Shultz Cautious About Chances of Soviet Arms Accord

Secretary of State George P. Shultz, en route Saturday to Moscow for critical talks with Soviet leaders, continued to express deep anger at Soviet espionage against the U.S. Embassy in Moscow and caution about prospects for significant movement there toward a new arms agreement.

Earlier in the week, President Reagan said a breakthrough in the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Force (INF) negotiations was “a distinct possibility,” but Shultz--during a news conference at a Shannon, Ireland, refueling stop--spoke only of “moving the ball along” in Moscow.

“We’re well prepared. We have good positions, and we’re in a constructive frame of mind,” he said. “If that’s the attitude of the other side, maybe we’ll get somewhere.”

Unity Seen Lacking

Some officials in Shultz’s party said there were signs, most recently in Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev’s visit to Prague, that the Kremlin is not yet united on key foreign policy and security issues.

Despite Gorbachev’s disparaging rejection of rumors that a “political cold” delayed his trip to Czechoslovakia by three days, U.S. officials firmly believe that the delay was in fact due to political differences in the Politburo concerning what Gorbachev would say in Prague.

Once there, Gorbachev said little new during a major address Friday, contrary to rumors that he would unveil a new proposal dealing with obstacles in the INF negotiations and withdrawal of some of the 80,000 Soviet troops stationed in Czechoslovakia since the Soviets’ 1968 invasion.

This could indicate that the Politburo still has not resolved its internal differences on the arms issues, and that Shultz will leave Moscow with less progress than seemed likely just one week ago.

Whatever the outcome of Shultz’s discussions on arms, he made it clear that the Administration is still irate over Soviet espionage activities, notwithstanding Moscow’s claims that the United States has done the same thing to its missions.

“The subject will be an important item on my agenda,” he said. “The President is very upset. We’re mad. We’re mad at them; we’re mad at ourselves.”

The Soviets have created “a very hostile environment,” he added, by engaging in “a pattern of intrusiveness and hostility” over the years by beaming microwaves at the embassy, spreading “spy dust” in the embassy cars, and now entering the building itself.

“We must make it clear that there are limits to this unacceptable activity,” he said.

But he refused to say what those limits might be or how the two nations could agree to stop such activity. Instead, he jokingly rejected any agreement that promised, “We don’t bug you, you don’t bug us,” even though it would be “all too verifiable,” he said.

Shultz said he has been assured of secure voice and cable communications back to Washington from Moscow this week. This will be done using a mobile trailer which arrived there by cargo plane Saturday and will be set up in the embassy courtyard, U.S. officials said.

Shultz again defended the decision to make the Moscow trip despite the bugging controversy. “It is extremely important to show determination, to stay the course,” he said.

Shultz also refused to respond directly when asked if the United States will put on public display the bugging devices found in the U.S. Embassy, just as Soviet officials have displayed bugs they said were implanted in their embassy in Washington.

During his meetings with Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard A. Shevardnadze and Gorbachev, Shultz said he will also raise human rights issues, including the continued imprisonment of religious dissidents, jamming of foreign broadcasts and other violations of the Helsinki Accords of 1975.

While the Soviets have released some political prisoners and allowed increased Jewish emigration, he added, it is premature to consider concessions to them as rewards. “How long they last, how profound they are, is hard to say,” he said.

During his three-day visit Shultz will be interviewed on Soviet television in what officials said was the first time a U.S. secretary of state has been presented at length on that medium. The program will be aired after his departure Wednesday evening.