U.S. Backs Baltics’ Efforts, Quayle Says

Vice President Dan Quayle said Saturday that the United States supports the nationalist independence movements in the Soviet Union and suggested Washington may react if Moscow tries to block them.

“Let’s hope that the Baltic states continue in the direction they want to go . . . toward asserting their independence,” Quayle said on Cable News Network’s “Evans and Novak” program.

Asked whether Washington would respond if the Soviet Union refused to grant independence to the Baltic republics of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, Quayle said it might.

“Well, clearly every event triggers a response,” he said. “And if there’s a negative event toward the Baltic states, I would imagine there would be a negative response.”