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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 5, 1975)
1 fugitive Hoffman toured Texas Hearst capture freaked radicals Associated Press AUSTIN, Tex. — Fugitive radical Abbie fmaii says the arrest of a Patty Hearst — or itody else — can be accomplished when the II wants it badly enough. But". . . they have to use illegal means,” he Jhis friend, Austin Sun editor Jeff Nigh tbyrd. /ith systematic use of illegal techniques, any- is vulnerable to capture. ” Nightbyrd reported in a copyrighted story ursday that Hoffman, perhaps the best known ical still hiding from the law, was in Texas und Thanksgiving and that he interviewed for two days. Nightbyrd says Hoffman told him the capture of Patty Hearst “freaked out” the entire under ground. Hoffman, a founder of the Yippies and one of the Chicago Seven accused in the disruption of the 1968 Democratic National Convention, has eluded capture for more than a year and a half. He is wanted in New York on charges of possess ing cocaine. Nightbyrd says he worked with Hoffman pro viding medical and food services at the Woodstock festival and later in anti-war ac tivities. Hoffman made contact with him through a woman after more than two years, Nightbyrd said. The woman convinced him over the tele phone she spoke for Hoffman by recounting how Nightbyrd lost $20 to Hoffman shooting pool in Miami. Nightbyrd said he failed to recognize Hoffman when he first saw him at a major Texas airport because Hoffman had disguised himself to look like a wealthy oilman. “Hey, what’s happening Jeff?” said Hoffman, who has had three nose op erations since going underground. Only then did Nightbyrd recognize him. They wandered Unrecognized in a major Texas city, drove through the countryside and danced at a honky tonk, Nightbyrd said. Asked about the effect of Patty Hearst’s arrest, Hoffman said: “Everybody freaked out for a number of reasons. Number one, they, the FBI, learned tons about how an underground works just from putting that much energy into a case. They began to understand an aboveground sup port system. “Number two, they got an incredible amount of publicity. They know where they score points, and who’s going to give them headlines. The FBI’s an enormous public relations firm. They always have been. “She shared my problem of being easily recog nized,” Hoffman said. “In such a situation, you have to be highly critical of yourself, especially in the first year ... to avoid even the slightest mistake. There’s a discipline you have to estab lish within yourself. You must think, “I’m so stupid. Somebody could catch me if they wanted to.’ “Patty’s situation was different from mine,” Hoffman said. “I’d been helping people for four or five years and I had friends all over. Patty was kidnaped, then converted in five or six weeks. She only had six friends that were underground, and they we ren’t all in the same room. She wasn’t a part of a total network, although she imagined herself part of a revolutionary movement, which is true. But that’s abstract. It’s not concrete. “I have a variety of identities which I change from time to time,” he said. “But even then it gets sticky. My face was known to thousands of people before, and Tm afraid someone will recognize “I was at a party one night and this guy says, ‘Hey, I know who you are!’ And Tm trying to turn around so he won’t see my face while I’m edging toward the door. ” I >0-20^ ID. three P 3 ' 1 ,no w* 1 ; €bt Battalion Vol. 69 No. 44 College Station, Texas Friday, Dec. 5, 1975 Senate to request new site for proposed tennis courts j By JERRY GEARY Battalion Staff Writer Last night at the Student Senate passed a bill asking the Texas A&M Board of Regents to recon sider the site of the proposed varsity tennis courts. The new tennis courts are to be constructed on the grassy, sloping area between G. Rollie White Coliseum and President William’s home. In passing the resolution, the senate is at tempting to persuade the board to select another site, preferably on the West Campus. The senate also passed the Bicycle-Storage Resolution which provides for the storage of up to 600 bicycles over the Christmas holidays. The hikes will be stored in Milner Hall until a truckload has been collected. They will then be transported to Arnold Brothers Storage in Bryan. Cost to the student will be 50 cents per bike. The bikes will be insured against fire, damage and burglary. The senate also passed the Student Radio In surance Bill providing protection for $2000 in broadcasting equipment. The Student Publications Board Recom mendations Bill was withdrawn by Jerri Ward, vice president of external affairs, in order to do more research concerning the representation of the student members on similar boards at other universities. Other resolutions passed by the senate were Centennial Fair Support, Senate By-Laws and the Campus Map Contract. “Let’s keep the campus soft for a while,” said Reagan Tower, freshman senator, urging support for her proposal to move the future varsity tennis courts away from the central campus. “For several years, they’ve been talking of put ting the tennis courts there,” said Bob Shoakes of the Athletic Advisory Committee, concerning the site between G. Rollie and the President’s house. Shoakes said the site provides a natural wind advantage and the tennis stadium could easily enhance the aesthetics of that area. “The Student Campus Planning Advisory Committee voted 13-0 against the site,” said Jim James representing that committee. James said they had studied the plan and concluded the wind advantage would be negligible. James also mentioned that eight tennis courts in the area would adversely affect the appearance of the area. “This damn campus is turning into concrete and asphalt,” argued Joe Marcello, graduate senator from the College of Science. Dutch stand