Nitze Seen in Lead for Arms Agency Post

WASHINGTON — Paul H. Nitze, a senior U.S. adviser, is the “leading contender” to head the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, but President Reagan has not decided yet whether to offer the post to him, a U.S. official said today.

If Secretary of State George P. Shultz “goes to bat for him, he can have the job,” said the official, who demanded anonymity.

The Washington Times, citing unidentified Administration and congressional sources, said today the Administration already has decided to name Nitze to the post. The newspaper said White House Chief of Staff Howard H. Baker Jr. and National Security Adviser Frank C. Carlucci met with Reagan last week at the President’s ranch near Santa Barbara, Calif., where the decision was made.

The Washington Times said another senior arms control adviser, Edward L. Rowny, would resign over Nitze’s selection. But the official who described Nitze as the leading contender to succeed Kenneth L. Adelman said Rowny had no intention of leaving.

Resignation Submitted

Adelman has submitted his resignation as the agency’s director to return to academic life and write a weekly column for the Chicago Tribune service.

Nitze, 80, has served in Democratic and Republican administrations since Franklin D. Roosevelt.

He has served principally as Shultz’s right-hand man on a prospective U.S.-Soviet treaty to ban intermediate-range nuclear missiles. He is considered more “moderate” on negotiating with Moscow than some other arms control specialists in the Administration and is not popular with conservatives.

The Washington Times said an arms control agency source said as many as a dozen hard-liners at the agency planned to resign if Nitze accepted the post.