Reagan-Gorbachev Meeting in Iceland

Thank you for your editorial (Oct. 14), “Still a Chance.” Yes, the failure to come away from Reykjavik with something in writing that would set back the arms race is indeed sad but not hopeless.

The agreement almost reached between President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev would have meant that all nuclear weapons in the Soviet Union and the United States would have been scrapped within 10 years. The supposed reason for having the “Star Wars” project would have been completely eliminated.

Your editorial suggests “What might yet be is careful negotiations at Geneva, with days and weeks to ponder proposals and counterproposals rather than the minutes and hours available at Reykjavik. They would start at the point Reagan and Gorbachev had reached before they said goodby.” I urge this.

The people all over the world deserve a nuclear arms-control agreement. Indeed all of us desperately need it or the human race will not survive.

JEAN MICHENER NICHOLSON

Altadena