V-E Day Roles for Reagan, Chernenko Weighed

Soviet and American officials are discussing possible participation by President Reagan and Soviet President Konstantin U. Chernenko in a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Allied victory in Europe in World War II, Sen. Charles McC. Mathias Jr. (R-Md.) said here Friday.

“The options are pretty wide open, and that is a subject of continuing communication,” Mathias told reporters who asked about involvement of Chernenko and Reagan in observance of V-E Day on May 8.

Mathias did not indicate what form the presidential participation might take, suggesting that reporters stay in touch with Ambassador Arthur A. Hartman on the subject. But he said it could range from an exchange of official communications to an exchange of visits by war veterans of the two nations.

Tass Report

According to Tass, the official Soviet news agency, Chernenko, who has not been seen in public for six weeks and is reported to be ill, addressed a meeting of the ruling Politburo on Thursday.

Mathias said that he has no direct information on the state of Chernenko’s health, but he said Soviet officials he met in the past week implied that Chernenko would take part in future events such as V-E Day.

“There’s a high level of interest here in an appropriate observance of the 40th anniversary of the end of the war,” Mathias said. “It was indicated that President Chernenko would take part in that.”

Mathias, who has been in the Soviet Union four times in the past 10 years, said he found during the current visit “at least a seed of a better feeling” between the Soviet and U.S. governments. The improvement, he said, stemmed mainly from the agreement last month to resume negotiations on nuclear arms limitations.

Desire for Progress

Mathias, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, met with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei A. Gromyko and other officials during his weeklong visit.

“Optimism and confidence are muted both by our past experience and by the very substantial difficulties that lie ahead,” Mathias said. “But I think there’s a genuine desire on both sides to make progress.”

He said the Soviet-American relationship had deteriorated and that “building it back is going to be a very difficult process.” He said he expects to see a number of Soviet officials visit the United States in the next few months and reciprocal trips by U.S. officials to the Soviet Union. He did not indicate who he thinks might be making such trips.