Basic HTML Version
PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, AUGUST 7, 1981
PAGE 11
Encouraged by Advertisements
We read your current advertisements in the Midwestern edition of the
WALL STREET JOURNAL. They are certainly encouraging and refreshing.
Seeing these advertisements in the world's most prestigious newspaper is
like a blast of clean, fresh air in a foul, tense, troubled world. Our
prayers are with you.
u.H. (Chicago, IL)
PLAIN TRUTH Appreciated
I have been receiving The PLAIN TRUTH for sometime now, and would like to
express my deepest appreciation to all concerned. The articles are very
enlightening, educational and most of all, you write it as it is. To me,
that is what makes it most interesting. There are many who read and
benefit from your very informative magazine in my country. In fact, an
article which was published in The PLAIN TRUTH on abortion was high
lighted by one of our weekly newspapers. I especially enjoy the "Per
sonals" and the articles relating to health and family life. The PLAIN
TRUTH shall always be part of my literature.
B.T. (Trinidad, West Indies)
ON THE WORLD SCENE
FOR SUPERPOWERS, ALLIES CAUSE STRESS The palliatives of the final communi
que of the Ottawa Summit have already begun to wear thin, especially between
Washington and Bonn.
In the Canadian capital, Mr. Reagan told Chancellor Schmidt that he would
not intervene to bring down U.S. interest rates, which suck deutschemarks
out of Germany and deepen Bonn's serious current accounts deficit. The mes
sage to Mr. Schmidt was clear: go back home and slash the bundesbudget. That
the Chancellor has done--but in the process, West German defense spending
will be cut in real terms (allowing for inflation).
The White House has expressed a polite "regret" at the Chancellor's move.
Pentagon officials, however, are reputed to be "deeply irritated" at Bonn's
reneging on a 1978 pledge by NATO countries to annually increase defense
spending by three percent. They are worried that the German example may lead
to "an unraveling" of defense commitments by other NATO partners. The move
could also endanger Congressional approval of increased U.S. defense spend
ing ("the Europeans are not doing their share," etc.).
The Chancellor's decision comes on top of a serious disagreement which came
to the forefront at Ottawa, but was not resolved, at least to Washington's
satisfaction. Mr. Reagan personally told Mr. Schmidt of his serious reser
vations over a massive $15 billion Soviet-West European pipeline-and-gas
project--perhaps the biggest deal in the history of East-West trade. The
West Germans are to play the major western role in the proJect.
Mr. Reagan could not convince Schmidt to reduce the scope of the project
which, the U.S. president fears, could lead to dangerous German dependence
upon Soviet fuel sources, and tug Bonn closer to Moscow politically.
Lastly, a West German public opinion poll revealed further bad news for
Washington foreign policy framers. Nearly half the West German public would