THE WHITE HOUSE

WASHINGTON

11/19

Kathy Oakley, Op-ed Editor

TO: Chicago Tribune
FROM: KARNA SMALL
Director of Media Relations and Planning

Here is an op-ed piece by

Counselor Edward Derwinski of
our State Department which I
thought might be of interest,
possibly for Monday, in light
of the expected coverage and
discussion of arms control
issues and "The Day After".

If you have any questions, you

can reach me throughout the
weekend through the White House
Switchboard, or in my office
Monday morning at (202) 456-2755.

Many thanks.
 .
I
.·
l' nittd Stattt lHpanrMnt al State

ll''"Ai~ton, D.C. 20520

f • .

·o~~ Coal i• Haintainin9 world Peace

ABC'• fil111 •Th• Day_ A!ter,• aired on November 20,

. · ·. caraphically depicted • ·1iinulated nuclear attack on Jtanaaa City
·· and the devaat~tion and •~ftering of survivor• in near~y
· - . _Lawrence, . Kan•••~ It reminded all of ua of the imaediate ancS -_
; Jong-term devastating ~ff~cts of ·riucle~r war. · It und•racored .
.··- -..· th• realization that· our : 11ajor 9011 •• • people and aa a nation:
· · muat be to pur•u• a policy that will maintain vorld peace and • ·
_ -_ : _-.,. _. prevent nuclear ·war fro• ever occurrin·g. · _!very American . ·/-
. · · -· Pre1ident alone• the nucl•~r age begaft haa cornmi tted the On1t•~
...·stat•• to th• goal of a 1table and ••cure peace with f rettdoa. -·
:=, ?\ Ho ·objective haa a higher -priority for this Administratio,.. · Ae
· ·. · th• Preaident ha• often _said, · •Nuclear war cannot be won and . ·
a . • IIUlt never be :fought •• --_·. :·/ . . .
. -
Maintaining world peace~ however, take1 more than good ,·;;.._· -
. intentiona. It require•: • aound progra11 for J1aintaininc; ·-our ..
.;,: ovn 1tren9th, to avoid the danger, that veaknes1 invite,, ·· ·
·__>• vicioroua pursuit of a -comprehensive effort to reduce araenala
· - : of cdnv~ntional and nuclear w~apona in a balanced aad
. ,. -_-verifiable aanner: agreerr:~nt1 with .other nuclear" power• on .·
· -_effective way• to reduce ~the riaka of .accidental var, and an : ··
·: ~--. active role in achievin9 ·pe1ceful resolution of .regional
. -·~ -- · - :diaputea. Finally, . ·1t -- requite• tbat all nations, great and · · ,·
- - _ - ~: <· atDall, coaait th••••lvea:· unreeervedly to peace and to ·
0

. ~--· cooperation in making that goal a reality.

. . The p9liciea of national strength, deterrence, and
·.' negotiations that we, support~d by out friends and Alli••
:. ),• ·round th• vor ld, have follow•d for almost four d•c•d•• h•••
·. -~u~c•••fully prevented : nuclear var. But ve are not .
·' ·conplacent. we • re aware of the very urgent need to diainiab
' th• r11k of war, and to create an international atnospher•
conduci-ve to ·durable peace.
ln th• past two yeare we have undertaken major new
initiat1ve• to reduce nuclear and conventional araenala. 1in ·
th• START negotiations with the Soviet ·union in Geneva we ha••
propoaed . deep reduction• in •strategic• (intercontinental)
nuclear arsenal •, and offered• guaranteed build-down of
nuclear forces. Also in Geneva, in the INF negotiation,, we
propo • ed to the soviet Union the •limination of an entire ·
c•tegory of intermediate land-baaed nuclear missile• or their
reduct\on and limitation to the love • t possible levels on a
global baai•. ·
--- In· the Mutual and Balanced Poree Reduction• (MBPR)
negoti•tiona in Vienna we have propoa•d the reduction of soviet
 . . . .. :
'_ ·__ ·!
.·a·nd NATO· conv~•ntional ·.tore•• in Central !urope1 in other
-. n~9.otiat'1on1 w•
have propo·i •d a verifiable ban on chemical
_weapon•~ ·•nd linptov inc; th• v•r if ic:ation p.rovision• of nucl•ar
.t ~•t i" ng 'aqr~~m~nta-. · ',,le '. ar1! _ r~ducinq nuclear arsenals wherev•r
· ,!ea~ible. On October 27 t l • NATO Nuclear Planning Group ·
announe•d ita deciaion to reduce NATO's stockpile in Europe by
an ~dditional 1400 ~•apona b•yond the 1000 nuclear weapon •
.. withdrawri in 1980. In the ~uclear arm• reduction talka and at
-·- .. ·~ _ _. _-~~ th~ Conference on Oiaar~afflent · in Europe, ~e are seeking
-- - ·_ ag~••••nta with ~the soviet Union to reduce th• ri•k of
. .;.,
-
· >~:_: accidental · war by~ incr•••ing • conf idence-buil,ding measure••,
.
. - :-"':
_.
--:;·. . -~ · •uch •• advanced not if ic&t ion of aajor weapon• teat•, and .
··=:.:: -: : :· .
... : _· ·· ::.111proved communications and . consultation• in tia•• of cri1ia • .· · •
_-- . . .- :: ..-~--:..~:_."-:· . : .· . . . . .. . . : . . . . . ' -- . . . . . . .

··\,:/-;:..: Theae effort• to mai.ntain and aaaure glot>ai' ·peace and

._ - ·-=- -=- .., '
··. :at.'a bi_l1ty can ••k•· a differenc~. Tbi1 is not th• time- for:
:. -:_ ::..-. _~-- : deapair and hop•l•••n•••· Nor ia peace aerved by the vievthat
:-b~cau•• nuclear var la ao horrible, any hastily ••ised .· · . .
alternative to ••rioua negotiation• ia better. By maintaining
.· . -our .. 1tren9th and • atabl• weapon • balance at the loveat
- · po11lble level• with th• soviet Union, and devoting our •nertf .
-~:-:::;>=-.. : · . and · intelligence to ne9otiationa for peace, we and our Alli••
can aucceaaf u lly maintair. th• thing• ve moat cheriah.
=::-7'~-=J ·' -_,__ _:_· ;~i.-~·>·:·.W• _-h~v• 900d
reaaona '-o be opti•iatic about the f11tur•r if
· · · . _v e · have the p•ti•nc• to peraevere in the pur1uit of peace.
~~~ . .. ... . . __ : . . --' ·.:1 e•c• ia • primary human n••d and out para110unt politie&l •
· --::o-,.;~,._· :·.· . ·<. -_ \;goal. We auat all dedicate ouraelvea to helping achi••• it.
·: --;~,:J·: ? · •<\-Aa_Franklin D. Rooaev•lt prophetically _v:ote in April lt4S jw
' ·- ·- •. ~-before -th• dawn of th• nuclear •Nore than an end to war, •CJ•,
· · we _vant . an end to the be9innin9a of all vara. • Ma-intainlat
-~
. : . .. . ·. ;~w,~r l.d -P~•c• 1• the end V4' •eek.
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. .. - .. . : :..•·..... •.. -· • . . , • . ,t•.• ~
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~---- ._ -- ·- .·- - . . ~: .":.-.:-.·_-.._: ... ..

: --- . . - .._-_-::-=- ·- ;..: .· : - • ·.. . . ... ..; f !--";;.: :-: ~ • . •
-. : . ·:-:--·-
. :---;-:;·~ -
· .. . ·..- Edward Derwinski ·
Counselor of the .
,; .-
. . .. · oepartment of state
·.. ·•