DATE=03/16/99 TYPE=U-S OPINION ROUNDUP NUMBER=6-11193 TITLE=NATO EXPANDS TO EASTERN EUROPE BYLINE=ANDREW N. GUTHRIE TELEPHONE=619-3335 DATELINE=WASHINGTON EDITOR=ASSIGNMENTS CONTENT= INTRO: /// OPT /// IN CEREMONIES AT THE HARRY TRUMAN LIBRARY IN INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI, /// END OPT /// LAST FRIDAY, THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION [NATO] FORMALLY EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THREE FORMER MEMBERS OF THE WARSAW PACT. AS HUNGARY, POLAND, AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC'S LEADERS SIGNED THE DOCUMENTS BINDING THEM TO THE ALLIANCE, A SMALL CROWD OF OFFICIALS LOOKED ON. AND IN THE U-S PRESS, DESPITE THE ANTI-CLIMACTIC NATURE OF THE CEREMONY, SINCE THE DECISION WAS MADE LAST YEAR, THERE IS A GOOD DEAL OF COMMENT. WE GET A SAMPLING NOW FROM _______________ IN TODAY'S EDITORIAL DIGEST. TEXT: THE HARRY TRUMAN LIBRARY WAS CHOSEN AS THE SITE OF THE CEREMONY WELCOMING THE THREE NEW, EASTERN EUROPEAN MEMBERS, BECAUSE IT WAS IN 1948 THAT THEN-PRESIDENT TRUMAN SIGNED THE DOCUMENTS THAT BROUGHT N A T O INTO BEING. ORIGINALLY DESIGNED TO COUNTER THE MENACE OF THE SOVIET ARMY MARCHING ACROSS EUROPE, THE DEFENSE ALLIANCE HAS, MORE RECENTLY BECOME CONCERNED WITH SMALLER, ETHNIC CONFLICTS LIKE THE CIVIL WAR IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA AND THE CONFLICT IN KOSOVO. OUR SURVEY OF EDITORIAL COMMENTS ON NATO EXPANSION BEGINS IN VANCOUVER, WASHINGTON, WHERE "THE COLUMBIAN" HAS THESE THOUGHTS ABOUT THE FUTURE. TEXT: /// OPT /// ALREADY ON THE PATH TO MEMBERSHIP IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS ARE SLOVENIA, ROMANIA, BULGARIA, SLOVAKIA, LITHUANIA, ESTONIA AND LATVIA. SOME MIRACLES OF PEACE COULD FIT FOR MEMBERSHIP THE RAGING BALKAN FRAGMENTS SOMEWHERE DOWN THE LINE. DEPENDING ON POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN MOSCOW, MINSK AND KIEV, IT IS NOT BEYOND BELIEF THAT THE SOVIET HEARTLANDS, RUSSIA, BELORUS AND UKRAINE, COULD SIGN UP WITH NATO BEFORE A DECADE PASSES. SUCH PROSPECTS REINFORCE THE QUESTIONS RAISED BY THE EXPANSION THAT HAS ALREADY TAKEN PLACE: /// END OPT /// WHAT IS THE USE OF A TREATY ORGANIZATION WHEN ALL OF THE REASONS FOR ITS BEING [EDITORS: MEANING HERE IS MORE "CREATION"] BECOME COOPERATING MEMBERS? WHY SHOULD SUCH AN INSTITUTION OF MILITARY POWER AND PRACTICE GROW AND CONSUME MORE WEALTH RATHER THAN FADE AWAY? WHY NOT CONCENTRATE THE TOOLS AND INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP TO COERCE PEACE IN THE UNITED NATIONS? TEXT: IN THE EAST, "THE PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE" IS PLEASED WITH THE EXPANSION, AND SUGGESTS WHY SUCH A MOVE, GIVEN RUSSIA'S CURRENT INSTABILITY, IS SUCH A POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT. VOICE: IF RUSSIA WERE TO REVERT TO ITS FORMER AGGRESSIVENESS, PERHAPS AS A RESULT OF INTERNAL COLLAPSE, THE TRADITIONALLY WESTERN-LOOKING POLES, CZECHS AND HUNGARIANS AT LEAST WOULD HAVE THE BENEFIT OF NATO'S MILITARY PROTECTION AND THE ATTENDANT CULTURAL AND COMMERCIAL CONSEQUENCES. