he had not in* tended to criticise Mr Vance personally. There was no reaction from Mr Vance, who is on holiday on the Caribbean island of Antigua. But one senior State Department official described the Presi-I

dent’s remarks as "awkward and graceless.” ’■? Mr Powell said the President had told him before fly. ing from Philadelphia to his Camp David/ retreat -id Maryland that he had simply meant that he wanted Mi Muskie to be freed from routine detail so that .He could be a more effective spokesman. M Mr Carter had discussed the problem with Mr. Varied some- time before his- resignation on April 28, Mr Powell said. Mr Carter had earlier, made a foreign policy address to the Philadelphia: World Affairs Council, in: which he said there could ba no business as usual with: the Soviet Union until dt| ended its “aggression” in Afghanistan. But he said detente nevertheless remained his goal.