Build Those Diesel Subs
ÐÊi Imagine that George Hush, with the stroke of a pen, could reduce the U.S, trade deficit, provide thousands of jobs and mend hurt feelings with two American allies. It sounds like the kind of solution on a silver platter that the new administration is looking tor.</br></br>Hut Washington is a town that (tints its back on the practical if people in high places have an absurd solution,</br></br>Bush's golden opportunity comes in the font) of requests from Israel and South ÐÊ Korea. They are begging the United States to build diesel-electric submarines for (bent to buy. Hut so far, the United ; States has said no thanks. Picture the Japanese government coming to Lee la-cocca and asking hint to build its fleet cars. Then picture lucocea saying no and dotting bis plant for lack of work.</br></br>It's absurd, but the United States did essentially the same tiling when South Korea and Israel came shopping. The Navy made some weak excuses and sent the Koreans anil Israelis packing. Two</br></br>If Hush's choice for secretary of Energy, Adm. Janies Watkins, is any utdica-tion, thereÛªs little hope that the president will correct the mistake, it was Watkins who, while chief of naval operations from 1982 to 198(5, deep-sixed the submarine construction project, lie and his Navy subordinates offered a flurry of excuses that hid the real reasonÛÓif Americans built diesel submarines, they might grow to like litem, And if that happened, the U.S. Navy's single-minded program to build nuclear-powered submarines would be in jeopardy.