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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (April 18, 1978)
Viewpoint The Battalion Texas A&M University Tuesday April 18, 1978 Italian plain talk Maybe it does take one to know one. At least it does when you’re talking about common criminals. Despite the high-flown rhetoric, that is exactly what Italy’s “Red Brigades’ are — kidnappers and murderers. Their fellow crooks know how to deal with them and their demands for sparing the life of former prime minister Aldo Moro. In a statement for the Rome newspapers, a group of criminals demanded Moro’s release . . . “If the Brigades do not meet our deadline, we will tell our companions in jail to do away with a member of the Brigades.’’ There’s a certain ring of sincerity to that. And clarity. The Philadelphia Daily News [KflWWlttt-wWi: TheBoMBThreat David S. Broder The ironies of changing politics ST. PAUL, MINN. — There are days in the life of a political reporter when it seems that a Higher Power, working through its agent, the airline guide, is or dering one’s path. How else can you explain the unforced symmetry of a day like last Saturday, when jet schedules made it easy and almost in evitable to attend a lucheon in Lincoln, Neb., honoring the retirement of Sen. Carl T. Curtis, R-Neb., and a dinner in St. Paul, dedicated to the memory of Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey, D-Minn. Humphrey and Curtis! Could any two men more aptly symbolize the opposing political currents that flowed through Congress and this nation from the 1940s to the 1970s? Civil rights, the struggle with communism, the expansion of the welfare state — classic conservatism and definitive liberalism — these two Midwestern senators somehow were always marching to different drummers. Each was, in his own way, also the sym bol of a dominant state political party: the Republicans of Nebraska and the Democratic-Farm-Labor party of Min nesota. And yet, in an irony that would be sus pect if it were not so uncontrived, neither party, as it assembled for its farewell sa lute, was at all confident it could preserve the heritage it had inherited. In Republican Nebraska, where GOP ineptitude gave the Democrats a Senate seat in 1976, the personal popularity of re tiring Gov. J. James Exon, the Democratic Senate candidate, seems likely to thwart the bid by Curtis aide Don Shasteen to succeed his boss in the Senate. Next year, both Nebraska senators could be Demo crats for the first time since the infant Re publican party brought Nebraska into the Union in 1868. Republicans hope to end their slide by regaining the governorship. But whoever survives their four-man primary — an un exciting veteran congressman, a conserva tive retired college president, a free- spending millionaire businessman, or a young mayor brimming with Jaycee bonhomie — may have a hard time uniting a party which has been split down the middle by past ideological and personal feuds. In Minnesota, the Democratic domi nance that was built when Humphrey came home from his own 1968 presidential defeat, is being challenged across the board this year. The governorship and both Senate seats are up, and realistic Democrats were conceding Saturday that they could come out of November with none of the three jobs — or all three. Humphrey has been dead less than three months, but already the strains within the party are beginning to show. Vice President Mondale, who inherited the role of party leadership, may have his work cut out for him to keep his home state’s Democratic party intact. Mondale’s successor, appointed Sen. Wendell Anderson, D-Minn, trailed his Republican challenger in the most recent published polls. Anderson’s stand on the emotional environmental issue on Bound ary Waters preservation and his studied neutrality on the issue of abortion have drawn criticism from the militant liberals in his party. Rep. Donald M. Fraser, D-Minn, the likely nominee for the Humphrey seat now that interim Sen. Muriel Humphrey, D-Minn, has announced she will not run for the remaining four years of her hus band’s term, has the opposite problem. Fraser has been so outspoken an advocate of abortion rights and environmental pro tection that some Democrats fear he may not be able to gain support from the Catholic and labor constituencies which are vital to the party’s success. Gov. Rudy Perpich, D-Minn, who suc ceeded Anderson in that office, has been a media success story so far. But the same Democrats who worry about Anderson and Fraser fear that his gift for symbolism may be no more durable an asset for Per pich than it has been for President Carter. And that brings to mind a final fillip of that altogether serendipitous day. At the Curtis luncheon in Lincoln, it was slightly startling to hear Rep. Barry Goldwater, Jr. R-Calif., the keynote speaker for his father’s old friend, re peatedly invoke the name of John F. Ken nedy in