U Opinion Page 2/The Battalion/Wednesday, May 23, 1984 Warp Soviets trying to close Olympic boycott gap Politics/ The Official Sport of the By DICK WEST Columnist for The Los Angeles Times Syndicate WASHINGTON — It is conventional wisdom from the White House almost to the Kremlin that the Soviet boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles is a retal iation for the American boycott of the 1980 Olympic games in Moscow. Generally overlooked, however, are the strides the Soviets have made, demonstrated by their ability to mount a full-scale withdra wal, toward closing the boycott gap. ! It must now be recognized that Russia has the ability not to take part in athletic con gests anywhere in the world. Their disen gagement capacity raises the question of how long they will continue a policy of ! merely reacting to inaction. Sooner or later, probably sooner, we can expect them to seize the initiative by launch ing a preventive boycott on their own. Then it will be too late for us to deploy American gymnasts in Western Europe or come up with a new basketball basing mode. The next thing we know, Third World countries will be lured into signing Olympic non-participation treaties. The best bet to keep the boycott situation from getting out of hand is immediate resumption of the Strategic Abstention Limitation Talks. Under a new SALT agreement, unilateral boycotts could be banned, with neither side permitted to avoid sending athletes to the Olympics. The “build-out” proposal first advanced by the United States offers possibly good grounds for negotiation. Here is an illustra tion of how it would work: For each new world-class platform diver the Soviets withdrew from international competition, they would have to enter one or more aquatic events they had previously passed up. Our side, of course, would be bound by the same rule, with verification procedures solidly in place. The result would guarantee both coun tries as many Olympic medals as they had won in the past. 1984 Olympics In other words, theoretically neither the Soviets nor the Americans could pull out of a relay race without entering long distance runners, male or female, in the place of the proscribed contestants. Whatever the formula, it is essential that both countries give up a bit of their boycott power. Deterrence has had its place, sure. It is almost axiomatic that the Soviets wouldn’t dare have boycotted the Olympics first, if they were certain the Games would be hit by an American boycott of equal force. That premise no longer is valid, however. One of the worse dangers is the prospect that one country might misjudge the other country’s intentions. There could, for example, be a case where the Soviets might mistake American disqualification of the steroid-taking weight- lifter for an all-out boycott. They would then feel compelled to stage a counter-boy cott of their own. As a worse case scenario, we can envision at least a television miniseries based on the devastation that would occur should the United States and the Soviet Union autho rize boycotts simultaneously. If you think scenes from “The Day After” were horrifying, wait till “After the Starting Blocks” appears on the screen. Letter I OH M 6 DIED.' M 40W IT teSPONi gOLUTIO Fan appreciat Chandler's ei Editor: As one who has f(| all the sports teamsaij A&M and attended! the games involving!) jor teams, I believe ij be proved statistical! the baseball team best winning percent all during my 13 year, (since 1970). 'olle One force has reii constant during those' That force is the toad Tom Ghandler. His coaching is exhibited fielders who actually to the cut-off man, infs w ho tu rn over the play regularly, catdieij truly oversee the games hitters who always make contact. Allofi not be happenstance. Ghandler must be credit for those 26y painstaking drilling fundamentals and suit) of baseball. Unive Minorii from thro ill receiv flee don at Texas / summer fcponsoret iciences. The fiv ae progi lortunity ilh a fac United Ivashin This fan would h • prices Clll thank < oat It Chandla U l ,| t | 1( his teams — particukflaid Tue present one — fot ma absorbing afternoon evening. I wish them luck in the NCAA I ment. Richardi nnual ini Department of In ent. Mongolian attitudes on the Olympic boyco sed cars nd many res growi The ri rice Inch tie that ii By ART BUCHWALD Columnist for The Los Angeles Times