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF REFORM CONTINUED IN RUSSIA, AN EXPANDED NATO COULD WORK WITH THAT HUGE AND RESOURCE-RICH COUNTRY TO CONTAIN CONFLICTS THAT THREATEN EUROPEAN SECURITY. FOR ALL THE DELAYS AND DIVISIVENESS, THAT IS A FAIR DESCRIPTION OF THE RESOLUTION OF THE CIVIL WAR IN BOSNIA. /// OPT /// IT WAS THE NATO OF YESTERDAY THAT ATTRACTED THE POLES, CZECHS AND HUNGARIANS TO WANT TO JOIN THE ALLIANCE. BUT FOR THE NATO OF TOMORROW TO SUCCEED, NEW SACRIFICES WILL BE REQUIRED OF THE COUNTRY THAT REMAINS ITS MOST IMPORTANT MEMBER, THE UNITED STATES. /// END OPT /// TEXT: THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE NEED FOR AN EXPANDED NATO FROM "THE BOSTON HERALD," WHICH SUGGESTS: VOICE: /// OPT /// ... WHAT EXACTLY IS THE SECURITY THREAT TO EASTERN EUROPE TODAY? THE SOVIET UNION SLEEPS WITH THE CZARS [SLANG FOR "IS DEAD"]. OTHER THAN THE BALKANS, A SOURCE OF TROUBLE FOR HALF A MILLENNIUM, THE CONTINENT HAS NEVER BEEN SO PEACEFUL. THE NEW NATO MEMBERS WILL NEED TO INCREASE THEIR DEFENSE BUDGETS SIGNIFICANTLY TO MAKE THEIR ARMIES COMPATIBLE WITH OTHER NATO FORCES, AT A TIME WHEN ALL ARE DRIVING A BUMPY ECONOMIC ROAD. IT IS N O ACCIDENT THAT U-S DEFENSE CONTRACTORS WERE AMONG THE BIGGEST SUPPORTERS OF NATO EXPANSION. /// END OPT /// PUBLIC OPINION IN ALL THREE COUNTRIES IS BEGINNING TO TAKE A MORE SOBER VIEW OF THE ALLIANCE. RECENT POLLS SHOW SUPPORT FOR NATO AFFILIATION IN POLAND AND HUNGARY HAS FALLEN FROM 80 PERCENT A YEAR AGO TO ABOUT 60 PERCENT TODAY. WE'RE NOT CONVINCED THAT MOST AMERICANS HAVE YET GRASPED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF WHAT HAS BEEN DONE. ... THE ADMISSION OF POLAND, HUNGARY AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC IS A DONE DEAL. THIS IS ENOUGH EXPANSION FOR NOW AND THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. TEXT: IN THE HEARTLAND OF AMERICA, "THE KANSAS CITY STAR" GREETED THE EXPANSION, IN NEARBY INDEPENDENCE, MISSOURI, WITH THESE THOUGHTS. VOICE: IT WAS FITTING THAT THE ACCEPTANCE CEREMONY FRIDAY TOOK PLACE AT THE TRUMAN LIBRARY ... A LOCATION THAT RIGHTFULLY HONORED THE PRESIDENT WHO PLAYED SUCH A PIVOTAL ROLE IN THE ALLIANCE'S CREATION 50 YEARS AGO. EXPANDING NATO'S MEMBERSHIP WAS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FOREIGN-POLICY DECISIONS IN YEARS. /// OPT /// IT IS FASCINATING THAT THE ISSUE GENERATED ARGUMENTS VERY SIMILAR TO THOSE ARRAYED AGAINST NATO'S CREATION. THE LATE SENATOR ROBERT TAFT, [REPUBLICAN OF OHIO] FOR EXAMPLE, CLAIMED THAT A DEFENSIVE ALLIANCE WOULD LEAD TO AN AGGRESSIVE COUNTER-REACTION BY THE SOVIET UNION, WHICH WOULD SEE ITSELF AS 'RINGED ABOUT' BY POTENTIAL ADVERSARIES. OPPONENTS OF [UNDERSTOOD; BUT NOT STATED "THE PRESENT"] NATO EXPANSION OFFERED SIMILAR ARGUMENTS, BUT THE ISSUE NEVER BECAME CONTROVERSIAL WITH