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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 26, 1979)
The Battalion )l, 72 No. 104 iPages Monday, February 26, 1979 College Station, Texas News Dept. 845-2611 Business Dept. 845-2611 Tricks in the night The Memorial Student Cen ter sponsored the All Night Fair Friday, complete with a side show. These two jugglers are members of the Loco-Motion Circus. For more pictures see page 6. hina hopes war will end, nit Viet fighting continues United Press International Chinese Vice Premier Teng Hsiao-ping J today he hopes the Sino-Vietnamese rwilllast only about a month, but fight- raged in northern Vietnam and both Soviet Union and United States iped up their naval activity. Intelligence sources in Bangkok said th China and Vietnam were rushing re troops and weaponry into the battle control of provincial capitals in the rug- lnorthern Vietnam terrain. Chinese sources in Peking were quoted Japanese reporters as saying China’s ops were expected to launch the largest nsive in the 9-day-old war in the next Senior boots for women be discussed Friday By DOUG GRAHAM Battalion Staff racks are beginning to appear in one of pillars of Texas A&M Corps tradition boots. lorps Commander Bob Kamensky told fit commanders Tuesday to be aware re is a possibility that female cadets may wearing senior boots in the next one or years. [hough some cadets believe the matter hewomen, “Waggies,” wearing boots a ished matter, that is not so, said mensky. Nothing is official yet,” he stressed few days and the conflict will “reach its climax this week.” Japanese news reports said Chinese forces battered Vietnamese border prov inces in the fiercest shelling in Indochina since the American involvement in South east Asia. The Japanese Communist newspaper Akahata said Peking’s ground soldiers massacred “several hundreds of evacuated civilians in the first reported atrocity of the war. But some observers dismissed the report as propaganda. Akahata reported from Hanoi that China had begun fierce shelling of Lang Son, a key rail junction 15 miles south of China, and that a major battle was shaping up. In Peking, Teng was quoted by Japan’s Kyodo News Agency as saying, “China hopes (the war) will be solved in less than the 33 days of the China-India conflict” in 1962. The Chinese invaded India across thir Himalayan mountain borders in Sep tember 1962 but withdrew from most of the overrun territory. Asked about possible Soviet interven tion in the war, Teng said, “All risks can not be excluded but (I) think it most un likely.” Teng’s remark was the first time a Chinese leader has put a deadline on the invasion, which began Feb. 17. It also Sunday night. “It’s going to hinge on an advisory committee that will meet this Fri day; it’s still tentative.” He said the boots question is just one part of the Uniform Committee’s concerns, which include discontinuing poplin shirts in favor of ordinary shirts, and other uniform-related matters. The impetus for this action lies with Corps Staff s desire to avoid legal problems with Title IX, an HEW ruling demanding equal treatment for women in schools re ceiving federal money. Kamensky said his talk to outfit com- Carter wants Begin to join peace talks United Press International WASHINGTON — President Carter, in an unexpected effort to achieve an elusive peace treaty, has proposed escalating the Camp David talks to the head of government level with the addition of Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. Carter would join the negotiators, which then would consist of Begin, Carter and Egyptian Prime Minister Mustafa Khalil. The third participant in last fall’s Camp David summij — President Anwar Sadat of Egypt — authorized Khalil to represent him when he gave his prime minister the simultaneous title of foreign minister to conform to the makeup of the ministerial-level talks that ended Sunday. “In the light of developments in the talks at Camp David this past week, we are discussing with the two governments the possibility of moving these negotiations to the head of government level later this week,” Carter told reporters Sunday. The announcement, drafted with the aid of Israel and Egypt, followed a White House meeting with Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan of Israel, and Khalil, who ended their Camp David talks hours earlier. It was learned that the just-completed talks at Camp David produced the flexibility by both sides that Carter had been demanding. Strong differences, however, still remain. There was no firm response from Begin, but Israeli sources reported “reason to believe” he would accept. manders was made after speaking with University legal officials concerning admis sion to specialized units such as the Band, the Cavalry, and the Ross Volunteers. “We’ve always a been in danger about Title IX. We’ve got to get it taken care of now,” he said. “We’re trying to remedy these things on our account. We want to initiate change so we can be within the law without having to get into a lawsuit. ” Yet, to the Corps, boots seem a very important subject. Corps reaction was “sorry as hell,” one high-ranking cadet said, who was reluctant to be quoted. Another cadet said his reluctance was because, “The word is out that people shouldn’t give out quotes — they may sit week-ends.” The new boots, however, probably won’t look the same as present calf-length brown senior boots, said many cadets. Cheryl Ab bott, supply sergeant for the Third Battal ion said, “What we want is something