Reagan Won't Seek Fixed Money Boost By NATO Members
. scrap President CarterÛªs biggest NATO initiative:; getting alliance members to commit themselves to increase defense spending by . at least 3 percent a year after allowing for inflation.</br></br>In an apparent policy shift expected to delight 'NATO partners, particularly West Germany and Britain who contend an inflexible 3 percent increase is too demanding, Defense Secretary-designate Caspar W- Weinberger said he does not believe in holding allies to such a rigid standard.</br></br>While stressing NATO and other friendly countries must join the United States in doing more to shore up their own defenses and keep world sea-lanes open, Weinberger kicked President CarterÛªs 3 percent standard toward the ash can with these: words at his Senate confirmation hearing on Tuesday: "I donÛªt know that it is particularly useful to de-i , mand or talk about specified or fixed percentagesÛ of increases in friendly countriesÛª defense budgets.. Instead, he indicated the Reagan administration will settle for a generalized commitment.</br></br>"It is in everyoneÛªs interest in NATO and Japan' and elsewhere to join in this effortÛ by the United States to right the adverse military balance between the West and the Soviet bloc, Weinberger said.</br></br>1 "ItÛªs a mutual enterprise in which everybody has . exactly the same interest,Û he added. "I donÛªt think itÛªs an effective measure simply to look at how, imuch or what percentage. I would like to see the; end result. I donÛªt believe in these fixed percentages.; I think sometimes they may be too low and some-; Û÷times they may be high enough to involve some waste. What I would like to look at is the end prod-i ;uct; are we getting the strength we need? ThereÛªs no1 ÐÊdoubt that requires increased percentages, but by; the same token I think we will get a far more effec-i tive result if we look at what we are getting for it.Û '