Editing 79-10-A2 (section)

=== Transcript ===
When historians look back at the debate over SALT II, I suspect a certain speech
by Senator Henry Jackson will be among the most quoted documents. The speech I am
referring to is the Senator's address on SALT II to a Democratic political group in
June, in which he compared American policy towards the Soviet Union today to Great
Britain's policy of "appeasement" towards Hitler's Germany in the 1930's.

Jackson's continued references to American appeasement of the Soviets in his
speech shocked the administration and many of the Senator's Democratic colleagues in
Congress. The news media provided extensive coverage of Jackson's speech; and it has
been analyzed and discussed ever since.

It was not Senator Jackson's hard-line, anti-Soviet position that surprised his
colleagues. Jackson has never hedged on his advocacy of a strong posture vis-a-vis
the Soviet Union. What caught the Washington political establishment off guard was
the ferocity of Jackson's attack on the current direction of American foreign policy
and on the SALT II agreements. Jackson's speech may be the most vivid illustration
since the days of the Vietnam war of the deep division of opinion among recognized
experts within our foreign policy establishment. The fact that this particular speech
was made by Senator Jackson, a loyal Democrat, also provides a dramatic reminder to
many Democrats that the spectrum of foreign policy thought within their own party
is wider than they had imagined.

In addition to Senator Jackson's remarks on appeasement, his speech also contained
a thoughtful analysis of recent U.S.-Soviet relations. Jackson views the history of
those relations since the Moscow summit of 1972 as the testing of a proposition that
"despite the lessons of history, it is possible to achieve accomodation with a
totalitarian superpower through negotiated agreements." It has been the testing of
this idealistic proposition that has motivated three national administrations - two
Republican and one Democratic - not only to continue the process of arms talks, but
also to agree on exchanges of science and technology, medicine, art and education -
in short, "detente." What are the results of our seven-year trial with this proposition?
Senator Jackson's tally sheet does not provide an encouraging picture.

Jackson is careful to explain that a policy of "detente" with the Russians is not,
in itself, "appeasement." He said "Diplomatic accomodation becomes appeasement when
we make concessions rut of a fear that the Soviets will cause trouble around the world
unless we yield to their desires." The Senator is particularly disturbed by what he
sees as efforts within our government to silence officials who may have honest
criticism about aspects of our policies towards the Russians.

So am I. In my next broadcast, I'll tell you about one example of a Commerce
department official who is now in hot water for blowing the whistle on the Russians. 

This is Ronald Reagan.

Thanks for listening.
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