Gorbachev Repeats Old Line, U.S. Says : Who’s Covering Up What? State Dept. Demands

The State Department today charged Mikhail S. Gorbachev, the new Soviet leader, with perpetuating “an old, disingenuous Soviet argument” by accusing the United States of trying to hide a military buildup.

“So who is covering up what?” asked department spokesman Edward Djerejian.

The spokesman was reacting to a letter that Gorbachev wrote to a German peace group in which the new Communist Party chief charged the Reagan Administration with using the Geneva arms control talks as “a screen” for carrying out a huge military buildup that threatens world peace.

New Soviet Arms Cited

“This is an old, disingenuous Soviet argument,” Djerejian told reporters. “It seems to us that that question can be more appropriately addressed to the Soviets.”

He said that over the last decade, while the United States has debated deployment of just one long-range missile, the MX, the Soviets have deployed three types of intercontinental ballistic missile and developed two more, and deployed two multi-warhead submarine-launched missiles and a “massive force” of medium-range ballistic missiles trained on Europe.

“In addition, they have far out-spent and out-deployed us in defense--civil, air and strategic defense. So who is covering up what?” he asked.

‘Put One on Guard’

In a written reply to questions from the peace group released in Moscow Thursday, Gorbachev said that the arms talks, which began March 12, “have given rise to many hopes” but that “things accompanying the beginning of the talks cannot but put one on guard.”

“One gets the impression from statements by high-ranking representatives of the U.S.A. that they need the talks as a screen for carrying through their military programs,” he said.

But Gorbachev pledged to “work persistently” for the talks to yield positive results.

Said Djerejian: “With regard to the Geneva talks, we welcome Mr. Gorbachev’s expression of determination to achieve a successful outcome. As we have said before, if the Soviet delegation is prepared to negotiate seriously, they will find the U.S. a ready and flexible partner.”