World Notes EAST-WEST

The cold war will thaw a few more degrees this week when Admiral William Crowe, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, arrives in Moscow to sign a new accord designed to prevent such tragedies as the 1983 downing of Korean Air Lines Flight 007 after it intruded into Soviet airspace. All 269 passengers and crew members were killed in that mishap. The key provision in the 19-page pact, titled "The Prevention of Dangerous Military Activities," is that incidents, including border incursions, that might lead to a showdown should be handled "by peaceful means without resort to the threat or use of force." Trespassers will be "regarded as innocent until proved guilty." Until now, the Soviet military regarded any intruder as hostile until proved otherwise.