ms. geyer, your question to mr. mondale. ms. geyer: mr. mondale, two related questions on the crucial issue of central america. you and the democratic party have said that the only policy toward the horrendous civil wars in central america should be on the economic development and negotiations, with perhaps a quarantine of marxist nicaragua. do you believe that these answers would in any way solve the bitter conflicts there? do you really believe that there is no need to resort to force at all? are not the solutions to central america's gnawing problems simply, again, too weak and too late? mr. mondale: i believe that the question oversimplifies the difficulties of what we must do in central america. our objectives ought to be to strengthen the democracies, to stop communist and other extremist influences, and stabilize the community in that area. to do that we need a three-pronged attack. one is military assistance to our friends who are being pressured. secondly, a strong and sophisticated ec

ms. geyer, your question to mr. mondale. ms. geyer: mr. mondale, two related questions on the crucial issue of central america. you and the democratic party have said that the only policy toward the horrendous civil wars in central america should be on the economic development and negotiations, with perhaps a quarantine of marxist nicaragua. do you believe that these answers would in any way solve the bitter conflicts there? do you really believe that there is no need to resort to force at all? are not these solutions to central america's gnawing problems simply, again, too weak and too late? mr. mondale: i believe that the question oversimplifies the difficulties of what we must do in central america. our objectives ought to be to strengthen the democracies, to stop communist and other extremist influences, and stabilize the community in that area. to do that, we need a three-pronged attack. one is military assistance to our friends who are being pressured. secondly, a strong and sophisticated economic aid program and human rights program

ms. geyerur question to mr. mondale. ms. geyer: mr. mondale, two related questions on the crucial issue of central america. you and the democratic party have said that the only policy toward the horrendous civil wars in central america should be on the economic development and negotiations, with perhaps a quarantine of marxist nicaragua. do you believe that these answers would in any way solve the bitter conflicts there? do you really believe that there is no need to resort to force at all? are not the solutions to central america's gnawing problems simply, again, too weak and too late? mr. mondale: i believe that the question oversimplifies the difficulties of what we must do in central america. our objectives ought to be to strengthen the democracies, to stop communist and other extremist influences, and stabilize the community in that area. to do that we need a three-pronged attack. one is military assistance to our friends who are being pressured. secondly, a strong and sophisticated econom