Two items are very much in the forefront of the news these days: the Laotian-Viet Nam situation and the Arab-Israeli peace quest. Americans are expecting Mr. Nixon to fulfill his campaign promise of disengagement and the end of military action in Southeast Asia, and his chance for reelection may well turn on whether he succeeds. Time is running out. The Egyptian-Israeli peace hope is complicated by the national aspirations of the Soviet Union and the United States, both of whom have a stake in the outcome. At the moment the larger interests of all parties would seem to be served by a peace agreement. We do not foresee lasting peace in that area until the return of the Prince of Peace. Current developments suggest, however, the possibility of a period of time without war, and even this would be no mean achievement.
We announce happily that David E. Kucharsky is now managing editor, a title more in line with the many responsibilities he bears and an expression of our appreciation for his great contribution to the magazine. (Kucharsky, incidentally, is to appear on the NBC-TV network’s “Today” program, Monday morning, March 15, to report on the plight of five captive missionaries in Viet Nam.) And we welcome to the masthead as editorial assistant Cheryl Forbes, a graduate of the University of Maryland, who has been assigned duties in the book, letters, and editorial sections.
