Jimmy's Opening Gambit

During the opening days of the Carter Administration, actions, proposals and ideas came with startling speed. Highlights:

EAST-WEST RELATIONS. The Administration seemed to be moving in two opposite directions in dealing with the Soviet Union (see THE WORLD).

The White House reported that the long-stalled talks with the Soviet Union on a second-stage agreement on limiting strategic arms arsenals will probably resume in March. Carter also reiterated a hope that he had expressed in his campaign that all nuclear weapons might eventually be eliminated. The notion was clearly utopian, but, for better or worse, it may set a new tone in nuclear debates.

At the same time, pursuing another Carter campaign theme -- that foreign policy ought to be aimed toward a world order "that is more responsive to human aspirations" -- the State Department publicly criticized two Communist countries for their treatment of dissident citizens. First, Czechoslovakia was taken to task for harassing dissidents. The next day, in response to a question by a newsman, State issued a statement rapping Moscow for mistreatment of disaffected Nuclear Scientist Andrei Sakharov. It was the kind of criticism of internal Communist affairs generally avoided by Henry Kissinger.

DIPLOMATIC TRAVELS. Carter also began dispatching top members of his team on various diplomatic missions. Three days after the Inauguration, Vice President Fritz Mondale left for a ten-day jaunt from Western Europe to Japan. United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young will fly to Tanzania this week for a meeting with African leaders in Dar es Salaam. Two weeks later, Secretary of State Cyrus Vance will visit the Middle East in hopes of setting in motion Arab-Israeli peace talks. He may also go to Moscow in March to meet with Soviet Party Boss Leonid Brezhnev.

ENERGY. In domestic matters, Carter's first priority was the deepening natural-gas shortage. He asked Congress for legislation for emergency gas allocation and other measures to ease the crisis, and again urged Americans to turn down their thermostats.

THE ECONOMY. Reacting to various pressures, Carter increased the package of economic stimulants he is sending to Congress this week (see ECONOMY & BUSINESS). He added tax breaks to stimulate hiring and investment by business and proposed that nearly every American be given a cash payment of $50 on the theory that this is needed to help kick up consumer spending. There is doubt whether these breaks and the rebates will have the desired result.

Action by Carter on some more campaign promises is coming soon. As a start in reorganizing the Executive Branch, he plans to consolidate the energy agencies by late February into a Cabinet department headed by James Schlesinger. The President has directed HEW Secretary Joseph Califano to draw up a package of welfare reforms by May 1. But Carter has decided not to make good on two other promises this year: tax reform because of its complexity, and national health insurance because of its cost, which might upset his hopes of balancing the budget by 1980.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.