Exchange With Reporters at a Briefing for Cabinet Members on the Soviet-United States Summit

Q. What was the applause all about, Mr. President?

The President. Scintillating personality, I guess? [Laughter]

Q. Something we don't know about happen at the summit?

Q. Scintillating results?

The President. I'm very pleased with the results of the summit. And I think the American people are. I think maybe that was manifested by the welcome I was given here.

Maybe it is a good time to thank everybody around this table and the White House staff and staffs in the various Departments because often -- Jules knows this for the work he's done here and abroad -- we don't really adequately get to thank the people in the Government, career people or appointed people, who flesh out the agreements and work up the agenda and deal behind the scenes with no credit, no sitting at the head table. And this meeting, with a broad array of issues, convinces me that I am very fortunate to have this Cabinet team and to have the White House staff, as energetic as it is, and General Scowcroft and his people -- doing a superb job on preparation -- and then the Departments themselves that work for everybody around this table. And I know Jim Baker would second the motion.

So, I am pleased with the results. And I think the reception from the American people was rather clear. There are some problems. We never said there wouldn't be. We had a chance to describe the problems.

And that's it, because this is what they call a modified photo opportunity. [Laughter]

Q. How many allies did you call?

The President. I'm not going to take any questions; I took them all yesterday. And Marlin will give you that; but the mood from the allies so far, the ones I've talked to, have been very, very positive. And that is important when you're dealing with issues of this nature. Let me elaborate, Helen [Helen Thomas, United Press International] -- I will now modify the modification.

I did talk with Helmut Kohl yesterday, and I talked to Margaret Thatcher yesterday. And I'm not going to put words in their mouth, but I was very pleased with their response. And then I talked to President Reagan, to give him a briefing as to what he might anticipate at his breakfast. So, I did that after the meeting. But we'll have to wait and see what the response is from around the world, but so far our experts have been very pleased.