The Nation - News from Aug. 31, 1988

The White House marked the 25th anniversary of the Washington-to-Moscow hot line by highlighting recent efforts to improve communication between the superpowers. In a statement issued as President Reagan vacationed at his mountaintop ranch near Santa Barbara, the White House said the hot line, a teletypewriter link intended for emergency communications between American and Soviet leaders, “has proved to be an invaluable tool.” In 1986, the hot line was upgraded with the addition of a rapid facsimile capability designed to provide for the fast transmittal of documents and other data.