Nation: A Sudden Vision of Peace

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cautioned O'Neill, would conflict with the televised Monday-night football game. The Speaker suggested that the President consider delivering his address early on Monday evening, advice Carter would wind up taking when the summit ended.

But plans for the Friday conclusion were most premature. Thursday night, in fact, the talks nearly broke down. At that time, an Egyptian in touch with his country's delegation remarked: "Absolutely nothing is being achieved. Things are going badly on all points." While this was something of an exaggeration, his assessment was basically confirmed by an Israeli official who said on Friday: "Wednesday we were very close. But if we end today, we end in failure."

The problem apparently was Sadat's mounting frustration at Begin's adamant refusal to accept the principle of Arab sovereignty over the West Bank. It took a talk with Dayan and a long walk with Carter before Sadat cooled off and the crisis passed. Still the two antagonists were no closer to agreement.

With the talks bogged down, Carter finally wondered whether Sadat and Begin might not be holding a few concessions in reserve to play, if necessary, in the final, crucial stage of the talks. The President thus came to a vital decision: he would propose that the summit end Sunday, whether or not agreement had been reached. When Vice President Walter Mondale sounded out Begin and Sadat on this, they concurred. Among those pleased by the decision were the frustrated newsmen waiting at the Thurmont press center. When Powell told them the conference was ending Sunday, they cheered.

By this time there was surely cheering inside Camp David too. (One slogan proposed by junior staffers for a summit T Shirt: FREE THE CAMP DAVID THREE.) The combination of strain, crowded living and somewhat spartan surroundings was telling on everyone. On Friday Carter's aides described him as nearing mental and physical exhaustion. Said one: "He's really wiped."

The heavy demands Carter had set for himself gave him very little time to use Camp David's recreational facilities. He did, however, manage to fit in a few sets of tennis with Rosalynn and bicycle around the grounds, sometimes to negotiating sessions. Others fared slightly better. Among the most popular forms of relaxation at the summit were evening movies. With 60 or so films in the camp's library, Sadat saw some of his favorites. Among them: Shane and Treasure of Sierra Madre. Begin found time to challenge Brzezinski to a three-game chess match. The outcome: two wins for Zbig, one for Begin.

The camp's kitchens, run by the Navy, were able to whip up just about anything the three leaders wanted to eat. Carter and Sadat dined mainly in the privacy of their lodges, but Begin regularly took his meals at Laurel Lodge with his delegation. Lower-ranking officials found the cuisine far less satisfactory, with the U.S. staffers particularly put out to find their trays heaped with familiar G.I. stomach turners like creamed chipped beef on toast. Except for Carter's spacious Aspen Lodge, living quarters for the U.S. team were cramped. Vance shared a two-bedroom cottage with Mondale, who was shuttling between Camp David and the capital. When Defense Secretary Harold Brown came up for part of the talks, he and Vance had to room together and take turns in the bathroom.