52 Senators Urge Reagan to Stay in Compliance With SALT II

Fifty-two senators sent a letter to President Reagan on Thursday urging him to dismantle two nuclear submarines, if necessary, to keep the United States in compliance with the unratified second strategic arms limitation treaty.

Signed by 38 Democrats and 14 Republicans, the letter went to the White House at a time when the President says he is still undecided about whether to continue to comply with the treaty in the face of numerous alleged Soviet violations.

The letter is expected to have an impact on deliberations within the Administration, just as a similar letter last year was credited with helping to persuade the President to dismantle a Poseidon submarine to stay in compliance after a more modern submarine carrying Trident missiles, the Alaska, began sea trials.

Multiple-Warhead Limits

Had he not taken the Poseidon out of service, the United States would have exceeded the treaty’s limits on multiple-warhead intercontinental missiles and missile-launching submarines.

The treaty was signed by President Jimmy Carter and the Soviets in 1979 but never has been ratified by the Senate, although both nations claim they have observed its provisions.

On May 20, the President will face a similar situation when the eighth U.S. missile-equipped Trident submarine, the Nevada, is scheduled to begin sea trials. His likely option for staying within the missile limits in the treaty would be to dismantle two existing Poseidon submarines. The Trident has 24 missile launchers, and the Poseidon has 16.

Danger Seen

“We believe that discarding the SALT limits will endanger U.S. and NATO security by allowing the Soviets to add thousands of new warheads to their arsenal,” the senators said in their letter. It noted that the Soviets currently have a greater capability to exceed the limits but have refrained from doing so because of Reagan’s willingness to abide by them.

The letter argued that U.S. compliance would be an important step toward achieving a more comprehensive arms agreement in the future. If SALT II is abandoned, argued Sen. John Heinz (R-Pa.), one of the letter’s authors, “the U.S. arms control objective of a reduction of nuclear weapons would be more distant than ever.”

The President, at his news conference Wednesday, said he wanted to study reports on Soviet violations before making his decision.

“I’m waiting for reports on actual violations of the Soviets,” he said.

Among other things, the Administration has insisted that the Soviets have violated a provision of the treaty that permits the deployment of only one new missile system.

Although the President is believed to be under considerable pressure from some of his advisers to break the treaty limits this time, Congress has been equally insistent that the President continue his pledge not to undercut the treaty. The Senate voted 90 to 5 last June for a resolution urging the President to dismantle the first Poseidon.