support of the kind of sweeping tax cuts he and other young conservatives now advocate as the best medicine for an ailing economy. But it was even more surprising to realize at the end of the Humphrey dinner, which did include a personal visit from the Vice President of the United States, that almost no one had uttered the name Jimmy Carter. Some days, politics is even better fun than baseball. (c) 1978, The Washington Post Company Is it too soon for ‘four more years’? By HELEN THOMAS UPI White House Reporter WASHINGTON — Although he is not even halfway into his second year in office. President Carter has the country wonder ing whether he will run for re-election. “I don’t definitely intend to run for re- election,” he said. “I haven t addressed that question at all. The automatic reflex is to assume that most presidents want a second term, bur densome as the highest office in the land can be at times. But most presidents also like to keep friend and political foe guessing and they are not likely to tip their hand so early in the game. For Carter to say he was not going to run again would make him an instant lame duck. Then the scramble would begin with candidates cropping up all over the place. Because he is titular head of the Demo cratic Party, it is assumed that he would get the nomination again, all other things being equal. But assumptions can be carried too far, and almost any political pundit in Wash- Washington Window ington is operating on the theory that California’s Gov. Jerry Brown is preparing to challenge Carter in 1980. If Carter were not to reject another term at this point, he would be a freer man, and yet bis hands would be tied. He would have less clout with Congress and his ability to get things done would be nil. In foreign affairs, adversaries might hold the line and just decide to sit tight. The Soviets could decide that they might get a better bargain from a future president in the strategic arms limitation negotiations. Certainly, that is what the Soviets did in 1974 when they decided that Richard Nixon was through. From that point on, the SALT negotiations and Nixon’s trip to Moscow were pointless. When Lyndon Johnson electrified the world by announcing that he would not seek re-election, he, no doubt, felt liber ated. His stock, which had reached a low point, went up. But his effectiveness was hardly enhanced. Vietnam had done him in. Sometimes a president decides he has had enough. Harry Truman could have run for another full term. Although the new two-term restriction was passed in his time, it did not apply to him. Carter likes to leave people guessing. And he has made no bones about the fact that he likes the job. His wife says he is not a quitter, but wants to make his decisions on “what’s best for the country.” Few politicians have that luxury. They may decide in their own minds what they believe is best for the country. But they do not rule by fiat, and must take the constituency with them every inch of the way. Then they must convince Congress and the people that is the right way. Interesting enough. Carter said that he had not made up his mind whether he would run again at a time when the news papers have been highly critical of his lead ership qualities and decision making. Time has not run out for Carter and there will be many months before he is forced to make the ultimate decision on whether to seek four more years in the presidency. Letters to the editor No awards for Aggie breakfasts Editor: I have often read about and heard of how good A&M’s dormitory food service is. As a resident of the Commons area, I can say that lunch and supper are. usually good meals and probably a cut above that served at other universities. But I doubt very much that A&M has brought home awards for its breakfast. To put it bluntly, breakfast in the Commons is terrible. The quality of the breakfast meal is sim ply not consistent with the quality of the other meals. The powdered scrambled eggs are edible once in a while, but hard to take as a steady diet. They have a stale taste and often are served cold. The fried eggs are fine if you like watery yoke cover ing your plate. The bacon is often a mass of greasy fat with very little meat and very little taste. At times, I have found the sausage totally unedible. It has a strange taste, is very greasy, and sometimes cold. I could go on and on. To its credit, the food service offers a good selection of foods, including a variety of fruit. However, for a while now, I have either skipped breakfast or settled for dry cereal because the food is so bad. Dry cereal is hardly a substantial meal, but it is the most difficult item for the food service to botch up. I don’t imagine I’m the only one settling for cereal or no breakfast at all because of the poor quality of the food. This is cause for concern because some students pay around $400 a semester in board payments for two meals a day. Further, many