Reagan Sees Long-Enduring U.S. Power

SAO PAULO, Brazil — President Reagan speculated in an interview published Sunday that the United States could be the first exception to the historical tradition of the rise and fall of great powers.

In the wide-ranging interview with the weekly Brazilian news magazine Veja, Reagan also said “no one should have any doubt” that the United States stands for a return to democracy in Chile. But he added that recent increased terrorism in that country--including an assassination attempt on President Augusto Pinochet, which was “sponsored by communism”--has hampered a return to democracy.

Most of the interview concentrated on trade issues, with Reagan repeating earlier statements that America favors more freedom in international commerce.

Reagan, asked how the United States fits in the traditional empire’s cycle of rise, maximum power and then decline, replied: “I firmly believe that the United States is still in the upswing of the cycle described in this model.

“However, I should say that America, with its people and its freedom, which is unique in the world, could be the first exception to the historical rule about which you asked.”