Viewpoint
Monday
December 11, 1978
The Battalion
Texas A&M University
Aussie’s eye U.S. defense
installations
id be 3 i^irpr i-ie
By JOHN SHAW
SYDNEY — Australians are beginning
to awaken to the fact that the United
States maintains a network of defense and
intelligence facilities here, and they are
not sure whether to be flattered or worried
by their importance.
Relations between the United States
and Australia over these facilities have
often been strained, mainly because Aus
tralians have little knowledge of their ac
tivities and no say at all in the operations.
A growing concern that the U.S. net
work may he dangerous to Australians in
the event of war has prompted suggestions
that the time is approaching for review and
reform of the arrangements under which
the American security establishment
functions here.
No less a figure than James Killen, the
Australian defense minister, recently
criticized both the United States and his
own staff, contending that he himself has
been left in the dark about the strategic
role played by certain of the American in
stallations on this continent.
The network of 20 installations here is
run by the U.S. Defense Department, the
Central Intelligence Agency, the National
Security Agency and such other bodies as
the American air force and navy.
It includes the largest computer com
plex in the Southern Hemisphere, the
biggest base for communications with the
U.S. Navy’s submarine strike force, an es
sential part of the American early warning
system, and a link to a satellite that
monitors Chinese and Soviet radio traffic.
The most significant of these facilities,
located at North West Cape on the Indian
Ocean, is the most powerful of three main
stations commanding America’s worldwide
submarine force. The others are situated
at Cutler, Maine, and Jim Creek, Wash
ington.
Former U.S. Defense Secretary James
Schlesinger once said in classified tes
timony that these stations would be among
the “most likely targets” in a nuclear ex
change between the United States and the
Soviet Union.
When that testimony was declassified
not long ago, it created the uneasy feeling
here that Australia could be devastated in
such a conflict. This feeling has been com
pounded lately by disclosures of other key
installations at Pine Gap and Nurrungar,
in the arid area of central Australia.
Nurrungar, run by the U.S. Air Force,
is one of two ground stations that are vital
to the early warning satellite system. The
other station is at Buckley, Colorado.
Pine Gap, controlled by the CIA, con
sists of six radio domes and a huge com
puter, and its purpose is the electronic
gathering of intelligence from the Pacific
region. Served by a satellite over South
east Asia, it monitors Chinese, Soviet and
other military signals and transmissions.
processes them and transmits the results
to the United States.
In addition, there are major American
security facilities in a dozen Australian
cities and rural areas. They deal in elec
tronic intelligence, the detection of nu
clear tests, seismic and atmospheric ob
servations, and the tracking of space vehi
cles.
The American presence here is almost
invisible. Most U.S. personnel working in
populated places are in plain clothes, and
those who wear uniforms are stationed in
remote spots. North West Cape, for
example, is 750 miles from a city.
Though it is close to Alice Springs, a
ranching and tourist center, the Pine Gap
installation is in a special zone. Its enor
mous consumption of water prompted
rumors that it was the site of a nuclear
energy' plant. As it turned out, the installa
tion’s employees were found to be pas
sionately attached to air-conditioning
and iced drinks.
Questions about these facilities and
their potential impact were raised lately,
when it was learned that North West Cape
is due to be reinforced to match a change
in the U.S. nuclear-armed submarine doc
trine form deterrence against surprise at
tack to a policy of counter-force attack.
New equipment will be installed at North
West Cape starting in 1980.
The Australian government and legisla
ture only heard of this change recently,
and from press reports rather than official
advice from Washington.
The embarassing disclosure prompted
Defense Minister Killen to chide the
United States for the lack of “proper cour
tesy” of not informing him of the change at
a base that is, strictly speaking, a “joint
facility.” He also instructed his own staff to
be “more alert,” calling their failure to ad
vise him a “blemish" on their record.
But it will be difficult for even Austra
lian officials to keep tabs on American ac
tivities at the installations since they are
U.S. facilities even though they are
theoretically supposed to be managed
jointly.
The conservative government now in
power here does not doubt the basic need
for the U.S. installations, and Killen s re
marks were calculated to head off the op
position labor party, which has been criti
cal of Australia’s security link with the
United States.
But this suggests that the issue of the
American facilities could become the sub
ject of political debate, and it might be
wise for both the U.S. and Australian gov
ernments to educate the public here on
the value of the installations.
(Shaw, a columnist for the Sydney Sun,
writes on current affairs in Australia.)
Fingering foot-faulting Findley
By DICK WEST
WASHINGTON —The current issue of
The Washingtonian magazine offers an
"inside” look at “the good, the bad and the
ugly" in the now a'djoiime'd 95th (lon-
gress.