firm The Associated Press AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands Dutch government showed no signs today of yielding to demands of South Moluccan nation alists holding more than 60 hostages in the In donesian consulate in Amsterdam and aboard a Game parking give-and-get spaces deal iio with 8- r and 11". ig stereo- Automatic ocking fa st 3 61/2 ’ air- Simulated es, micro- One Act Plays The Aggie Players will present 12 One-Act Plays December 4th through 6, with four plays each evening beginning at 7 p.m. These one-act plays represent the final requirement for Directing 371 under Dr. James Michael Thomas. The plays will be presented at the Forum Theatre. General Admission is 75c. Among the Players participating is Terry Jones in “Lou Gehrig Did Not Die of Cancer,” directed by Steve King. Staff photo by Glen Johnson Contributors to the athletic programs receive prime parking at home football games in ex change for their donations. Since 1967, the Aggie Club and the athletic department have controlled parking for home games in the seven parking lots nearest Kyle Field. The Aggie Club is composed of athletic pro grams contributors. Club members receive a season parking space in direct relation to the amount they have given, Wally Groff, assistant athletic director for fiscal affairs, said yesterday. The larger a member’s donation, the better his parking space. “A good parking space is getting as prestigious as good tickets. The Aggie Club, as well as many other groups, are using parking and tickets as means of enticing contributions for the athletic program,” Groff said. To park with the Board of Regents and the University President costs a club member from $750 to $1500. Groff emphasized that no direct payment is made for the “luxury” parking. “Every school in the country” uses similar forms of encouragement for athletic donations, he said. He estimated that 10-15 per cent of A&M- athletic funds comes from contributions. Ticket sales and television receipts provide the remain der of the department’s money. Seven lots are controlled by the two groups. One is lot 62, directly west of Kyle Field. The Board of Regents, University President and Vice-Presidents, Aggie Club contributors of $1500 and $750, and athletic department person nel park there. A second is the south wing of lot 62, for news media representatives. Another is one-half of lot 49, west of Cain Ath letic Hall, used by some football players’ parents and $300 contributors. To continue, there’s two-thirds of lot 56, west ofWellborn Road, used by more football players’ parents, and $200 contributors. Lot 48, directly east of Kyle Field, is used for some University administrators and athletic re cruiters and $100 contributors. The last two are lot 60, in front of Rudder Center, for additional administrators, some Rud der Center personnel and $50 contributors and the small lot in front of the Aggie Club center, for handicapped visitors. Officials working football games park on the grassy area south of the field. Parking passes are issued for about 110% capacity of each lot, Groff said. The assumption is made that not all permit holders will attend any one game. If a lot is not filled by kickoff, it is opened to anyone still looking for a parking space, he said. Traffic Panel stops campus mall traffic By LEE ROY LESCHPER, JR. Battalion Staff Writer The University Traffic Panel voted Wednesday to prohibit all motor vehicle traffic on campus malls and sidewalks. Several near-accidents involving pedestrians and vehicles driven at high speeds across univer sity malls precipitated the decision. The panel recommendation states “it is ex pressly prohibited to operate a motor vehicle On malls and sidewalks except with written permis sion of the University Police, effective im mediately.” The recommendation must be approved by John Koldus, vice-president for student services, and/or University President Jack Williams before taking effect. The recommendation affects not only univer sity and student vehicles, but also commercial vehicles operating on campus. In other action Wednesday the panel voted unanimously to investigate reported construction expenses on parking lot 62. Construction costs reported on the 413-space lot, built west of Kyle Field in 1974, totaled $533,000. At $1290 per parking space, that would make that lot more than twice as costly as other recently constructed university lots. Charles Brunt, construction manager of facilities planning and construction, said yester day afternoon that expenses on the lot were actu ally about $400,000. That includes $97,000 for added expenses such as a ticket booth and secu rity fence not directly connected with the lot. The traffic panel’s original motion on the park ing area suggested that “vehicle registration funds may have been used for purposes other than construction of parking facilities.” After some discussion the group agreed to remove “cutting allegations” of fund misuse from the mo tion. The panel also discussed future traffic prob lems arising from steadily increasing enrollment. Solutions could include restricting freshmen from having vehicles on-campus, providing park ing farther away from the central campus and having a tram system across campus. Campus Texas THE LONGEST YARD,” starring Burt kynolds and Eddie Albert, will be shown Friday Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Rudder Au- litorium. Admission will be $1. • RITA BROWNING will perform at the Base- lent Coffeehouse Friday and Saturday at 8 p. m. >lie has played in clubs and coffeehouses around Restate. Singing with her part of the time will be eff Davis of A&M. Admission will be 50c. • ASO’s STYLE Christmas Sock Hop will be held friday at 8 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus ballroom in Bryan. Music will be by Johnny Dee ‘fid The Rocket 88’s. Tickets are $3 and rodeo lub