that is close in looks to the guys’ boots, but not something so masculine. “I think most women want some kind of boot, if it wouldn’t look too macho. ” She said that probably some sort of riding skirt will be worn instead of the men’s jod- phurs. Abbott, W-l commander Sharon Mabry, female fish, and male cadets shared the impression that some form of woman’s boot was inevitable. But Kamensky was firm in saying that nothing official has come out about the pos sibility. “You can’t put an absolute on anything,” he said. “If you’re going to have to change with the times, you’re going to have to change with the times. “I believe the option ought to be there (to wear the boots),” he said. “But person ally, I’d prefer it if they didn’t wear boots. ” A6M researchers say it s possible Pump coal out of the ground? By LOUIE ARTHUR Battalion Reporter Two Texas A&M University re searchers are looking for an eco nomical solvent to dissolve lignite, so that it may be pumped out of the ground. Ten billion tons of the low-grade coal are found at depths of less than 200 feet in Texas and can be re moved by strip mining. There are 100 billion tons at deeper levels that must be extracted by some other method. If an economical retrieval process can be found, Texas’ huge lignite deposits may become tomorrow’s fuel supply. Dr. Rayford G. Anthony, a chem ical engineering professor, and Dr. Dr. Rayford G. Anthony is studying the structure of lignite to discover a cheap way to pump the coal out of the ground. Rayford, a chemical engineering professor, and his partner Dr. C. V. Phillip work in a labora tory in Zachry Engineering Center. Battalion photo by Hm-lie Collier C.V. Phillip, a research associate, are studying the structure of lignite and its by-products in their labora tory in the Zachry Engineering Center. “We have found some solvents that work, but these are too expen sive for practical use,” Anthony said. “We need to find some way to re-use the liquid product (the result of the lignite dissolution) as a solvent.” Anthony said an outside solvent is needed to start the process but that it would be too costly to use this solvent for the entire process. Anthony and Phillip are studying the structure of lignite, which has not yet been determined, in order to find the best possible solvent at the least cost. “One billion tons of lignite pro duces the same amount of fuel as two billion barrel^ of oil,” Phillip said. What this means, he said, is that Texas’ lignite reserves can sup ply four times as much fuel as the known U.S. oil reserves. Anthony said the research, which began in 1976, will take two or three more years of lab work before they are ready to try it out in the field. Even if they don’t find what they’re looking for, Anthony said, the time will not be wasted. “The components of lignite are known,” Anthony said, “but all we have about the structure is theories. After we have finished our research, we will be able to postulate our own theory.” Anthony and Phillip’s research is being funded by Dow Chemical Co., the Aluminum Company of America and Texas A&M Center for Energy and Resources. came one day after U.S. Treasury Secre tary W. Micbael Blumenthal bluntly told his Chinese hosts in Peking that China is the “transgressor” in the conflict. Teng said he “whole-heartedly wel comes” a U. N. Security Council resolution calling for withdrawal of Chinese troops from Vietnam and Vietnamese troops from Cambodia. But Teng added, “We would not make that a bargaining condition” in China s own withdrawal timetable. In the United States last month, Teng said Vietnam had to be “punished” for its invasion of Cam bodia. Fighting continued along a 450-mile front inside Vietnam with no indication of major advances or withdrawals by either side. Both the Soviet Union and United States increased their contingents of ships in the South China and East China seas in apparent response to the Chinese- Vietnamese conflict. Japanese Defense Agency officials said a missile-carrying destroyer of the Soviet Far East Fleet passed through the Tsushima Strait between Japan and South Korea. They said it would join three other Soviet ships already in that area. Farther south, an estimated 11 Soviet ships were on duty in the South China Sea within easy crusing distance of Vietnam. The aircraft carrier U.S.S. Constella tion, with its 100 warplanes and 5,000 men, today left its home base in Subic Bay, Philippines, and entered the South China Sea, where it is expected to ren dezvous with its normal complement of destroyers and escort ships. Ab-M baseball starts today After having an exhibition game against Hosei University of Toyko, Japan and two double-headers against LSU rained out last week, it looks like the Texas A&M University baseball team will finally open its 1979 season. The two-time defending Southwest Conference champion Aggies will host Northeast Louisiana University in a pair of double-headers today and Tuesday. The first game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. in Olsen Field. Shades of Spring Though the weather has hardly been spring-like, model Julie Speights seems ready for the sunny days ahead. She was one of almost two dozen women modeling spring apparel in a benefit fashion show sponsored Sunday by Charli’s boutique. Proceeds from the show will be donated to the American Diabetes Foundations. Battalion photo by Lee Roy Leschper jr. Illegal chain letters discovered by University mail service This prayer has been sent to you for good luck. You must make 20 copies iden