It includes more than 20 lists of lawgiv
ers who distinguished themselves in such
fields as publicity grabbing, temper fits,
boring speeches and backstage deals. It
might appear that these categories would
run the gamut of congressonal character
defects, but any veteran observer of life on
Capitol Hill could enumerate a good many
more.
There was, for example, no mention of
Rep. Paul Findley, an otherwise strait
laced Illinois Republican who is regarded
by those in the know as Congress’ most
flagrant foot faulter.
On virtually every serve, according to
informants who have seen him play tennis,
Findley steps over the base line in viola
tion of the rules.
It is not, these sources say, a case of
occasionally dragging a toe a silly millime
ter too far in one’s zeal to get more body
into one’s serve. This is a blatant case of
trespassing with both feet.
When Firidley serves, which he does
with a great deal of vigor, he takes two or
three quick little steps, somewhat re
miniscent of Johnny Unitas dropping back
to pass, only forward. Momentum then
Humor
carries him right onto the playing surface
before he strikes the hall.
Why has such a chronic, habitual tran-
gressor not been previously exposed and
duly pilloried? This, after all, supposedly
has been a year when Congress was
acutely sensitive to misconduct among its
own.
One answer may be that foot faulting is
sort of the halitosis of tennis — even your
best friends won’t tell you. In a “friendly”
game, calling attention to foot faults is con
sidered picky.
There are, of course, notable excep
tions.
President Carter is reported to call foot
faults on his opponents in matches at the
White House. And Sen. Lloyd Bentsen,
D-Texas, confessed in an interview that he
is something of a stickler.
"What do you mean your hest friends
won’t tell you?” Bentsen scoffed. “I call a
foot fault every time I get aced.”
Nevertheless, at the public court level
this particular infraction generally is over
looked. The guilty party, momentarily
stunned by the surprise and wonder of
having gotten his serve over the net, likely
is unaware that his foot almost went over
the net too. His opponent, if he notices
the encroachment at all, politely ignores
it.
But Bob Davis, a member of the Wash
ington Area Tennis Officials Association,
says it is not only "legally permissable” for
one player to point out another player’s
intrusion; it behooves him to do so. Fur
thermore, an offending player is ethically
obligated to call foot faults on himself.
"Foot fault rules are part of the game,
like the one bounce limitation,” Davis will
tell you. "If you don’t observe them, you
aren’t playing real tennis.”
If asked, Davis also will disabuse you of
any notion that linesmen in professional
tournaments abide by an unwritten code
of calling only the most glaring foot faults.
“We’re very strict,” he insists. “Some of
those guys would walk half way to the net
if they thought they could get away with
it.”
Davis disputes proposals by other tennis
statesmen that servers receive a warning
before a foot fault is called.
“There is no reason it should be treated
any differently from any other rule,” he
says.
But friends say Findley’s tennis vice is
so deeply ingrained they despair of his
ever overcoming it. As one occasional op
ponent put it, “When you play against
Findley, foot faulting is something you
have to learn to live with.”
Top of the News
STATE
Resin factory fire injures three
Three men were seriously injured and eight firemen suffered burn
Sunday in San Antonio after fighting a fire for two hours at Mame S
Corp., a resin and glue factory. The three workers could not reeula/
the pressure controls for resin vats, said authorities. The men we 6
listed in critical condition with second and third degree burns ^
IClvdi
Two killed near Dallas by sniper
A sniper fired apparently random shots onto a highway outside the
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport on Saturday killing two
people in passing cars, Irving police say. The victims, in separate
cars, were identified as Steven T. Gaulden, 12, of Plano, and
Raymond Andrews, 43, of Arlington. Both were shot in the head with
a high-powered rifle, but police could offer no motives for the shoot
ing. One shot came from a service road while another car was fired at
from an overpass, police say. But, they would not lend credence to
speculation that the sniping followed the plot of an NBC television
program “CHIPS” shown earlier Saturday in which a boy fired BB
pellets at passing cars from an overpass.
