The post-Khrushchev leadership of the Kremlinhas been notably modest about Soviet strategic weaponry since Nikitawas bounced nine months ago—perhaps out of the realization that nobody could follow Nikita’s rocket-rattling act and top it.Nonetheless, when the U.S. recently announced that it now has 800solid-fuel Minutemen in place, First Party Secretary Leonid Brezhnevapparently felt he had to reply. “We hate to boast, and we do notwant to threaten anyone,” Brezhnev confided diffidently to thegraduates of the Soviet military academies in Moscow. “However,it is necessary to note that the figures and calculations quoted in theWest about the rocket and nuclear power of the Soviet Union do nocredit at all to the intelligence services of the imperialiststates.” Exactly what, then, were the figures for Soviet ICBMs,estimated by Western intelligence at some 270-300? Oh well, saidBrezhnev, “it is hardly necessary to quote here concrete dataabout the quantity.”