Mrs. Reagan Tells Group She’s Expert at Removing Leeches

WASHINGTON —  First Lady Nancy Reagan startled those attending an American Camping Assn. meeting with this statement:

“I don’t think most people associate me with leeches or how to get them off. But I know how to get them off. I’m an expert at it.”

She did not explain her remark made Monday night. But it came after published reports that she was a prime force behind the departure of Chief of Staff Donald T. Regan.

Her press secretary, Elaine Crispen, was not amused at the linkage. “It was just a funny little story,” Crispen said today. “She could have talked about mosquito bites. It was just a coincidence.”

Crispen reflected the growing frustration in the East Wing over the spate of stories that appear to attribute every personnel dismissal to a powerful First Lady. “Certainly she is strong and will support her husband when she feels he is going off the road,” she added.