0
» le (
Head of insurance board named
Gov. Dolph Briscoe appointed Rep. Lyndon Olson Jr.(D-Waco)as
chairman of the State Insurance Board on Thursday, after the Senate
rejected Hugh C. Yantis in August. Yantis was named acting chair
man of the board by Briscoe after Joe Christie resigned to run for the
U.S. Senate, but was blocked for appointment by senatorial
courtesy—the legislative tradition requiring a senator’s approval
when his constituents are nominated. Olson, a three-term House
member, was instrumental in the legislation of a state-wide adult
probation system and was a House sponsor in 1975 of legislation
creating the Texas Public Utilitv Commission.
lubt
Asbestos research questioned
A grievance board at the University of Texas Tyler Health Center,
where research on cancer from asbestos is being conducted, formally
dismissed Dr. Emir H. Shuford Jr., a biostatistician, on Friday for
overstepping his authority. Shuford was fired by Dr. George Hurst,
hospital superintendent, for ignoring instructions and violating pro
tocol in conducting his business at the center. Shuford responded to
the firing with charges Hurst had mismanaged the hospital and failed
to organize a program committee required by federal law to evaluate
research of asbestos poisoning. The program involves testing workers
exposed to asbestos, which research indicates can cause cancer years
after exposure. National Cancer Institute officials said they wdll look
into Shuford’s complaints and conduct an audit before awarding a
contract to another hospital in the spring.
NATION
Klan holds rally three years late
Three years after he first sought use of a high school auditorium for
a Ku Klux Klan rally, Grand Dragon David Duke urged 400 listeners
on Sunday in Baton Rouge to go home after the meeting and do their
duty to increase the white population. Duke waited three years for
the chance to speak because the East Baton Rouge School Board
would not rent the hall to the Klan on orders from the federal Depart
ment of Health, Education and Welfare in 1975. But, in August the
5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that “even groups of bigots
were entitled to use public facilities and the Supreme Court upheld
that ruling. Duke told the crowd that black and minority popula
tions are growing at a much faster rate than that of whites. About 50
klansmen in white robes and hoods sat among crowd. One black,
man sat in the middle of the audience.
Fetters to the Editor
Editor:
Being a Longhorn I would like to com
ment on Max Triola’s letter to The Daily
Texan.
First: If the state flag of Texas is a sym
bol of all Texans as you state, then why did
the Corps try to stop the flag from being
presented at Kyle Field last year?
Second: I take the yell, "Beat the hell
outta t.u. (the university)” as a compli
ment.
Third: Concerning your statement on
A&M not having cheerleaders but yell
leaders, that is your loss and not ours.
Fourth: Sitting behind your goal and in
your horseshoe will make us feel right at
home, that is where we have been for the
last several years.
I would like to apologize for those so-
called Longhorns who were throwing
things at the game. There is always a few
bad apples in the barrel.
Good luck against Iowa State.
—Wayman Gore
The University of Texas
Editor’s note: the following is a copy of
Max Triola’s letter appearing in the Daily
Texan Dec. 7.:
I’m an Aggie and I’d like to make a few
comments about things which were done
during Friday’s game.
First: The state flag of Texas is not the
personal seal of t.u. It is the flag of all
Texans, not just those who happen to be
enrolled in your small secular school.
Correction
In Thursday’s (Dec. 7) edition of
The Battalion, a letter regarding the
actions of a Corps member at the
Texas game was incorrectly attrib
uted to a Bryan Smith of Bryan. The
letter was actually written by Steve
Smith of Bryan, a 1977 graduate of
UT Law School.
The Battalion regrets the error.
, Texas fans size up the schools
Second: Of the fraternities visibily act
ive at A&M, Alph Phi Omega is one of the
few which I would consider pleding to. It
is a respected and appreciated service or
ganization, not a cheerleading section for
the Aggie team. Displaying the “Hook ’em
Horns” sign while holding the Texas flag is
inappropriate. Attempting to break
through the Aggie “Boot Line” is rude and
shows little understanding of Aggie tra
ditions or common courtesy.
Third: If you don’t like “Beat the hell
outta t.u.,” think how I feel a bout “Poor
Aggies.” Nobody likes a sore loser, but
everybody hates a poor winner.
Fourth: Aggies do not have a
“Homecoming.” We do have Bonfire in tbe
fall and the Cotton Pageant in spring. We
do not have cheerleaders, we have yell
leaders.
Fifth: I hope you enjoyed your seats this
By JIM ROGERS
Quite frankly, I’m shocked. If the
mutual “exchange” between the student
body and Mike Mosley at the ORU bas
ketball game and the succeeding “Letters
to the Editor” (Dec. 6&7) reflect the gen
eral attitude of Aggies, I no longer wish to
be associated with this respected institu
tion.
Mosley wouldn’t “hump it” at the game,
it’s as simple as that. Many spectators
“loudly suggested” or “prodded” him to do
so, but to no avail. Mosley then showed
them in no uncertain terms his attitude
toward the entire affair.
