News In Brief

Reagan retreats on MX, making two concessions

President Reagan, in another retreat from his Pentagon spending demands, has agreed to put the MX nuclear missile on hold until next year. His two concessions are that both the House and the Senate will have two chances to kill the 10-warhead MX in votes next April, and that total defense spending will not exceed $292.9 billion, roughly the figure approved months ago by the Democratic-controlled House, in fiscal 1985. Reagan originally sought $ 313 billion. MX opponents need win only one vote to kill the weapon.

Instead of the 40 missiles he originally sought, or the 21 approved by the Senate, the authorization and spending bills that emerge in the coming days will request $1.5 billion for production of just 15 missiles.