Syndicate It was admittedly a body blow to the West when the Soviets pulled out of the Olympics, but it was nothing compared to what happened when the news reached Mongolia. While the Soviet athletes had to accept their government’s decision whether they liked it or not, it wasn’t easy to per suade Outer Mongolia’s only long-dis tance runner that he wasn’t going to Los Angeles. Ghengis Kahn was jogging out on the Gobi Desert when his track coach, Yurt Temujin, rode out on his camel 20 miles to break the tidings. “How am I doing?” Ghengis asked, hardly puffing. “You’re doing fine. But we just got word from Ulan Bator that Mongolia is withdrawing from the 1984 Olympics.” Kahn was flabbergasted. “You’re put ting me on.” “I’m not, Ghengis. We just got orders from the KGB to tell you to stop run ning. The Russians are pulling out, and they told us we have to support their boycott or else.” “You mean I’ve been pounding bare foot on this hot sand for four years for nothing?” “What can I tell you, Ghengis? The Kremlin says they’re doing it for your own good. They were afraid if you went to Los Angeles your life would be in danger.” Kahn said, “Who would want to hurt a Mongolian in Galifornia?” “Ghengis, it isn’t for us to question the decisions of Moscow. But if the Russians don’t field their team, we can’t send ours.” “Why not? We don’t have any quarrel with the United States.” “If we showed up and they didn’t, it would be a signal to the West that the So cialist nations are in ferment.” “Good. Let’s go.” “It’s not that simple. They won’t fly us out of the country.” “Maybe I could run to the Gaspian Sea and pick up a foreign freighter? It would be good practice for me.” “I’m sorry, Ghengis, but you’re going to have to live with the idea that you won’t be competing this year.” Tears formed in Kahn’s eyes. “This means I won’t see Lana Turner. You promised me if I trained real hard I could meet her in Galifornia. My dream for four years was that she would be in the stands cheering for me when I crossed the finish line.” The coach dismounted from his camel and put his arm around Kahn. “I know exactly how you feel. I was hoping to meet Glaudette Golbert. I loved her last movie, ‘It Happened One Night,’ which just showed in Mandal Gob last week. But there is nothing we can do about it. The Politburo is getting even for what the United States did to us four years ago in Moscow.” “If they weren’t going to Los Angeles, why didn’t they tell us in 1980, so I wouldn’t have calluses all over my feet?” “I can’t answer that question, Ghengis. You know the Kremlin never tells Mon golia anything.” Kahn put his head in his hands. “I could have been a contender. I could have won a gold medal. I could have seen Disneyland. I might have even been invited by Joan Grawford for a weekend in Malibu.” “You must never mention those capi talist thoughts when you get back to Ulan Bator.” “Why do 1 have to go to UlanB; “The Soviet Minister of Ai wants you to hold a press conferem Soviet television telling the Russian pie how happy you are that their leaders have chosen not to particip the games in Los Angeles. He wain to profess solidarity with all thew« peoples of the world who will not pete against the capitalist lackey Anothe ieport si ower of ir worker lor inflatii lenl in Ap ember U Mo wit! Valter Y rressure 1 are threatening world peace ini ^ arl f or part of the globe. If you say wha®e tell you to, they will give you Olympic gold medal they’ve mint! nt * — an compt seeing every athlete who doesn’t Los Angeles.” “It’s not the same Turner,” Kahn said. “But it will still he better thamn for the next Olympics in a Ulaant Gulag for four years.” Democratic runoffs cut both way United smocratr ales in N pier one I’m cal )ie forme Whee asked if h nd Jesse inia. Hart rei lenge Mon lay night iis schedi By ARNOLD SAWISLAK Columnist for 1 he Los Angeles Times Syndicate WASHING TON — A note to Jesse Jackson: Don’t mention Katie Hall when you argue that runoff primaries discriminate against blacks. Hall, the first and only black ever to represent Indiana in the House, won’t be around next year because she ran second in the first and only Democratic primary May 8. In 1982, she replaced a white, Rep. Adam Benjamin, ILL BE GIAP tWW THIS CALIFORNIA PR/MW/5 ME?.- FAIRYTALES CHANGE YOUR CAN COME TRUE, NAME ANP IT CAN HAPPEN VOUR AGE, TOYOLUFYQURE NEW IPEAS ‘ " >T ARE THE RA