members admitted free. Tickets are avail- Me at the MSC, from rodeo club members and 1 the door. • HOST & FASHION will hold a fashion show tmday at 2 p. m. in Rudder Theater. The show '■'ill feature fashions for winter and the holiday sason. Admission will be 75c; tickets may be btained from Mam’selles or at the door. THE TEXAS A&M-Houston Baptist basket- game will begin Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in G. Hie White Coliseum. U.S. DISTRICT COURT JUDGE William M. Taylor Jr. offered yesterday to excuse himself from a Dallas school desegregation hearing. He has been hearing arguments on whether the Highland Park school district should be included in any Dallas desegregation plan. He made the offer because he is a graduate of the high school at Highland Park, a suburban area completely sur rounded by Dallas. The lawyers on the case will discuss the offer with their clients. FOUR SOUTH TEXAS shrimp boats, accused of “illicit fishing activities in national water of Mexico,” were seized by Mexican gunboats yes terday. The boats, allegedly within the 12-mile fishing limit of Gulf waters claimed by Mexico, were taken to Tampico and Tuxpan. The U.S. Coast Guard at New Orleans identified the shrimp boats as the Betty Margaret, the Fan- tomar and the Miss Thriftyway of Brownsville and the Matsumoto Maru of Port Isabel. KELLEY AIR FORCE BASE, one of five mili tary posts on which San Antonio is economically dependent, will lose up to 1,815 jobs by next summer, the base’s director of personnel Lt. Col. G. R. Davidson said. A Christmas Oratorio The Century Singers and the Bryan-College Station Chamber Orchestra presented Bach’s Christmas Oratorio at the Rudder Theater last night. Staff photo by Glen Johnson stranded train in northern Holland. More than 150 police surrounded the consu late in which six terrorists held an estimated 3 captives, including 11 children. Sharpshooters were perched on buildings around the consulate as the siege entered its second day. At Beilen, 90 miles to the north, 600 troops and 45 armored cars reinforced police and troops sur rounding a four-coach local train in which five terrorists held 38 hostages. The gunmen have killed three hostages since hijacking the train Tuesday. There was no possibility the Dutch govern ment would endanger its good political and commercial relations with Indonesia by agreeing to the political demands of the terrorists, and the Indonesian government is certain to continue to reject all demands for South Moluccan indepen dence as it has all other secessionist attempts in its far-flung archipelago. The terrorists are exiles or sons of exiles from the South Molucca islands in the Indonesian ar chipelago. The South Moluccas were part of the prewar Dutch East Indies and became part of Indonesia when the Dutch gave their vast island colony independence in 1949. Thousands of the islanders fled to Holland when the Jakarta gov ernment took over after an unsuccessful rebellion in 1950, and there are now about 40,000 South Moluccans in the country. The train hijackers issued anew set of demands Thursday, which in addition to safe passage out of the country included admission by the Dutch government that “great injustice” had been done to the South Moluccan people and a Dutch initia tive for United Nations mediation of South Moluccan demands for independence. Premier Joop den Uyl and senior cabinet members met through the night to discuss the twin acts of terror. Den Uyl said earlier prospects for a quick solution were “very somber.” The government proclaimed a full alert of all royal marine and state police units in the country. The consulate building in Amsterdam also housed an Indonesian school, and 16 children were there when the terrorists stormed into the building at noon Thursday. Shortly afterwards they released five children in return for a porta ble television set, a transistor radio and a bull horn. Gramm says interest rates hurt economy A Texas A&M University economics professor said Thursday that a recovery of the economy has been bogged down by high interest rates and capital shortages. Phil Gramm, a Democratic candidate for the U. S. Senate, spoke at the an nual meeting of the Texas Savings and Loan League at the Palacio Del Rio in San Antonio. Gramm is vying for the seat now held by Texas Sen. Lloyd Bentsen. High interest rates and capital shortages have sent home building into a two and one-half year recession,- Gramm said. Americans are having trouble buying homes and businessmen are having trouble investing in their business to expand production and em ployment capacity, he said, because they are en gaged in an unfair competition with the federal government for loanable funds. Gramm said that in 1969 the federal govern ment absorbed 12.4 cents out of every dollar raised on the American capital market to finance federal deficit spending. That figure might well exceed 67 cents out of every dollar raised on the capital market in 1976, he said. The federal debt rose from $486 in 1974 to $528 billion in the second quarter of 1975 and 83 per cent of this $42 billion dollar difference was fi nanced by selling bonds to private business and individuals, he said. Gramm said a recovery of the economy will be achieved “when the federal government frees capital for private use and interest rates fall. “The survival of the American free enterprise system is dependent on available capital to ex pand productive capacity in the private sector to employ the growing labor force,” Gramm said. He said that if the federal government does not balance its budget private business will be unable to expand employment. “This will ultimately mean the destruction of the free enterprise system, the rationing of capi tal by federal bureaucrats, greater government control over the private sector and a severe loss of economic and political freedom,” he said.