con sider breakfast the most important meal of the day. I would cordially invite President Miller or other A&M officials to make an unan nounced visit to the Commons for break fast. They may be disappointed at what they find. —Steve Lee, ’79 Derby Day decor Editor: I would like to thank the Friday night decorating committee of Sausalito apart ments for painting my car. I was perplexed at the writing on the windows, for it was GREEK to me; but I must admit the car was much more colorful. The two hours I spent scrubbing paint and shoe polish off of the car (including the paint and mold ing) could have been better spent. I never realized the benefits that sororities and fraternities have to offer and I am happy to have helped in the celebra tion of their Derby Day. Judging from their actions of Friday night it is hard for me to imagine where they would put the derbies considering where their heads are. I will agree that a couple of rotten ap ples do not ruin the barrel, but they sure make the barrel smell. —Russ Engel, ’77 Class ‘unsealed’ Editor: As a member of the class of ’78, I would like to apologize to all succeeding classes for getting in their way. For some reason, someone was hired to do a job that they were unqualified or unable to do, and now everyone must walk around the mistake where before there was no obstacle. I am speaking of our permanent gift to this campus, namely the school seal mosaic, placed on the Academic Building floor. It seems the persons responsible for contracting the job chose the artisans for reasons other than their skill, and now there is a fragile, sloppy representation of our school emblem for all to see that hin ders movement of Future Aggies for fear of it falling apart. Certainly not at all the intended durable, beautiful seal to be placed where all could admire it and be reminded they should be proud of their Aggie Heritage. To make matters worse, I am sorry to say that the people responsible are settling for a second best solution by roping off the area, when what should be done is tear it all up and have it done right, or replace it with the original tile and get out of the way. — David W. Loper, ’78 Correction In Connie Burke’s article on Parents’ Day weekend in Monday’s Battalion the win ner of the award for overall participation for March to the Brazos was Squadron 10, not Squadron 12 as reported. The Battalion regrets the error. Slouch by Jim Earle “THAT’S TH’ LAST TIME I’M LETTING MY MOTHER VISIT MY ROOM!” Top of the News M Campus Shihab to perform in ceremony Naomi Shihab, a poet and songwriter, will be guest poet at the Texas A&M University Poetry and Fiction Awards Ceremony Wed nesday night in the Memorial Student Center Basement Cof feehouse. The ceremony will feature Shihab performing with a guitar accompaniment. She wrote the title song for Meisburg and Walters album, “Just Like a Recurring Dream. Shihab’s work has appeared in several anthologies and periodicals and two ol her chapbooks of poetry, “Tattooed Feet’ and “Eye-to-Eye have been published by the Texas Portfolio Press. State Hill opposes forced gas sales Texas Attorney General John Hill says Texas gas producers should not be forced to sell to customers out-of-state. Hill, speaking in Granger Monday, said he planned to appear before the U.S. Su preme Court Monday in a case in which a Fort Worth producer has been ordered to sell gas to a California firm. Hill said this case will determine whether a federal agency can force Texas gas producers to sell gas in the interstate market. He added that this case could set a dangerous precendent. Hill also noted that Briscoe did not support Texas farmers when Congress rejected an emergency farm-aid bill last week. “Our governor did not bother to help our farmers try to line up votes in the Texas delegation,” Hill said. “Nor did he try to convince the president he should reverse his opposition to this farm legislation. E Tex: ome ampu ompl; ,f 197 tudeu The ed ir om a al fu The ;ee ar :omm ampu )ed, s; lent fc The lorm r he h; looms oors, the (hairs. Nation Ski tram accident kills four Four persons were killed and 31 injured in a freak ski tram accident in Squaw Valley, Calif. The ski tram dangled from a safety wire over the snow-swept Emigrant Peak slope. “There was screaming, crying and wailing,” said Dr. Patrick Mulrooney of Modesto, Calif. The tram had just left High Camp, moving down the slope. At 8,000 feet, it slipped the cable. The tram fell 50 feet before being caught by a safety wire which ripped through the roof and pinned three victims to the floor. After the initial hysteria the survivors huddled together in the cabin, sang songs and prayed. Rescuers used ropes and a T-bar chair to rescue the survivors. World L ^ on Dallas [collegi Michig Illinois 1. Thl ‘ lion i lecidi Radioactive contamination feared One nuclear device was planted on a Himalayan peak in India by the U.S. researchers in cooperation with