Reagan Lashes Out at Terrorists as Uncivilized Savages

President Reagan, proclaiming that international terrorism “will never succeed in weakening our resolve,” lashed out at the terrorists today as “uncivilized barbarians.”

Addressing the annual convention of Lions Club International, Reagan said, “We will continue to act with appropriate restraint, but let no one doubt our resolve.”

Reagan said the terrorists should heed the words of President Theodore Roosevelt, which he quoted as, “The American people are slow to wrath, but once their wrath is kindled it burns like a consuming flame.”

The quotation was greeted by tumultuous applause.

The President inserted his remarks, which aides said he wrote aboard Air Force One on the flight from Washington, after a portion of his prepared speech in which he outlined Administration policies against domestic crime.

Not Domestic Problem

“In the last few days it has become even more clear that the criminal threat to civilization is no mere domestic problem,” he said.

Recounting this week’s sidewalk cafe murders in El Salvador and the bombing at the Frankfurt, West Germany, airport, as well as the hijacking and hostage-taking in the Middle East, he said:

“We consider these murders, hijackings and abductions an attack on all Western civilization by uncivilized barbarians.”

Before his speech, Reagan met privately with families of three of the hostages held in Beirut.

Albert R. Brashear, deputy White House press secretary, said the President assured the families that his Administration is doing all it can to free the hostages, and the families expressed their appreciation.

Relatives Met

Reagan met with relatives of hostages Allyn Conwell, who acted as the spokesman at a news conference Thursday, and with relatives of Vincente Garza and Robert Trautmann.

The meeting is the President’s second with hostage relatives. On Wednesday, he met briefly with relatives of James W. Hoskins Jr. after a speech in Indianapolis. On Thursday in Washington, he warned terrorists that “our limits have been reached.” (Story on Page 26.)

In his speech, Reagan assailed the present tax system as “the federal government’s version of Rubik’s Cube.”

“It’s a game that most of us never figure out and few of us win.”

Reagan’s plan would replace the present 14 brackets with three rates of 15%, 25% and 35%. It would also double the personal exemption and eliminate or reduce a number of deductions.

Noting the international composition of the Lions organization, Reagan said: “I hope those of you who are here from other countries will carry this message back to your people: We have no desire to live as an island of plenty. We will be satisfied with nothing less than a worldwide recovery.”