With trade fast becoming crucial to good relations between the United States and China, several lawmakers said the report was important for fixing responsibility on China.

The war crimes provisions are crucial because trials could fix individual responsibility for atrocities and reduce the desire for mass revenge.

But if we cannot fix legal responsibility as yet for all the abuses of the Reagan White House, the political responsibility is clear.

Perhaps, though, no country has made as complete an effort to fix responsibility for past crimes as Germany.

The suit, filed in Washington, is an effort to fix responsibility for at least some of the atrocities.

The families of the victims have lobbied for years, first for fixing responsibility, then for punishing the guilty.

If something bad happens while these recommendations are sitting there, the American people will fix political responsibility for failure - and that responsibility may last for generations.

The changes are intended to make information about who obtains contracts more available and to fix responsibility for awarding them firmly with the executive branch.

The reporter would write the matter and submit it to the chief, who would sign it to fix responsibility.

The result also vindicates the heroic, uphill effort to inform the public about Mr. North's activities without prejudicing the court's ability to fix criminal responsibility.