White House Diaries

Wednesday, December 7, 1988

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10 A.M. Colin in on meeting. I signed a photo of Gorby & me in our first meeting in Geneva when he & I agreed to more meetings. I’m taking it to him in N.Y. We have information that Gorbachev will tell the U.N. he is reducing his military unilaterally. Learned Soviet U. had an earthquake in the Caucasus—great damage & many dead. Arafat’s news conf. in Sweden—he recognized Israels right to exist as a nation & rejected terrorism.

Ken D. told me I’m attending the Knights of Malta dinner in N.Y. on January 13. I appear before dinner & then leave. Sen. Dole wants us to talk to Gorby about giving opportunity to the physically handicapped. Then it was off to Marine 1 & A.F.1 to Newark. Again, a Marine 1 to Governors Island. There we motored to Quarters I—the residence of Admiral & Mrs. James Irwin (La Verne). Geo. B. joined us there, Shultz & others arrived & briefed us on Gorbys U.N. address. In it he declared he wanted mil. reduced by 500,000 men, 10,000 tanks, 8000 artillery pieces & 800 front line planes. Then Geo. B. & I met Gorby on his arrival. The 3 of us met for a short meeting then it was lunch with about 20 of us including translators & note takers. Meeting & lunch ended at 3 P.M. I think the meeting was a tremendous success. A better attitude than at any of our previous meetings. He sounded as if he saw us as partners making a better world. Then he & Geo. B. & I motored to the waterfront where we faced Lady Liberty, then a view of the N.Y. skyline. George left us there & we went on to the Ferr dock where Gorby & I parted. Marine 1—then A.F.1 to Andrews & Marine 1 to W.H. Nancy is home I’m glad to say. But I hurried through a shower & clothes change and at 6:25 P.M. left for “American Enterprise Inst.” for annual dinner. I spoke before dinner & returned to W.H. for 8 P.M. dinner with Nancy & Ted G.

Left at 6:25—did a receiving line with about 90 V.I.P.’s. Then into the ballroom—about 2000 there. Several speakers including Jerry Ford & Jeanne Kirkpatrick. Then I was presented with the Bayer Award & I spoke. Very well received. Then “home & mother.”