Reagan ‘Worried’: Didn’t Anyone Hear the Question?

WASHINGTON — President Reagan said today he was “shocked and surprised” that anyone questioned whether he actually was asked about Iran during a meeting with a Missouri sixth-grade civics class.

But the 11-year-old girl who asked it said “he never did answer my question” and indicated it had not concerned Iran.

“I’m worried that I seem to be the only one that interpreted the question correctly,” Reagan told reporters in the Oval Office after he vetoed an $87.5-billion highway bill.

In answer to a question from Heather Watson on Thursday, the President offered a history of his once-secret dealings with Iran and compared the sale of weapons to Tehran to paying ransom to a kidnaper. (Story on Page 13.)

“I am convinced in my mind that she asked specifically about the trouble, and was the cause worth it, and I answered in that way. I was shocked and surprised that the others of you thought that she was just asking generally about the whole (subject),” Reagan said.

Most reporters interpreted the question to be a general one about the travails of being President.

“If I’m wrong,” Reagan said, “I was wrong but I believe I answered the question. As a matter of fact, I heard the word Iran.”

The question was:

“With all this publicity and the press and stuff, it would just drive me out of my mind. I just wonder what is it that made it worthwhile to you?”

Reagan began, “What made it worthwhile? Well, this was one of the things why I asked for a commission to be appointed--to bring out all the facts.”

He then launched into a lengthy history of the Iran- contra deal and acknowledged that it had turned into a trade of arms for hostages.

After the President left, Heather said she thought he had done a good job of explaining the reasoning behind the Iran affair.

But she said, “He never did answer my question.”

Heather said she knew about the Iran controversy from listening to her parents. She said she didn’t think her parents backed Reagan but that she wasn’t sure how she felt.

“I’m just 11--I don’t know much about politics,” she said.