tical to this one and send it to your friends, parents and associates. You will receive good luck ... provided you in turn send it back out. —excerpt from a chain letter By JAMES HAMILTON Battalion Reporter Texas A&M University is once again the scene of an outbreak of chain letters, many of which are being sent illegally through the Campus Mail Service. Chain letters, which are letters sent to a number of recipients requesting each to write similar letters to an equal number of recipients, appear on campus periodically. Although there is no law against mailing most chain letters through the U.S. Postal Service, they are strictly prohibited by the Campus Mail Service. “THIS HAPPENS almost yearly,” said John Stanislaw, manager of the Campus Mail Service, “and I want people to realize that there are some problems they could get into by mailing these things.” According to the Texas A&M University “Policy and Procedure Manual,” only University-related mail can be sent Chain letters, which are letters sent to a number of recipients requesting each to write similar letters to an equal number of recipients, appear on campus periodically. Although there is no law against mailing most chain letters through the U.S. Postal Serv ice, they are strictly prohibited by the Campus Mail Service. through the campus mail system. “And by no stretch of the imagination can these letters be called University business,” Stanislaw said. The Campus Mail Service recently dis covered about 20 copies of the same chain letter passing through its mail rooms. Be cause the envelopes containing them were incorrectly addressed and lacked a return address, they were opened and the letters were found. STANISLAW ESTIMATED that hun dreds of copies of that same chain letter are presently in circulation in this area. He added that the number could easily in crease unless the letters are ignored. “When one person is asked to contact 20 other people and that 20 are asked to con tact 20 more, mathematics tells you that that could be a heck of a mess,” he said. The most recent type of chain letter dis- The Campus Mail Service recently discovered about 20 copies of the same chain letter passing through its mail rooms. Because the envelopes contain ing them were incorrectly addressed and lacked a return address, they were opened and the letters were found. covered by the Campus Mail Service states that the letter was written by “a missionary from South America.” It begins with a prayer and ends with a' mild threat. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and He will acknowledge and He will light the way,” the letter says. “Luck has now been brought to you. You will receive it in the mail. “SEND COPIES of this letter to people you think need good luck. Do not keep this letter. It must leave your hands within 96 hours after you receive it.” This chain letter doesn’t ask for money and even tells the reader to “not send money, for the fate has no price on it.” However, the letter lists several persons who supposedly have received good luck, some of it in the form of large sums of money, for continuing the chain. “An RAF officer received $70,000, the letter continues. “Constantine Dias re ceived the chain in 1953. A few days later he won a lottery of $2 million in his coun try.” (The country was not given.) The letter also warns against breaking the chain. “JOE ELLIOTT received $4 million and lost it because he broke the chain,” it says, “while in the Phillippines, Gen. Welch lost his life six days after he re ceived this letter. He failed to circulate the prayer. However, before his death he received $775,000. “Dalin Nairchild received the chain and, not believing it, threw it away. Nine days later, he died. For no reason what soever should this chain be broken.” Some chain letters are more threatening than others. “We had one last year that said, Tf you do not continue this chain, you will die,” Stanislaw said. Chain letters can legally be mailed through the U.S. Postal Service, provided they follow certain guidelines. FOR EXAMPLE, chain letters that re quest items of value and promise some thing substantial in return to tbe remitter are termed “unmailable” under postal lot tery and fraud laws, according to the U.S. Postal Manual. Chain letters that ask for recipes, picture post cards and other low- cost items are acceptable. Chain letters that contain a threat of bad luck or even death can also be mailed, This chain letter doesn't ask for money and even tells the reader to "not send money, for the fate has no price on it." However, the letter lists several persons who supposedly have received good luck, some of it in the form of large sums of money, for con tinuing the chain. provided they are covered by an envelope and are not on postal cards. Stanislaw said that it is usually impossi ble to find out who mails chain letters through the Campus Mail Service but that campus and department mail handlers are being told to keep an eye out for suspicious-looking letters. The people who have received chain let ters on campus recently have various opin ions of the letters. While some people ig nore the letters or think they are silly, other people are angered by them. Bernice Hronek, an accounting assistant for the Fiscal Department, received a chain letter through the Campus Mail Service last week. “I really resented it,” she said. “It said that if I didn’t comply, all kinds of hard luck would happen to me. It’s bad enough to get chain letters, but it’s really bad when they threaten your life and health.”