Have Doctors, Will Travel

"The Russians are simply letting as few people as possible see him up close."

So said a diplomat in Bonn, where Leonid Brezhnev arrived last week on his first trip to the West in nearly a year. It is no secret that the Soviet boss, now 71, has a long history of medical problems, which Western intelligence agencies believe may include gout, leukemia, emphysema and a heart condition that requires him to have a pacemaker. Still, the health precautions that were taken for his four-day stay were startling.

In his 150-member entourage, Brezhnev had a complete medical team (including a dentist) and a Kremlin chef to keep him on his diet. The West Germans, for their part, stocked emergency equipment and blood plasma at the official guesthouse where Brezhnev stayed; they also assigned two ambulances to his motorcade, as well as enough physicians to fill three Mercedes cars.

His schedule was kept light. At least two hours of rest were scheduled between engagements, not leaving very much time for official talks. Often Brezhnev's face appeared puffy, his movements stiff and his walk halting. He seemed to have difficulty moving the left side of his face and often slurred his words. At times he looked heavily drugged. After a picture-taking session with Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko and West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, Brezhnev tried to rise from the couch where he had been sitting, and his knees buckled; he quickly grabbed Gromyko's hand, drew himself up with Schmidt's help and walked away.

At other times, however, Brezhnev seemed in better condition. At a state dinner, he pumped the hands of 300 guests; later he delivered a forceful speech denouncing the neutron bomb. For all of the speculation about the Soviet leader's medical status, the prospects for a Brezhnev visit to the U.S. later this year probably will depend more on the health of U.S.-Soviet relations.

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