Viewed in retrospect. President Reagan’s European visit amounted to a positive reaffirmation of the commitment of America and its allies in the quest for freedom and peace. The 10-day, four-nation journey was clouded by the Mideast hostilities. Nevertheless, Reagan could report on his return: “We accomplished what we set out to do. Our friendships are firm.” In his Bonn speech, Reagan sought to open the way for disarmament negotiations in Europe by calling for a mutual reduction of NATO and Warsaw Pact forces to a ground troop level of 700.000 for each side. Earlier. the 16 leaders of the North Atlantic Alliance urged the Soviet Union to negotiate an end to the arms race. NATO leaders gave their support to Reagan’s decision to open strategic reduction talks with the Soviet Union in Geneva June 29. A declaration issued at the summit meeting reiterated that “our objective is to prevent war and to safeguard democracy and build the basis of a durable peace.” It stressed: “None of our arms will ever be used other than to respond to aggression. We respect the sovereignty, the equality, the independence and the territorial integrity of all states.”‘ NATO leaders also called on the Soviet Union to ease tensions caused by the occupation of Afghanistan and military repression in Poland. and urged genuine detente in East-West relations. Unfortunately. initial Russian response was negative. The Soviet Communist party newspaper Pravda charged Reagan with pursuing an arms race and jeopardizing Western Europe’s security. it also attacked U.S. policy in the Mideast and its support for Britain in the Falklands. The statement serves as a reminder of the wide gulf between the positions of the Soviet Bloc and NATO nations and the challenges ahead in the upcoming Geneva talks. Reagan’s address to the British Parliament was eloquent, but prompted negative as well as positive comments. His proposal for a televised speech exchange between himself and Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev was called by one critic a “warm over” of an earlier TV exchan e between Brezhnev and E-irmer President Nixon. Nevertheless, if both sides would accept the idea in a spirit of cooperation, it could pave the way for widening American-Soviet contacts and the kind of diplomacy and people-topeople relationships necessary to promote a mutual trust. In the over-all view, the European trip spotlighted serious challenges the U.S. and its allies face in seeking to insure a lasting peace: but it also gave reassurance that there will be unity in the effort.