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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 20, 1977)
Page 2 Viewpoint The Battalion Texas A&M University Tuesday, September 20, 1977 Baker squiriming on Panama "hot brick’ By DAVID S. BRODER WASHINGTON — Tomorrow, some 30 Tennessee leaders are expected at the White House for a briefing on the Panama ('anal treaty. Such briefings have become routine events, as President Carter and his aides mobilize grass-roots support for the coming struggle to have the treaty ap proved in the Senate. But this one is a little special, because Tennessee occupies a special place in the polities of the treaty fight. The reason is as plain as the full-page ad that ran in a Nashville newspaper the other day. In big, bold letters, the headline proclaimed: “Senator Baker Alone Can Save the Panama Canal. ’ Sen. Howard H. Baker fr. (R-Tenn), the Senate Minority Leader, has been chosen by anti-treaty forces as the prime target for pressure. In the three days after the American Conservative Union ad ran. Baker received 3,600 letters on the treaty — overw helmingly opposing its approval. Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.), a leading treaty foe, told a rally last week that Baker “is squirming like a worm on a hot brick" over the issue. The day after Helms’ speech, Baker showed no visible twitching, as he showed a reporter a letter of apology he had re ceived that morning from the fiery North Carolinian. “He blamed it on the public address system,” Baker said, laughing, “and I told him I’d been called a lot worse than that.” But the issue is a tough one for Baker. As expected, it has split the Republican party down the middle, on lines parallel to the schism of 1976. Ronald Reagan is against the treaty; Gerald Ford is for it. And How ard Baker, who hoped to be the running mate of either man in 1976 and now aspires to head the tic ket in 1980, w ill have to make* up his mind which side he’s on. His decision, White House officials be lieve, could be the key to whether there are enough Republican votes to make up the necessary two-thirds Senate majority for approval. Baker has seen this kind of situation be fore. Fifteen years ago, when his father-in- law, the 1 late Sen. Everett McKinley Kirksen (R-Ill.), was the Senate minority leader and John F. Kennedy was Presi dent, emotions were similarly roiled by two other foreign policy issues. In 1962, it was a $100 million loan to finance United Nations peace-keeping operations. In 1963, it was the* nuclear test ban treaty. In both cases, Dirkscn’s support was regarded as critical. And in both cases—after he had milked it for everything he could get—he helped the Democratic president win. Baker acknowledged the similarities, but said, “I didn’t set out to create this situa tion, but it seems to have arisen.” The parallels really are extraordinary. In 1962, as in 1977, the minority Republicans had balked the narrowly elected Demo cratic President on several parts of his domestic program. Then, as now, the* Se nate Republican leader was looking at a reelection campaign in a state the Demo cratic President had carried. The stage was set for an act of politically beneficial biparti san statemanship. There is one difference, however. Ken nedy was not worried about Everett Dirksen running for President in 1964. Carter has been served ample notice of Baker’s ambition to oppose him in 1980. In the 1962 Illinois Senate race, there was a widespread impression that the Ken nedy White House did nothing special to help Rep. Sidney Yates (D-Ill.) in the race against Dirksen. Dirksen won handily. WHY. J5DY, im MICE OF YOU TO JOIN ME 1 " A few months ago, there were reports that the Carter White House was encourag ing strong opposition to Baker in 1978. But, at this point, a leading Tennessee Demo crat says, “We are down to our perennial candidates.” Baker says he sees no sign that the White House is playing political footsie with him. But he is not blind to other ways in which his role in the treaty debate can be useful to him. As a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, he says, T will be active in the treaty hearings.” And he is pressing for television coverage of them “so the country will get a more balanced, less emotional view of the issue.” He has met twice with Carter on the canal and has counseled privately with treaty negotiators Sol Linowitz and Ellsw orth Bunker on the way to approach various Republican senators, always being careful not to tip his own hand. He says he will not make up his mind until the hearings have been held. But when he does, “I will do my best to make my view prevail.” The betting at the White House and in the Republican cloakroom is that, in the end. Baker will vote for the treaty. One Republican senator close to him said: “Ul timately, he has no other place to go. He can’t be with Reagan and Helms and against Ford and Kissinger if he wants to he President. ” That decision is months away. But there is a line from Everett Dirksen s speech on the United Nations bond issue that w ill do nicely for Baker’s big moment. “I would not charge my conscience w ith any act or deed w Inch would contribute to the foundering of peace,” the old master said. And then, w ith a w ink to the* galleries: T have not forfeited my faith in John Fitzgerald Kennedy.” (c) 1977, The Washington Post Company Shakespeare speaks on Tongsun Park By DICK WEST United Press International WASHINGTON — Any day now*, or at least any year, the House ethics committee will swing its terrible swift sword at the Tongsun Park case. Meanwhile, I’ve been gathering back ground material from various reference sources. Today’s briefing comes from William Shakespeare, immortal bard and erstwhile lobbyist for Elizabethan Eng land. Q. Mr. Shakespeare, how is the investi gation of South Korean influence buying in Congress coming along? A. “Wiselv and slowly.” Q. Th e slower, the wiser, I imagine. When is the committee going to hold pub- A. Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and to morrow.” Q. It seems like a thousand tomorrows have gone by already. At this petty pace, how is the inquiry ever going to end? A. That old common arbitrator. Time, The Tighter Side lie hearings? will one day end it.” Q. I’ve heard that Tongsun Park, the South Korean businessman, tried to influ ence congressmen by inviting them to par ties. W hat sort of parties did he give? A. Every room hath blazed with lights and brayed with minstrelsy. Potations pottle-deep. ” Q. How late would a Park party last? A. "Night’s candles are burnt out and jocund day stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tbps. Q. I’ll bet some of the guests were a little misty, too. Is it true that Park also supplied some congressmen with girls? A. “Out-paramoured the Turk. In bes towing, madam, he was most princely.” Q. Don’t call me madam, sir. Some of the congressmen who received political con tributions from Park now say they never met him. Whv is that? A. “New-made honour doth forget men's names. ” Q. Park has been indicted by a U. S. grand jury but he refuses to come here from Seoul to testify. W hat w ill happen if he does return? A. '“They’ll give him death by inches. Brain him w ith his lady s fan. Q. And what is the attitude of House members toward Cooperating with the in vestigation? A. “Have more than thou showest, speak less than thou knowest.” Q. What would you sav the final upshot of th e inquiry w ill be? A. “Nothing will come of nothing.” Q. Thank you, Mr. Shakespeare. Letters to the editor Editor: GTE needs to change telephone deposit policy I was glad to see the article concerning General Telephone (GTE), (Sept. 15, 1977). I feel that the present policy is an unneccessary inconvenience to students. W hen my roommates and I went to the GTE office to get our telephone service we were told that our deposit plus installation charges and the charge for two phones w ould be* $128.82. Fortunately, one of my roommates had prior credit with South western Bell and asked GTE if this credit would transfer. After some discussion with the GTE rep resentative we discovered that my room mate’s credit w ould transfer; thus, we were billed only for the installation and the cost for two phones, which amounted to $33.82. Our bill was $95.00 less than it would have been if we had been required to pay a depo sit. I feel that the present policies of GTE are somewhat unfair. According to these policies, students who have had telephone service for less than 12 months do not meet the requirements necessary to establish credit. If a student has had telephone service previously and has shown that he is respon sible enough to pay his bills, then he should not be required to pay a deposit the next time he wants telephone service. I am pleased to see that GTE is considering changing this present policy. Deborah Holcomb Class of 80 Day ducks unite! Editor’s note: The following is a re sponse to a letter in yesterday’s Battalion. That letter, by Ana Quintana, complained that off-campus students were being ig nored by information being released from the University. Dear Ana: I appreciate your writing about the prob lems of off-campus students because it gives me the opportunity to mention the off-campus student association. O.C.S.A. was newly formed and recog- Slouch by Jim Earle nized only last spring to provide a com munications link with students who live off campus and the organizations with whom they interface. We are presently applying for membership in the BBB, the N.G. Business Assn., and the Apartment Own ers Association. We have a representative attend the College Station city council meeting. We have a vice-president in charge of university relations who will soon have a cubicle in the Student Programs Office. Other vice-presidents of whom th ere are four are housed in Puryear Hall Lounge with Hassel Free. From Oct. 13 to 19 students who live off campus can file for one of 22 elected repre sentative positions in Room 216 of the MSC. The election will be held Oct. 27 concurrent with the Freshmen elections. The role of these representatives will be to provide input to the O.C.S.A. concerning problems which affect all off campus stu dents so that O.C.S.A. can contact the ap propriate organizations concerning a mutually acceptable solution. Yes Ana, there is an off campus student association “the Day Ducks”, but we’re small and we need all the help we can get in forming an effective organization. We’d like to send you some more information