Word: schmidts
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Less than an hour later, Reagan met with West German Chancellor Schmidt in one of the few unscheduled events on the President-elect's calendar. Schmidt was in Washington as a result of a miscalculation; he had expected Carter to win the election and scheduled an early visit to patch up their strained relations. In the new circumstances, the German leader had his aides pester Reagan's advisers with requests for a meeting...
...Schmidt strode over to Reagan's house at 4 p.m. Thursday and talked with the President-elect for an hour. They discussed the state of the NATO alliance, East-West relations, arms control and defense. Schmidt was obviously pleased, in glowing contrast to his usual somber mood after talking with Carter. The German leader could never conceal his impatience with what he regarded as Carter's moralistic and vacillating approach to foreign policy. Although he originally considered Reagan to be a politically inexperienced movie actor, he is swallowing his doubts and now regards Reagan...
...parting was a bit like two boxers shaking hands at the end of a bruising fight. After lunch and a final talk in the White House last week, President Carter cordially thanked his guest for the "very fruitful and constructive relationship" they had had. West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, in turn, praised Carter's "friendship, help and candor." The words were the warmest that the two men had spoken publicly about each other during four years of an intensely strained relationship. Said one of Schmidt's aides afterward: "They are probably both glad they...
...Chancellor's visit came at a moment when new tensions were straining West German-U.S. relations. Schmidt's newly elected government had decided, though it had not yet announced it, that in 1981 Bonn would not meet its pledge to NATO to increase defense spending by 3%. Schmidt had apparently decided on a 1.75% increase. In light of the bleak economic conditions facing Western Europe, he reasoned that the 3% commitment, which he had vigorously favored at a 1978 European summit, "needs to be looked at anew." With only 5.3% inflation and 3.8% unemployment, West Germany...
...Carter Administration had been counting on West Germany to pull its military and psychological weight in NATO, particularly since several other member nations (notably Denmark and Belgium) had failed to meet their obligations. After learning of Washington's displeasure, Schmidt apparently backed away from his original decision, though he refused to be specific on how close Bonn would come to the 3% goal. On the eve of the Washington visit, the Chancellor's press spokesman, Klaus Boiling, insisted that "Bonn will fulfill its commitments to the North Atlantic Alliance." West German officials pointed out that Bonn has consistently...