Disaster Harms Soviets in World Opinion, Bush Says

Vice President George Bush on Sunday described the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster as a “major setback” for the Soviet Union in the battle for world opinion.

Bush voiced the hope that the resulting international outcry might “mount, grow and build” and nudge the Soviets toward more openness in such things as arms control and banning of chemical weapons.

“It’s a major setback for the Soviets in world opinion because they’ve been so unforthcoming on a matter that has drawn so much concern,” Bush told California newspaper reporters in an interview.

“I’m convinced that it’s going to shake even the Eastern European countries.”

Bush added: “I hope what it will do is bring renewed pressure to bear on the Soviets to take a quantum leap forward in terms of on-site inspection (of sensitive Soviet facilities), and that could lead to (arms control) verification.”

The Vice President was in California for 48 hours of political fund-raising for his political action committee ($260,000) and three Southern California Republican congressmen, Robert J. Lagomarsino of Ventura ($135,000), Robert K. Dornan of Garden Grove ($220,000) and Ron Packard of Carlsbad ($90,000). He also attended a Cinco de Mayo celebration in Santa Ana.

Gorbachev Reputation Hit

In his interview with reporters and later in a speech to Lagomarsino’s supporters in Oxnard, Bush said one casualty of the Chernobyl accident was the budding international reputation of Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev as a deft communicator.

“We had some hopes, and some were widespread, that Mr. Gorbachev was going to lead in a new era of openness. Regrettably, he hasn’t done that,” Bush said “ . . . it turns out he’s just like his predecessors.”

On-site verification of weapons facilities is part of U.S. demands for arms control. Bush dismissed Moscow’s overtures thus far as inadequate for “the kind of arms reductions we want and for agreement for, say, barring of chemical weapons.”