REAGAN, STILL OPTIMISTIC OVER ARMS TALKS, WARNS AGAINST PROTESTS
By Francis X. Clines
Special to the New York Times
June 22, 1984
The White House today continued its emphasis on promoting peaeful relations with the Russians as a large group of students cheered President Reagan in the Rose Garden after he cautioned them against nuclear freeze demonstrations.
"Four more years!" shouted the young people as Mr. Reagan once again used a routine White House occasion to address a campaign issue of major concern to the President's political strategists.
The President, as he has done almost daily, offered a statement of optimism that "we are going to succeed" in reopening arms negotiations with the Soviet Union.
But he also criticized demonstrators against armaments and spoke of what he described as the danger of detente. Mr. Reagan said a recent Soviet leader whom he did not otherwise identify once declared that the Soviet Union benefited from detente mainly by watching the United States let its strength "erode and decline."
Emphasizes Need for strength
"They have to sit down at the tabel and know that as far as strength is concerned, we've nearly enough equal that we'd better discuss," Mr. Reagan said.
Asked by reporters whether Konstantin U. Chernenko, the Soviet leader, had met his comments about a possible summit with a flat "no," Mr. Reagan smiled and responded. "Maybe we can get that 'round to a 'maybe' pretty soon."
The President's criticism of peace demonstrators drew cheers from his audience, which consisted of American delegates to the International Youth Year Commission. White House officials later unsisted that members of the audience had not been propmted to urge the President's re-election or to offer him praise, as they did.
One young woman asked the President how American youth could help stop the arms race.
"I have to tell you, not through some of the demonstrations that are going on," Mr. Reagan said. The young people applauded, cheered and whistled.
"Some of those things are so sincerely meant," the President added. "But they don't realize that the two socalled superpowers in the world today must come to a meeting of the minds and understand that there is a better way than to continue the arms race."
Youth Year Commission members are appointed by officials from 171 youth organizations that take part in a program of discussing world issues in line with United Nations themes. Member organizations include Moral Majority, the United Negron College Fund, the National 4-H Council and the New American Patriots.
In answering questions from reporters, the President said he disagreed with a view attributed to Lieut. Gen Bernard E. Trainor, the Marines' deputy chief of staff for plans and operations, who was quoted as saying that a limited war with the Soviet Union in this generation was an "almost inevitable probability."
"One of the most dangerous things in the world is for anyone to get fixed in their minds tha inevitability theory." Mr. Reagan said "That very thing being in their minds can bring about such a war, he added "My theory is that there doesn't have to be a war."
Asked if he might discipline the general. The President said he would wait and find out "exactly what he said."
A spokesman for the Marine Corps said General Trainor had spoken from notes and had been quoted accurately, but his remarks were taken out of context in a forum that General Trainor thought was not for public disemination.
The spokesman said General Trainor intended to stimulate discussion in a discussion at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, and the general's remarks did not represent an official viewpoint of the Administration, the Defense Department, or the Marine Corps.