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Once the surprise wore off, U.S. officials did not seem overly worried. Indeed, at least for now, the Administration is looking on the bright side: Mitterrand's views on the Soviets, the Middle East and the Atlantic alliance are basically compatible with Washington's. But there is a strong likelihood of policy conflicts over the Third World, where the Reagan Administration has taken a much more tolerant line toward authoritarian regimes. Summing up Washington's wait-and-see attitude, one Administration analyst observed: "These people have been out of office for 23 years. Now they have to face up to reality, and that is a sobering experience." —Thomas A. Sancton Reported by William Blaylock and Henry Mutter/Paris