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Despite his efforts to set a friendly tone, Nakasone will probably hear expressions of concern in Washington on both the commercial and military fronts. Officials will explain to Nakasone that as U.S. unemployment continues to rise, so will pressure for further measures designed to protect the domestic market from Japanese imports. The Administration also feels that Japan, which spends less than 1% of its gross national product on defense, vs. 6.3% for the U.S., is not shouldering a fair share of the military burden in the Pacific. So far, Nakasone's efforts to boost military spending have been disappointing to Washington. In his first draft budget, presented last December, Nakasone lowered the planned purchase of U.S.-built F-15 fighters from 20 to 13, dropped one of three destroyers from its naval buildup, and reduced tank orders from 75 to 60. State Department Spokesman Alan Romberg later declared that Japan's defense commitment "falls short" of its responsibilities, although he noted that the country faces "domestic financial difficulties."
Nakasone's response to this criticism is to say that "Japan is like a supertanker. It takes effort to change the course of such a ship." But even while counseling patience, he is counting on his image as a decisive leader to win understanding in Washing an. Already the Japanese bureaucracy is complaining about the speed with which Nakasone demands action, a habit that he is said to have learned from one of his idols, the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Having convinced the skeptical South Koreans of his good will, Nakasone may find the going easier with a politician as amiable as Ronald Reagan.
—By George Russell.
Reported by S. Chang/Seoul and Edwin M. Reingold/Tokyo