the Indian government in 1967. Prime Minister Morarji Desai said Monday another device was lost in an avalanche. The first device worked for a while but was later re moved and returned to the United States. Worry that the lost device could spread radioactive contamination through the Himalayan snow has caused the Indian officials to admit the joint operation with the United States. Desai told Parliament that the devices were planted in the Himalayas because of the international situation that existed in 1965. The nuclear devices were planted to spy on Communist missile development. Tornado flattens Indian cities A tornado killed as many as 200 persons, injured 500 others and left 1,000 persons missing in southeastern Orissa state, India. Officials in New Delhi reported Monday. The tornado almost leveled five vil lages in an area about 100 miles west of the Bay of Bengal Sunday. In less than 10 minutes the tornado flattened nearly every structure in the villages. Calcutta in West Bengal state was also damaged by a twister. Seven persons were killed and several others were injured. Quakes rock Sicily, strand many Five persons are dead and as many as 400 families are homeless after more than 30 tremors from earthquakes rocked the 9,920-square mile island of Sicily Sunday. Many of the tremors were felt across the Straits of Messian in Calabria, at the toe of the Italian boot. Four elderly Sicilians died of heart attacks during the quakes and another person was killed in a car accident while fleeing his home. The homes of more than 400 families were damaged in various Sicialian towns. Seismologists said the strongest shock measured 5.6 degrees on the Richter Scale. Anything over 7.0 on the scale is considered capableof doing widespread damage. The epicenter of the quake was cited halfway between Sicily’s northern coast and the volcanic Eolian Is lands. The quakes woidd have been more destructive, scientists say, if the epicenter had been on land. HOI CL Brigades sentence Moro to die The Red Brigade terrorists, who kidnapped Italy s ex-Premier Aldo Moro, have sentenced him to death after a “people’s trial, a com munique issued Saturday said. President Giovanni Leone said he thinks the terrorists will not dare kill Moro. The Italian government had previously rejected any dialogue with the terrorists since the March 16 kidnapping of Moro and the murder of his five police bodyguards. Ransom has not been discussed publicly and observers say each side seems to be waiting for the the other to give in. "The interrogation of the prisoner Aldo Moro has been completed,’ said the latest communique from the Brigades, a leftist terrorist group which is trying to force a revolution of the Italian Communists. “There is no doubt that Aldo Moro is guilty and he has been therefore sentenced to death,” the message said. Weather Fair to partly cloudy skies with warm afternoons and mild nights. High today mid-SOs, low tonight low 50s. High tomorrow mid-SOs. Winds from the northwest at 8-15 mph diminishing this afternoon. The Battalion Opinions expressed in The Battalion are those of the editor or of the toriter of the article and are not necessarily those of the University administration or the Board of Regents. The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting enterprise oper ated by students as a university and community newspaper. Editorial policy us determined by the editor. LETTERS POUCY Letters to the editor should not exceed 3(X) words and are subject to being cut to that length or less if longer. The editorial staff reserves the right 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 77843. Represented nationally by National Educational Adver tising Services, Inc., New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. McDonald Building, College Station, Texas United Press International is entitled exclusively 1 use for reproduction of all news dispatches credit Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein Second-Class postage paid at College Station, TX The Battalion is published Monday through Friday from September through May except during exam and holiday periods and the summer, when it is published on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester; $33.25 per school year; $35.00 per full year. Advertising rates furnished on request. Address: The Battalion, Room 216, Reed MEMBER Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Editor Kirol Managing Editor Karrtl Sports Editor David & News Editors Carolyn Blos'ser, Debbie & City Editor Can' 1 Campus Editor Assistant Campus Editor Andy"" Editorial Director Lot* Roy LesV Photo Editor J. Wagner Staff Writers Mark Patterson. Paige Andrea \ alls. M ichclle Sctidder. Se# Photographers Susan Webb. & Cartoonist Oougfo Student Publications Board: Bah (». Ro/'irs.l" foe Arredondo. Dr. Gary Halter. Dr. ChadcsSUU Dr. Clinton A Phillips. Rebel Rice. Director of 5 Publications: Dotiald C. Johnson.