Innsbruck, January 1, 1985
The New Year’s Concert
The New Year’s Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Lorin Maazel will, for the first time, be broadcast from the Musikvereinssaal (the main concert hall of the Vienna Philharmonic) live to the United States. The broadcast of the Johann Strauss melodies throughout the world is the opening event of the Year of Music 1985 declared by the European Council.
Note
[Since 1985, the New Year’s Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra has been broadcast each year time-deferred in the evening hours by PBS (Public Broadcasting System). The New Year’s celebration from Vienna has ever since been hosted with charm by the experienced commentator Walter Cronkite.]
January 7, 1985
East-West Dialogue Resumed
Today, the armament control talks between the United States and the USSR in Geneva have been resumed. The talks between Secretary of State George Shultz and Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko give new hope for easing the tensions between East and West. They nourish the hope for a certain revitalization of détente. But on the first day of negotiations, the deep division that separates the two superpowers has surfaced. The expectations for disarmament negotiations have somewhat been dampened.
January 9, 1985
Yesterday’s final talks between Shultz and Gromyko in Geneva led inasmuch to a positive result as there has been agreement to continue negotiations on armament control. The relief that the perennial danger of a nuclear war has at least been reduced is being felt everywhere.
January 10, 1985
A Political Thaw
Despite the hardest cold wave in Europe in thirty years with temperatures of 30 degrees below zero Celsius, the negotiations in Geneva brought about a thaw in world politics. Rarely has the reaction of the press of all camps been so positive as to the one in Geneva these days. An agreement has been reached to resume negotiations on comprehensive armament controls, which, under one umbrella, would discuss in the years ahead issues of weapons in space, strategic systems, and intermediate-range missiles. The goal of these negotiations would be to completely abolish nuclear weapons as proposed by President Reagan.
January 20, 1985
The Second Term
With the swearing-in ceremony in a small circle in the White House, the second term in office of Ronald Reagan as President of the United States has begun. After a long time, America has again a two term President. It is a sign of continuity and stabilization of the political climate. During Reagan’s first term in office, America’s domestic needs were met. Now there is hope that his second term will have a stabilizing influence on peace in the world. The talks in Geneva have raised expectations in this regard.
Note
[The 20th Amendment to the American Constitution of October 15, 1933, provides that the swearing-in of the elected American President should take place on January 20. The oath of office is usually administered in an open-air ceremony on the West Balustrade of the Capitol with the general public gathered on the Mall below. Only in extreme inclement weather, as was the case on January 20, 1985, the solemn ceremony takes place in the White House.]