Viewpoint
The Battalion Friday
Texas A&M University , March 9, 1979
Soviet ‘soft stick’
move a Carter win
By HELEN THOMAS
UPI White House Reporter
WASHINGTON — Backstairs at the
White House:
Word has seeped out that President
Carter got tough and recently told Soviet
Ambassador Anatoli Dobrynin the
strategic arms limitation talks would be
jeopordized if the Kremlin persisted in
charging U.S. collusion with China on the
invasion of Vietnam.
It was learned Carter told Dobrynin the
United States had nothing to do with Pek
ing’s decision to launch the border inva
sion and that there was no truth to playing
a “China card.”
The message apparently got through,
and American officials noted with satisfac
tion that when Soviet President Leonid
Brezhnev delivered a major address a day
Washington Window
or so later, he did not make the same ac
cusations against the United States.
The SALT treaty is expected to be com
pleted in the next few weeks, and a sum
mit could take place this spring.
Brezhnev does not want 5 to,cQme to.die
United States, but Carter is adamarit. It’s
Brezhnev’s turn to make the journey, and
Carter has no plans to go to Moscow.
“That’s the way it’s going to have to be,”
said one official.
Meanwhile, officials are saying only
slight differences remain in the negotia
tions but indicate they require a little
more give on the Soviet side.
The president’s trip to Egypt has
evoked some quips from reporters who re
call that Hamilton Jordan attained some
celebrity with a wisecrack at the Egyptian
ambassador’s wife during a dinner party.
After staring at her cleavage, he said,
“Now I’ve seen the twin pyramids.”
“Now Ham will see the real pyramids,”
said one newsman.
The president has decided to hold a
town meeting in Elk City, Okla., instead
of attending a Gridiron Dinner in Wash
ington on the evening of March 24.
Carter has been to previous gridiron
dinners, where members satirize the foi
bles of politicians in song. Like most pres
idents, the longer they’re in office, the less
funny it is to be the target of the barbed
humor of reporters, even though the
Gridiron claims it “singes but never
burns.”
Nevertheless, Mrs. Carter is being
asked to take over the speaking chores on
the night of the white-tie Gridiron
Dinner, and she will be lampooned only
lightly in song.
The first lady recently revealed she is
much more “political” than her husband.
She said he makes his decisions on “what
is right” with not first thinking of the polit
ical implications.
Mrs. Carter also seems to enjoy the
tough game of politics and will be hitting
the road more often in the days to come,
starting with the traditional Democratic
Jefferson-Jackson day dinners.
Mrs. Carter has also been very much
involved in the Middle East peace pro
cess. She stayed at Camp David through
out the 13-day summit last September, re
turning to the White House only briefly,
and once flew back to the mountaintop re
treat in a driving rain.
She has also become good friends with
Aliza Begin and Jihan Sadat as their hus
bands have been involved in the continu
ing rounds of peace talks.
' But when it comes to decision-making,
Mrs. Carter is making her voice heard
more and more with her husband.
On the female front, Mrs. Carter also is
playing a strong role as a special member
of the President’s Advisory Commission
on Women. She gets along with Sarah
Weddington, Midge Costanza’s replace
ment as chief women’s adviser at the
White House, and they are working to
gether to promote the Equal Rights
Amendment.
But they both feel it’s an uphill battle,
convincing nearly all-male legislatures that
ERA should be ratified. But with the
tough women’s libbers out of the White
House, even the magnolia touch does not
seem to be working.
The sign-up list for the president’s
Mideast trip was nearly filled on the first
day of the announcement, displaying the
huge media interest in the journey.
Two planeloads of press were filled, and
had the White House permitted it, proba
bly more reporters and cameramen would
have signed up.
Reflections
No Aggie gag prize
Texas A&M University was recently awarded the Southwest Confer
ence Sportsmanship Award. This is the first time in 31 years that the
Aggies have won the award; some say it is because of Texas A&M’s end
less rivalry with the University of Texas.
But the award is nothing to be laughed at. In a conference as fiercely
competitive as the SWC, good sportsmanship is sometimes a rarity. And
Texas A&M should be a leader in sportsmanship, as well as striving to be a
leader in all disciplines.
Not too many people know the sportsmanship league exists. It is com
posed of three representatives from each of the nine SWC schools. A few
years back the organization dissipated because it was hard to coordinate
the spread-out committee. But slowly the group has been formed again.
Their actions aren’t very apparent; they do little things like working to
control the fans through the yell leaders and the band.
It’s not really that important who wins the annual sportsmanship award,
or that an award is given.
And it may be a little idealistic to think that a group of 27 “sportsman
ship” league representatives can do much to control their packs of college
fans. But the theory behind the league is good, and should be applauded.
Foreign predicament
predicting $ business
By LeROY POPE
UPI Business Writer
NEW YORK — Political instability
means expensive grief for business
everywhere but it has enabled Lawrence
Bloom to create an unusual and profitable
business.
Bloom, a Syracuse University graduate,
took a job with a research firm that was
doing a contract job for the State Depart
ment working out computer models to be
used in executing foreign policy.
He discovered in the course of this work
that most companies, even the biggest,
could not find adequate ways to analyze
and forecast the political stability of coun
tries where they want to establish plants or
engage in big operations.
So he created International Political
Surveys, Inc., of Hartsdale, N.Y., to re
medy the situation. Bloom said it has
taken two and a half years to get the firm
going. He believes it is unique in the
United States but the prestigious firm that
publishes the Economist in England has
been providing a somewhat similar serv
ice.
