Haig learns to march in step

Press, 13 May 1981, Page 9

Haig learns to march in step

NZPA Washington A month ago, the American Secretary of State (Mr Alexander Haig) was widely rumoured to be on the way out of the Reagan Administration — “a ball of fire who had brought himself to the brink of self-immolation,” in the words of one commentator.

Now, Washington’s political gossips say he has bounced back. President Ronald Reagan has gone out of his way to praise him. White House aides are playing down differences between the two men, and Mr Haig says: “I intend to stay right where I am.”

The secret of his survival, and revival, according to one story going the rounds,is that Mr Haig has learned two new words — “President Reagan.” He says them often these days, the story goes, showing that he is a “team player” and not the loner out of step with the rest of the Administration, that he seemed to be.

Mr Haig’s lowest point came on the day Mr Reagan was shot. In the midst of confusion about the assassination bid, and with VicePresident George Bush en route from Texas, Mr Haig appeared on nationwide television from the White House, sweating and shaking,

to declare: “I am in control here.”

He mistakenly laid claim to- being next in line of succession to the President and Vice-President and found himself under bitter attack for letting his emotions —> or ambitions (he was an early runner for the Republican presidential candidacy which Mr Reagan eventually won) — run away from him. This incident followed a string of clashes with Cabinet colleaues and a widely reported decision to resign (which he * did not carry through) after Mr Bush had been appointed the Administration’s official “crisis manager,” a job Mr Haig wanted. Rumours of Mr Haig’s precarious position in the Cabinet continued, with a stream of criticisms from unnamed White House aides in the press indicating that he was out of line with Mr Reagan’s thinking. Mr Haig, for his part, was reported to have threatened to resign at least half a dozen times.

The turning point came last week when Mr Reagan went out of his way to praise Mr Haig on his return from a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation • Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Rome. “He comes home. in triumph,” Mr Reagan said, posing for pho-

tographs with his foreign affairs lieutenant. Since then several articles have appeared in the American press,indicating a drive by the Administration to lay the rumours at rest — at least for now. “None of this means that all of Haig’s problems with the White House are over,” a‘ Christian Science Monitor writer said yesterday. But there are signs that both sides are trying to cool things and enable the Administration to get on with foreign policy, free from internal wrangling. Mr Haig said, in an interview with the “United States News and World Report”this

week: "I believe the President has confidence in me we hold compatible views. We speak daily. We have a great deal to do together, and we are going to do it. I intend to stay right where I am.”

He also said in the interview that the Soviet Union “shows clear signs of historic decline.” But the Soviets “are dangerous because they are armed to the teeth and stronger than the United States in some categories.” “Historically, there frequently has been a temptation to seek to ameliorate the consequences of internal problems through foreign diversions, especially when you have a military advantage.”

According to the magazine, Mr Haig gave this view of the Soviet Union:

“The Soviets have made no headway with China and are forced to maintain over 50 divisions on the Chinese border.

“The conquest of Afghanistan has proven to be neither easy nor cheap. “They are pouring S2OOM a day in aid into Hanoi to prop up the Vietnamese, who are themselves bogged down in Cambodia (Kampuchea). “The Soviets confront an impossible dilemma in Poland. Their ideology has

failed, and they know that the Polish people may well resist direct or indirect suppression.” Soviet consumers who had no savings were restive. “Soviet leaders, I think,, are beginning to recognise that the system itself is in trouble.”

Mr Haig said the Soviets may want to begin arms talks with the United States for two reasons: “They want to soften American determination to improve dur defences; second, they clearly seek to split the United States from our partners in Europe oh this issue.”