The letters that followed variously in
terpreted his action (or lack of action) as:
biting the hand that feeds him; a tremen
dous air of superiority, a lack of school
spirit; forgetting his “role as a student”, a
fear of losing personal glory to the basket-
ball team, and no sense of “honor
to...stand and yell” for our school - not to
mention the unkind (and uncalled for) re
year, because next year you’ll be sitting
behind our goal line and in our horseshoe
among our students.
Sixth: It is ludicrous to see so much ill
will and misunderstanding between two of
Texas’ largest and finest schools. Hope
fully when we meet next year on Kyle
Field things will have straightened them
selves out.
Good luck at El Paso.
Hark the herald...
Editor:
Last Tuesday night, a very wonderful
and heart-warming experience befell our
Christmas caroling ensemble.
Only wishing to spread Christmas love
and cheer, our group assembled in front of
President Miller’s home on the southern
marks I’ve heard from “spirited Aggies”
(“Highway 6 runs both ways, Mosley!” and
“Who needs that mo—r fu—r anyway? We
can do fine without him!,” to mention a
few).
Reader's Forum
On the sole basis of Mr. Mosley’s refusal
to “hump it” at a particular game and his
rude reproach to the unruly crowd, how
can the student body so unfairly condemn
him as “ungrateful,” “not a true Aggie,” or
“egotistical and self-centered"?
There is no way in this world that I or
anyone else can guess Mike’s reasons for
his behavior. Maybe he’s been under a lot
of pressure lately, perhaps he was just de
pressed, or worried, or maybe he hates
A&M and everything about it (except him
self).
I don’t know.
Neither do you.
Give the man a break; he has a right to
part of the campus and began singing
carols for the Miller family.
It was not long before Mrs. Miller and
two of her daughters, Carolyn and Mar
garet, greeted us with a very warm wel
come at the front door and cordially in
vited us into their home. After initially re
fusing the gracious offer, we accepted
their repeated invitation. Once inside, our
group was served refreshments and given
a personal tour of the house. It was indeed
a very nice surprise for us.
In closing, we cannot begin to express
our thanks to the Millers for such a pleas
ant evening. To President Miller’s family,
and to the whole Texas A&M “family,”
have a VERY Merry Christmas and a safe
and Happy New Year!
— John “Cotton” Clark, ’79
Editor s note: this letter was accompanied
by 17 other signatures.
Spirit
be here. He has a right to his own opin
ions, whatever they may be (yes, even if
against the faultless Ags).
Aggie spirit is not to be believed. I’m
sick and tired of seeing coaches, football
players, and other “stars” (e.g., star quar
terbacks) loved with all the power of Ag
gies when they perform spectacularly, dis
carded when they “fail,” and then
mourned again when they leave.
Hypocrisy? No, hypocrisy is too much
an understatement; back stabbing would
be a more accurate term. This behavior of
Ags has grown intense these past few
years, and the pattern appears to be static:
Shipman was humiliated;
Walker was humiliated;
Bellard was humiliated;
Is Mosley next?
If this is the Spirit of Aggieland, I don’t
have the heart to be an Aggie.
Jim Rogers is a freshman electrical engi
neering major from Houston.
Back-stabbling — symptom of
Fire from heater kills four
A predawn fire believed caused by a wood-burning heater swept
through a split-level home Sunday in Elvins, Mo., killing four per
sons. Fire Chief James Carver said the blast may have stemmed from
an excessive build-up of heat inside the home. Neighbors told au
thorities they heard an explosion shortly before fire fighters arrived,
but Carver said there was no reason to believe the fire was set. The
victims bodies were found in two bedrooms along with the family's
pet dog. Carver said the family probably died of smoke inhalation and
warned of the hazards of wood-burning heaters.
WEATHER
V
v.
<
*
Fair to partly cloudy and slightly warmer this afternoon. HiQ /
today 50 low tonight middle 20’s. Winds will be variable a
5-10 mph. Outlook for this week will be mostly cloudy an f
cooler with a new cold front moving in on Wednesday-
The Battalion
LETTERS POLICY
Letters to the editor .should not exceed 300 words and are
subject to be ini' cut to that lenf'th or less if longer. The
editorial staff reserves the rif'ht to edit such letters and does
not guarantee to jniblish 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, Boom 216, Reed McDonald Buildinn, Collene
Station, Texas 77843.
Represented nationally by National Educational Adver
tising Services, Inc., New York City, Chicago and Los
Angeles.
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 Tuesday
through Thursday.
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
McDonald Building, College Station, Texas 77843.
United Press International is entitled exclusively to the
use for reproduction of all news dispatches credited to it.
Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein reserved.
Second-Class postage paid at College Station, TX 77843.
Opinions expressed in The Battalion are
those of the editor or of the writer of the
article and are not necessarily those of the
University administration or the Board of
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