THE ELECTORATE, PERHAPS BECAUSE THE RATIONALE FOR EXPANSION WAS IMPLICITLY UNDERSTOOD. /// END OPT /// EXTENDING ... MEMBERSHIP TO THREE FORMER EAST BLOC STATES BEGINS A PROCESS THAT WILL AT LAST BRING STRATEGIC CLARITY TO A REGION THAT HAS BEEN A SOURCE OF INSTABILITY AND CONFLICT FOR CENTURIES. FRIDAY'S CEREMONY IS ALSO A TIMELY REMINDER THAT THE UNITED STATES CAN NO LONGER AFFORD TO WITHDRAW BEHIND ITS OCEAN BORDERS, AS IN THE YEARS BEFORE WORLD WAR TWO, AND ALLOW EVENTS TO TAKE THEIR OWN COURSE. /// OPT /// TEXT: IN FLORIDA, "THE MIAMI HERALD" IS CONCERNED THAT MOST AMERICANS ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THIS LATEST DEVELOPMENT, EVEN THOUGH THIS NATION IS NOW COMMITTED TO DEFEND EVERY INCH OF THE THREE NEW ADDITIONS, AS IF IT WERE U-S TERRITORY. VOICE: ... THE WAY THESE EVENTS [THE DEBATE ON SENDING U-S TROOPS TO KOSOVO AND THE NATO ENLARGEMENT] UNFOLDED THIS WEEK SUGGESTS THAT AMERICA'S POST-COLD WAR INATTENTION TO FOREIGN AFFAIRS HAS WORSENED. COMPARED TO 1990'S INTENSE NATIONAL DEBATE ON INTERVENING IN KUWAIT, FOR INSTANCE, THURSDAY'S HOUSE DEBATE ON INTERVENING IN KOSOVO SEEMED SMALL - - EVEN THOUGH THE ISSUES LOOM LARGE. MOREOVER, NATO'S EXPANSION CEREMONIES ... BIG NEWS IN EUROPE AND TO RUSSIAN NATIONALISTS - - PASSED WITH LITTLE NOTICE IN NATO'S LARGEST MEMBER NATION. ... THE UNITED STATES CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS. IT CAN'T PREACH GLOBALIZATION OF MARKETS AND COMMERCE WHILE WITHDRAWING INTO A SHELL. IT CAN'T HAVE ITS WAY AT THE UNITED NATIONS WHILE NOT PAYING DUES. AND IT CAN'T INSIST ON EARING THE MANTLE OF WORLD LEADERSHIP WHILE SHIRKING THE DUTIES THAT COME WITH THAT ROLE - - DUTIES, ALAS, THAT SOMETIMES REQUIRE DRAWING A SWORD. TEXT: THE "LOS ANGELES TIMES" WRITES THAT EVEN WITH THE ADDITION OF POLAND, HUNGARY AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC TO NATO, "QUESTIONS ABOUT ITS PURPOSES AND ITS FUTURE LOOM LARGE." THE "TIMES," ALSO NOTING THAT THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES LAST THURSDAY ONLY NARROWLY PASSED [BY A SINGLE VOTE] A NON-BINDING RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE USE OF U-S TROOPS IN ANY NATO MISSION IN KOSOVO, CONTINUES, VOICE: IN OUR VIEW, CONGRESS IS RIGHT TO BE SKEPTICAL. NATO'S EUROPEAN MEMBER SHOULD BE ABLE TO MANAGE KOSOVO BY THEMSELVES, WITH, AT MOST, SOME U-S LOGISTICAL HELP. INTERVENING IN KOSOVO HAS BEEN FOOLISHLY PROMOTED AS A TEST OF NATO'S RESOLVE AND CREDIBILITY. BUT AN ANCIENT CONFLICT IN WHICH MILITANTS ON BOTH SIDES REJECT COMPROMISE AND SHUN PEACE IS NOT THE PLACE FOR NATO TO TRY TO PROVE ITS VALIDITY. /// END OPT /// TEXT: WITH THAT COMMENT, WE CONCLUDE THIS SAMPLING OF U-S EDITORIAL COMMENT ON THE FORMAL EXPANSION OF NATO TO INCLUDE THE FORMER WARSAW PACT NATIONS OF POLAND, HUNGARY AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC. NEB/ANG/GE 16-Mar-99 12:59 PM EST (1759 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .