Getting Ready for Nixon

On Aug. 2, Bucharest, a languid and Latinate city, will be the scene of a major development in East-West relations. It will become the first Communist capital ever to play host to an American President. The Rumanian capital is already busy getting ready for the 20-hour state visit. The Rumanian army band must learn to play The Star-Spangled Banner, a notoriously difficult capitalist number.

Stars and Stripes to festoon the city's lampposts must be taken out of storage at the protocol department. Rooms must be found for an estimated 600 foreign newsmen in a city that has only three first-class hotels.

Trade Talk. The Rumanians were delighted by the impending visit, but, like almost everyone else, a little puzzled by why Nixon was coming. In essence, the Washington explanation seemed to boil down to: 1) he was asked, and 2) why not? In his talks with Rumania's President and party boss, Nicolae Ceausescu, Nixon will probably sound him out on Soviet and Chinese intentions. He may say some confidential things about Viet Nam for Ceausescu to pass along to Ha noi. The President will surely be cautious, however, not to seem to be too cozy. For Nixon is aware that the Ruma nian leader, despite his enlightened and independent foreign policy, runs a repressive police state.

Ceausescu, on his part, will ask for better U.S. trade conditions for Ruma nian goods and more private American investment. He will undoubtedly reiter ate his familiar argument that both NATO and the Warsaw Pact should be dismantled simultaneously as a major move toward breaking down the barriers between the East and West blocs. Discreetly, he may also sound out the President on what U.S. reaction might be if the Russians ever tried a Czechoslovak-style power play against Rumania.

Russian Response. Although Washington and Bucharest were concerned about Soviet reaction, Washington did not tell Moscow of Nixon's plans in ad vance. The President wanted to make clear that he feels free to deal with other Communist countries without asking the Russians' permission. Once Nixon had announced the visit, though, Secretary of State William Rogers stressed that it should not be interpreted as an anti-Soviet move.

Understandably, the Rumanians were more circumspect. In all likelihood, Ceausescu told the Soviet leaders about his invitation to Nixon during last month's Communist summit meeting in Moscow. The Soviets offered no objections to the visit. In fact, Soviet diplomats in Washington and Moscow were soon passing the word that the presidential excursion into their own backyard would not endanger the Big Four talks on the Mideast. Nor, they said, would it delay the start of the U.S. -Soviet arms talks, expected to begin in August.

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