Vanderbilt Television News Archive

(Studio) Secretary of State Henry Kissinger rptdly. tells NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) foreign mins. in Norway he doesn't think USSR is intent on world domination. He says USSR 's military buildup designed to put pressure on the West and West must keep up military strength to forestall Soviet aggression. Ronald Reagan charges the United States with being 2nd-rate power.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite

(DC) Defense Department film shown. Of military manpower, USSR has 4,800,000 troops; 2,130,000 for US. 1/4 of Soviet troops face Chinese border; another 1/4 faces NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) Europe. United States needs no large defensive army at home. Representative Les Aspin says forces equal when divided into combat and non-combative forces. US outnumbered in terms of conventional weapons. Chart shows number of tanks, armored vehicles and artillery. Navies compared. USSR has 236 combat ships; 177 for US. USSR has 8615 combat/tactical aircraft; 7296 for US. 2500 of Soviet planes are part of Soviet defense system. Mil. capabilities of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and Warsaw Pact ntns. compared. NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) equipment rptdly. superior in quality. US-USSR 's strategic missile forces compared. Some fear USSR could gain nuclear war-winning capability in the 1980's. In total strategic warhds., USSR has 3,500; 7,500 for US. With Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) deadlocked, United States has stkpiled. 50 powerful Minuteman III missiles and Ford asked for 60 more. United States spends far less of its resources on military than USSR .
REPORTER: Jim McManus

5:45:10 "MAO TSE-TUNG"

(Studio) Rumored Mao Tse-tung, 82, is dead.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite

(People's Republic of China) February 1972 and February 1976 films show Mao greeting Richard Nixon. Mao rptdly. suffered stroke in 1973. Mao looked worse in mtgs. with Ambassador Robert Muldoon of New Zealand in April and Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew in May.
REPORTER: Barry Kalb (narrates)

(Hong Kong) [MULDOON - says Mao knew what he was saying.] Chinese government may be preparing public for possibility of Mao's death.
REPORTER: Barry Kalb