TALKS ABOUT TALKS

British Prime Minister John Major and Irish Prime Minister John Bruton hope to agree on a framework for peace talks before President Clinton arrives in London Wednesday on a visit that will also take him to Belfast and Dublin. But London Bureau chief Barry Hillenbrand reports that Bruton has so far been unsuccessful in getting Major to drop his demand that the IRA begin disarming before negotiations with Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams can begin. "Bruton and Major have spent a lot of time on the phone, and they can't reach a compromise. Remember, these are not even peace negotiations yet. These are talks to allow them to convene talks, and the main issue is still decommission. Britain argues that Sinn Fein has to begin decommission since they say the arms could be used as leverage and be a threat in negotiations. Adams argues that the ANC and the PLO didn't have to give up their weapons, and that renouncing violence should not be a precondition for peace talks."