on our program along with a list of our officers and their committee responsibilities if you will send a self-addressed stamped envelope to O.C.S.A. Rm. 216 MSC Texas A&M College Station, TX 77843 We will be pleased to forward this infor mation to you. —Mike Mitchell President, O.C.S.A. dent is to be familiar. Although not an expert in the field, it has been my experience that the* course, as prepared by the Stanley H. Kaplan Educa tional Center, has been of great benefit to those students who invest the amount of time necessary to complete all of the mate rial available to them. It is important to realize that the success of a student s reaching his/her maximum potential in tests of this nature is dependent upon many variables. Proper preparation can be a crucial factor. Finally, I do not know if “almost all of the pre-medical students in the Northeast take the Kaplan course or if the scores are rising. There is no mention of a “magical formula in the lease agreement that the students sign. It s purpose is for the mate rials loaned them. Thank you for your consideration in this matter. —Nancy M. Zettclmoyer Stanley H. Kaplan Educational Center Editor’s note: The Battalion regrets an incorrectly reported statement that Kap lan Educational Center provides students with material that appears on standardized tests. The center, in fact, only provides the kinds of material that may appear on the tests. It should be clarified that no “magic formula" is given to replace a student’s own testing abilities. Words do hurt Getting it right “WHAT WORRIES ME IS HE’S THE DRIVER!’ Editor: On Friday, September 16, 1977, an ar ticle appeared (in the Battalion) entitled “Authorities advise pre-professionals to study with tests. As the local adminis trator for the Stanley H. Kaplan Educa tional Center, I would like to correct er roneous information and misrepre sentations. Most importantly, the Kaplan program does not provide students with material on “the real tests in any way. The program provides students with materials so that he/she can prepare for a test in an or ganized, thorough manner accompanied by a series of tests designed to measure the students achievements. The course material is reflective of the areas of knowl edge with which the pre-professional stu- Editor: We are writing concerning the attitude this semester of the “men” (particularly those living on campus) towards the wo men. It seems you men feel that the women on campus enjoy rude and embarassing comments. We women would like to be respected as sensitive human beings and not as meat on a rack. We fail to understand why you must make crass remarks to any female, regardless of their appearance, that passes by, just because you didn’t have a date Friday night. The old adage, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me, ” is a fallacy. Words can hurt worse than anything. Are you men so shallow as to think that a woman can merely ignore re marks too crude to mention here? We are not asking you to refrain from making comments among yourselves. We simply ask that you keep them to yourselves. You are not doing womankind a favor by adver tising your opinion of a girl you don’t even know. And it certainly is no proof of your manhood to make such remarks. —CAB ’79, PAW ’79, TAT ’79, ASA ’79 Top of the News State Texas losing $30 million a month 0 of Its ett ect Texas is losing $30 million a month by not participating fully in federal food stamp programs a U.S. Agriculture Department ostial said Monday. Lewis Straus, Food and Nutrition Service administrator with USDA in Washington, spoke at a conference on nutrition in Austin. “Texas presently has approximately 8(X),(X)0 needy people using food stamps, ” Straus said. "But it is estimated that about 2.3 million are eligible. This represents a loss of .somewhere around $30 million a month irt food stamp benefits not only for the Texas families who nee 1 the help, but also for the entire Texas economy.” % sa irate. Legionnaire disease in-Texas? A 52-year-old man is hospitalized irt Temple with what experts suspect is the first case of Legionnaire's disease in Texas. Dr. Charles Webb, state epidemiologist, said Monday that tests indicated the patient had been attacked by the bacteria linked to the disease. The patient is almost fully recovered now after becoming ill irr early Au gust. Although the mortality rate among Legionnaire victims was 30 to 40 percent, Webb said experts believe the disease occurs often with much less severe symptoms. Early indications suggest one in 50 people may have had the disease at otre tirrre or another, he added. The. e is tro reason to suspect atr epedimic in Texas, Webb said. Hill fights Briscoe for top office Attorney General John Hill formally announced Monday that he will challenge Gov. Dolph Briscoe irt the race for governor. Hill said he thinks most Texas voters believe 10 years is too long for anyone to be governor. He criticized Briscoe’s record of representing Texans viewpoints on energy matters. Hill said Texans complain that Briscoe has failed to measure up to their expectations and to live up to his promises. They feel he needs to spend more time irr Austin working on the job of Ix-ittg governor, he added. Hill also criticized Briscoe lor trot