First Look at Asia

"Will Agnew talk, roar or do a lot of listening?" wondered a columnist in the Philippines Herald. As it turned out, the Vice President adopted a painstakingly correct manner as he arrived in Manila last week on the first stop of his 25-day, 39,000-mile tour of eleven Asian and Pacific countries. "It's all very interesting," he said blandly. "I am not in a position to make pronouncements on this part of the world." When a group of youthful protesters lobbed a firecracker at his limousine, he refused to become rattled, even after some newspapers escalated the firecracker into a firebomb. "It didn't really amount to much," he declared benignly.

Agnew remained cautious and rather stiff as he attended the inauguration of Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, chatted with South Korean Prime Minister Chung II Kwon, and carried out such ceremonial chores as laying wreaths, visiting an experimental rice farm, and dispensing the latest U.S. diplomatic lagniappe to friendly heads of state: tiny pieces of moon rock.

A Pacific Power. Agnew warmly congratulated Marcos on his inaugural address calling for a "revolutionary reformation of our international and domestic policies." In a private talk, Marcos told Agnew that many Asian leaders had feared that the so-called "Nixon doctrine"--avoiding future Viet Nams while maintaining U.S. commitments--was a sign that the U.S. was veering toward isolationism. Agnew assured Marcos that the U.S. intended to remain a Pacific power.

The Vice President was accompanied by his wife Judy, who had never been overseas before, and sometimes seemed understandably ill at ease making small talk with Presidents and Prime Ministers. "It's the 29th, isn't it?" she asked nervously, as she signed the guest book at the presidential palace. Judy's shyness was offset by the easygoing enthusiasm of Apollo 10 Astronaut Eugene Cernan, who accompanied the Agnews on the first week of their tour. With an arm around Judy Agnew, Cernan told Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos: "We feel the moon belongs to everyone." "Ah," beamed Mrs. Marcos, "as in the American song?"

Really Encouraged. Leaving Judy behind, Agnew flew to Saigon on New Year's Day for a 24-hour visit. General Creighton Abrams, U.S. commander in Viet Nam, was too ill with pneumonia to confer with him, but Agnew was warmly received by President Nguyen Van Thieu. "The hawk," a palace aide said later, "is always welcome." Agnew brought no specific message from Nixon. However, he assured Thieu that U.S. withdrawal would be gradual.

Next morning the Vice President visited the U.S. Army's 24th Evacuation Hospital. "We are going to get you out of here," he told Staff Sergeant John Bishop. "Roger that," Bishop said. When another patient told him, "I don't feel I should be here," Agnew paused and replied in a whisper, "We all want to get it over with." Later, he expressed enthusiasm about the progress of the war. "The most significant thing to me," he told reporters, "was the way the ARVN are working with the U.S. forces. I'm really encouraged."

Agnew's visit to Taiwan was billed as a mission of reassurance. The Chinese Nationalists have been dismayed by Washington's recent moves to improve relations with Peking by slightly easing trade restrictions and seeking to resume ambassador-level talks. En route to Taipei, Agnew defended the policy ot lessening tensions and said that it would continue. "Communist China is a country of over 800 million people. They can't be ignored." On arrival, however, he assured President Chiang Kai-shek that "there is no diminution in our posture here." Then he flew on to Bangkok to deliver the same message to King Bhumibol and the Thai government.

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