Reagan's Foreign Policy Fails, Hoffman Charges

America's foreign policy towards many nations is either non-existent or disastrous or both, a Harvard professor told a group of thirty-five freshman last night at the Freshman Union.

Dillon Professor of French Civilization Stanley H. Hoffman said that the Reagan administration has pursued a policy of trouble avoidance rather than positive action.

He characterized Reagan as a "reluctant president" whose administration has been marked by "endless self-congratulation." He accused the administration of foillowing an entirely short-term policy.

"The Democrats," said Hoffman, "essentially accept Reagan's policies" because the old Liberals have gone underground and the rest of the Democrats have been sucked into the current age of satisfaction. He added that, in the long run, the Democrats would be forced to take up all the unpopular measures which the President has avoided.

In his talk Hoffman discussed a variety of topics, ranging from the situation in Nicaragua, to Reagan's policy towards China, to the likelihood of a war between Israel and Syria, to the Strategic Defense Initiative.

Hoffman asked what the American government would do after the various areas of current foreign policy fail. "Almost everybody agrees SDI won't work," he said. "The problem of what to do after there is a costly failure will be left to the next administration."

"Only two people in the world, maybe three, believe in SDI" said Hoffman, who is also the Director for the Center for European studies. He said only the president, the secretary of defense, and Shakespearean actor and physicist Edward Teller had faith in the 'Star Wars' program. "Not even the scientists working on it believe it will work."

Hoffman jested that the reason he agreed to speak to the freshman was that "they will be the future leaders of America, and they need to be informed. Who can better educate them than teachers?"