involving himself irr the appointments to the state boards hy referring to the governor’s appointment of a dead man to one state lx rare!. mil ppi af rhi rat ha! Nation Polanski sentenced to 90 days Movie director Roman Polanski was sentenced Monday to 90 days in a correctional institution for having unlawful sexual intercourse w ith a 13-year-old girl. During his stay irt the institution, a study will be made to see if he deserves a harsher penalty. After two court- appointed psychiatrists agreed that Polanski could trot be classified as a “mentally disordered sex offender. Judge Laurence J. Rittenband pronounced the sentence. If Polanski had been found to he mentally unbalanced, the judge could have committed him to a mental institu tion for an indefinite perirxl. After the three months of diagnostic stud\, Rittenband said a final sentence will be determined. th ?ge "g he evi or he !es 13 ’S] nts Saccharin not banned yet! Saccharin is likely to be available for at least 18 more months, although it may have a cancer-hazard warning on its label. The senate voted last week to delay the* Foexl and Drug Administration s ban on saccharin for addittiona) studies. They want to make sure saccharin causes cancer in humans-not just in rats. This week the House In terstate and Foreign Commerce Committee marks up its version of the legislation. It would give federal officials authority to require warning labels on saccharin as well as requiring warnings at the place of sale and in tlx* print and broadcast advertisements. mg fai f Ec 3 tii d: Aii 0 c tan tlx iotil our World Israel seeks U.S. aid in probe Israel asked the United States Sunday to help establish an interna tional commission to investigate the murder methods of the Palestine Liberation Organization. Political sources said the request was made at the suggestion of Prime Minister Mcnahem Begin, who was in spired by Arab calls for inquires into the actions oflsraeli authorities in occupied lands. The request asks the United States to support the setting up of an international commission of inquiry into the methods of murdering civilians, men, women and children, persistently and with premeditaion by the Palestine Liberation Organization. The request was sent to Secretary of State, Cyrus Vance. Sextuplets born in 70 seconds Sextuplets born Sunday to a young Dutch couple are in good condi tion and already have an agent to handle their business. The four boys and two girls born in a hospital near Amsterdam are the first sextup lets born irt Holland and only the second set known to have lived more than a few hours after birth. The actual birth took only 70 seconds for all six, by Caesarian section, doctors said. The babies were two months premature and weighed between 2.2 pounds and 2.7 pounds. A medical team of 15 was otr barrel for the operation. The mother, who had been taking fertility drugs, entered the hospital 14 weeks ago in anticipation of the multiple births. Weather Mostly sunny and warm today. High today mid-90s, low to night low 70s, high tomorrow mid-90s. Partly cloudy tomor row. No chance of rain today or tomorrow. The Battalion Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or of the writer of the article ami are not neeessarihj those of the University administration or the Board of Re- gents. The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting enterpiise operated hy students as a university and com munity newspaper. Editorial policy is determined hy the editor. LETTERS POLICY letters to the editor should not exceed 300 words and are subject to In ing cut to that length or less if longer. The editoiial staff reserves the tight to edit such letters and does not guarantee to publish any letter. Each letter must be signed, show the address of the writer and list a telephone number for verification. Address correspondence to Letters to the Editor. The Battalion, Room 216, Reed McDonald Building, College Station. Texas 77343. KcpivsiMited nationally by National iMlncutional Adver tising Services, Inc., New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. Mail subscriptions are S 16.75 per sunu'ster, school Near; $.‘35.00 per hill year. Advertisini' nilo ^ nished on request. Address: The Battalion, Hooin- 1 Heed McDonald Building. College Station, Tms ^ United Press International is entitled rwpiivdvliitk use lor reproduction of all news dispatches Bights of reproduction of all other matter herein iw n ' v Second-Class postage paid at College Station. TX TNk MEMBER Texas Press Association Soutliwest Journalism Congress Editor jmnio AiU* Managing Editor Man Alice IVcwdU Editoiial Director Ice Hoy h*seh|vr! Sports Editor hul Ann' News Editors Marie Homeyer. Carul .IN Beporters Hush UwU. )* Speights, (•leunu Whitley. Darrell LmM. Kim To Photographer krn Him The Battalion is published Monday through Friday from Scptemlier through May except during exam and holiday periods and the summer, when it is published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Student Publications Board: Boh (». Rogers. Clwm Joe Airedondo; Dr. Cary Halter. Dr. John \\. IIm* Robert Haney: Dr. (.'.harles MeCandless; Dr. Clinton 1 - Phillips; Rebel Rice. Director of Student I’liMimlin Donald C. Johnson. Production Coordinator: II Sherman j k.