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Count Boël commented: "The U.S. is not growing isolationist. But the U.S. now wishes for a doctrine of equality, to be one among the others, sharing the burden and keeping NATO as the cornerstone of this new policy. If I had to give a definition of that policy it would be, 'partnership, strength, and a willingness to negotiate.' Most of the people we met in Washington were in favor of a carefully considered, negotiated withdrawal of U.S. and Soviet troops from Europe."
The prospect of a diminishing U.S. role alarmed Alfred Heineken, of The Netherlands' Heineken Breweries, because he foresaw that a power vacuum would develop. "I have heard everybody from potential Presidents to Congressmen talking about the Europeans and what they should do, and what our contributions to NATO should be. But the fact is that propaganda from Eastern Europe and Russia has been so successful —at least in my country—that it worries me. We fight that, those of us who have slightly capitalistic tendencies, but the task is made harder by what I call masochistic American writing. A lot of negative comments about America penetrate the European brain. I would be extremely happy if America would reestablish some sort of dream. We all know this country is not run by a bunch of fools, but by responsible people. For the world's sake, America should not create a negative impression about itself because that makes things impossible for us in Europe. We do not want to see NATO end. We do not want to become socialists."
CAN AMERICA AFFORD BUSINESS AS USUAL?
The Europeans were generally impressed by the quality of American leadership.
Dr. Joachim Zahn, of Daimler-Benz, remarked: "Inflation is a test for the capability of free enterprise and of its superiority to all planned or socialistic societies. I say frankly that I admire your President for daring at such a moment to announce a wage-price freeze, to declare that profit is indispensable for progress, and to warn, 'We cannot afford business as usual.' It is our corporate responsibility to support such an approach."
Assessing America's future, Sir Reay Geddes said: "America is powerful, energetic and, like Muhammad Ali, a little apt to talk during the fight. In terms of economic and military resources, of skills, tools and weapons, the U.S. is obviously strong. The political system is sometimes noisy and sometimes negative, but it is adaptable and bipartisan in emergency. We are seeing now that ability to respond to emergency. There is spreading from the White House a purity of purpose. The purity may get a little blemished as it spreads, but that is how new ideas start. Senate leaders told us that spirits would rise and confidence grow as the disengagement from Viet Nam was completed and as economic growth came along; the American idea would begin to reassert itself, broadened to include responsibility for the less fortunate. While we were talking about theories, abstractions and statistics, we in this group were worried. When we met the people who do things, we all felt better."