MX hangs on Kremlin’s return to talks

Press, 18 May 1984, Page 6

MX hangs on Kremlin’s return to talks

NZPA-AP Washington The United States House of Representatives approved a compromise yesterday to allow production of only 15 of the 40 MX missiles that President Ronald Reagan wanted next year, and then only if the Soviet Union fails to return to arms control talks by April. The compromise, engineered by a Democratic representative, Les Aspin, was adopted by voice vote after Republican leaders conceded that Mr Reagan risked losing all funds for the MX if they pressed for more.

The former Vice-Presi-dent, Walter Mondale, and Senator Gary Hart, of Colorado, the main Democratic Pi

'residential contenders, had jointly appealed to the House to kill the new strategic nuclear weapon by deleting ?U52.7 billion in production money next year. Under the compromise, if Moscow does resume arms control bargaining by April, the MX will be delayed another six months, pending another review by Congress. Mr Reagan continued to press his case with meetings and telephone conversations with Congressman virtually to the last minute.

He called an impromptu news conference on Tuesday to urge House support for the MX, which can carry 10 nuclear warheads. He argued that without it, “the incentive for the Soviets to return to the negotiating table is greatly reduced.” The House Speaker, Mr

Thomas O’Neill, a Democrat and MX opponent, counterattacked, asserting that Mr Reagan “will say anything to win on the MX.”

.. Reagan will say less is more, that a faster arms race means greater arms control, that the most destructive weapon ever created is a Peacekeeper.” Congressmen “know better ... we know Reagan’s history of opposing arms control... we will send him a message: the people want arms control now,” he said.

The House Republican Leader, Robert Michel, of Illinois, sounded a warning yesterday that Mr Reagan was risking a vote for the elimination of all MX funds next year in the Democratcontrolled House unless Republicans supported Mr Aspin’s compromise.

The show-down vote in the House was just one of several Congressional decisions this year on the new missile, which Mr Reagan portrays as an essential bargaining chip to lure the Soviet Union back to arms control talks.

Critics say that the MX programme did not keep the Soviets from walking away from the bargaining table last year. Mr Reagan won funds last year for 21 missiles. “MX was never an issue at the Geneva talks,” two Democrats said recently. The Kremlin was more preoccupied with Pershing 2, cruise, and Trident missile deployments in Europe, they said.