Diary Entry - 10/04/1983
Key Facts
President Reagan greets the President of the Federal Republic of Germany Karl Carstens.
President Reagan meets with Special Representative for Negotiations, U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency Edward Rowny.
A 24-hour national strike to protest low wages and high inflation shuts down business, industry, and public transportation in Argentina.
Pres. & Mrs. Carstens—W. Ger. arrived. We provided the usual formal honors. He’s a learned & intelligent man. We couldn’t get into too much in politics as he is in more of a ceremonial position. Nevertheless he has much to say about various world problems & he makes sense. After our meeting the day began to resemble yesterday. I met with the Am. Bus. Conf.—Then saw Ed Rowny off to Geneva in a Rose garden ceremony. Sec. Hodel came in to present a copy of the annual energy report required by Cong. A Cab. Council meeting on the problem of phone rates now that the F.C.C. has broken up the Bell system. Pretty soon the discussion was based totally on pol. considerations. I finally reminded everyone we came here to do what was right not what was politically expedient. That’s the way it’s going to be. Then a taping session for 6 dif. affairs. Up to exercise & get into black tie for the Carstens state dinner. I left out a Cong. meeting. A large group of Dem. & Repub. Reps. & Sen’s. in the Roosevelt room on the issue of the arms reduction talks. There is still that question of my sincerity about the talks. I guess I got carried away & did a speech on how I really feel. Chalk up another 1st in my experience in Wash. They came to their feet in a standing ovation.
