	white house discounts threat of  war president reagan has reaffirmed his opposition to protectionism and his chief spokesman said  sanctions imposed on japan were unlikely to start a  war we don t want to go down that road reagan was quoted as telling prime minister jacques chirac after the visiting french official expressed concern about the rising tide of protectionist sentiment in the united states later white house spokesman marlin fitzwater defended the new sanctions against japan and said administration officials do not believe this will result in a  war it is the first time that the united states has taken an action of this type and it is significant but it is nothing to be alarmed about the presidential spokesman added we do not want protectionism we do not want a  war he said fitzwater said the president was forced to act in the japanese microchip case because tokyo had failed to fulfill an agreement to make some corrections noting that there are enormous pressures in the congress and the land for the united states to take a tough stand he said this was a case where we felt we simply had to act fitzwater said the decision to impose sanctions was well considered by this administration and not taken lightly while the white house official held open the possibility that washington and tokyo will settle their  dispute he indicated a settlement probably would not come in time to head off the sanctions we are always open to negotations whether it a settlement could occur in time to prevent this the sanctions from going into effect is questionable at this point the spokesman said the sanctions take effect in mid april reuter 
