Smiles Impress Soviets on Tour of U.S. Bases

It was handshakes rather than hardware that made the biggest impression on a Soviet delegation visiting area military bases this weekend.

The high-level Soviet officials, whose tour of military bases included an aircraft demonstration at the Miramar Naval Air Station and combat demonstrations at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, said they were more taken by American friendliness and hospitality than by the exhibitions.

“I am especially impressed by the openness of the arrangements,” said Valeriy N. Ochirov, deputy chairman of the defense and state security committee of the Supreme Soviet.

“Today we came to the combined view, having seen all this, that we should look at each other not as target devices in the cabins of planes,” Ochirov said through an interpreter. “The mountain of weaponry is already too high. We need to make it lower and bring people (from both nations) together.”

Committee member Anatoly A. Chizhov, also speaking through an interpreter, said, “I’m impressed by the technical aspects, but the most important thing was the attitude of the American people.”

“They were very friendly, and we have to believe that Americans are exactly like the Soviet people. That is not (just) pretty words but my sincere impression of the trip,” Chizhov said.

The members of the Soviet Union’s leading legislative body will be touring U.S. military installations for two weeks as guests of the U.S. House and Senate armed services committees. Their visit, including the stop in San Diego on Saturday, is to reciprocate for a tour of Soviet military bases last year by U.S. congressmen.

The delegation, made up of diplomats, a scientist, journalists, interpreters and others, began its tour on Thursday.