US publicity effort to woo Europe on missile issue

President Reagan has ordered a new campaign, under the label of ''public diplomacy,'' to counter the Soviet peace offensive and improve European understanding of US nuclear arms policies, administration officials said Thursday.

Officials said the President has enlisted the assistance of Peter Dailey, the US ambassador to Ireland, to mount the $65 million communications drive to promote European support for US nuclear arms control policies. Mr. Reagan made the move in the wake of a Soviet campaign to forestall the deployment of US Pershing II and cruise missiles on the European Continent by the end of the year.