Bloom has a full-time staff of ten and
about 100 consultants scattered around the
world. They make computer models and
analyze them to predict the political risks
for companies that want to engage in
ventures abroad.
The bread and butter business is custom
analysis. For example, the firm is pres
ently engaged in making an eight-year
forecast of political conditions in a Middle
Eastern country where an investment
company is considering a $100 million
venture for certain client companies.
“Naturally we will get a very good fee
for this job,” Bloom said.
But Bloom’s firm also gets good prices
for its noncustomized surveys. It publishes
a 32-page monthly periodical with a sub
scription price of $1,150 a year. This is a
current review and political forecast of
conditions in 60 countries.
A much more ambitious venture is a
quarterly with much more in-depth
studies of about 15 countries to sell for
$22,500 a year. There are no subscribers
to it this year, but Bloom is confident
there will be.
One of the fascinating things his firm has
done is to create a great index of the politi
cal instability risks for companies investing
in foreign arbitration.
Assigning an arbitrary level of zero to
the United States, Bloom and his re
searchers calculate the extra return on in
vestment over and above normal return
for a given industry and over and above
inflation that should be earned in the
country as a hedge against the possible
costs of political turmoil.
For example, six months ago IPS was
advising firms they needed to earn 8.9
percent on an investment in Iran as a
hedge against the fall of the Shah on top of
all other return on investment. Right now,
IPS is advising a 7.9 percent extra yield on
investments in Turkey as a hedge against
political instability. The figure for Britain
is 2.8 percent by contrast despite the op
position to Prime Minister Callaghan’s
wage controls.
Bloom said his firm’s research team on
any given country will include an ex-U.S.
government employee and a university
professor, both familiar with the country,
and a native of the country with political
and economic background. This team then
will draw on the skills of those of IPS’s 100
consultants to make the detailed analysis.
Bloom said some of the losses American
firms are experiencing in Iran could have
been averted or at least partly offset by his
firm’s services.
Readers’
Forum
Guest viewpoints, in addition to
Letters to the Editor, are welcome.
All pieces submitted to Readers’
forum should be:
• Typed triple space
• Limited to 60 characters per
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• Limited to 100 lines
Letters to the Editor
Military prof’s actions deserve praise
Editor:
After having become acquainted with
(some) of the facts and opinions regarding
the cheating incident which led to the
notice of reprimand to Capt. Joseph
McNabb, I feel compelled to agree pub
licly with The Battalion editorial position
that a commendation would be more ap
propriate.
Given the facts as I see them, (which is
slightly more than those printed in your
article. Battalion, March 7), I can only
hope that Col. Durham reconsiders his ac
tion and withdraws the damaging docu
ment from the file of the professor.
Capt. McNabb apparently acted in a
highly professional and ethical manner in
every way. His devotion to both the Air
Force and Texas A&M are evident in
every action. When his attempt to use the
correct chain of command failed (for what
ever reason) his high moral standards
would not permit him to dismiss the inci
dent.
Instead of acting as an Air Force officer,
he chose the role of former student and
professor to achieve what he saw as jus
tice. For his concern for this school and
the Air Force the captain now stands an
excellent chance of losing everything he
has strived for in his 10 years of service.
This, I cannot agree with and that is why
I am writing now. This action by the mili
tary can only demean it and Texas A&M,
as well as ruining the career of a fine indi
vidual.
Admittedly, this letter is written with
only some of the facts revealed, but the
consequences of the reprimand are seri
ous, and the official position will probably
not be revealed until after spring break.
Since the Air Force doesn’t take a spring
break, an immediate decision was neces
sary. I am certainly looking forward to
hearing the whole story and I firmly be
lieve that the facts will justify both Capt.
McNabb’s actions and my whole-hearted
support of same.
Gig ’em.
— Thomas E. Muschalek, ’79
Top of the News
CAMPUS
Ethanol to he commercial product
Ethanol will be commercially produced from common sugar crops
at less than $1 per gallon within four years, says Edward Lipinsky,
senior research leader of the Battelle Memorial Institute of Ohio,
Lipinsky addressed a special colloquium committee here Thursday in
the Texas A&M Soil and Crop Sciences Department. Ethanol, or
ethyl anhydrous alcohol, makes up 10 percent of gasohol, with un
leaded gasoline being the other 90 percent. Ethanol is the same type
of alcohol used in making vodka. Lipinsky said ethanol production
from sugar crops holds potential not only as a gasoline extender but
also as a second cash crop for farmers.
STATE
House abolishes ‘slush fund'
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The Texas House Thursday abolished what one member called a
slush fund in the secretary of state’s office, and put a lid on the
amount that agency can charge for special handling of applications for
corporate charters. Representatives overwhelmingly approved an
amendment by Rep. Charles Evans, D-Fort Worth, placing a $10
ceiling on fees charged for the corporation charter handling. It also
required the money be channeled through the regular appropriation
process rather than be kept in a special fund over which the Legisla
ture had no control. Evans said Secretary of State George Strakejr.
had reduced the size of his appropriations request for funds from the
Legislature, but had sought passage of the bill allowing his office to
charge unlimited fees. “What he (Strake) is doing is what no other
office in the state is allowed to do, and thatqs set up a slush fund for
operation of the office,” Evans said. The House adopted Evans’
amendment by a 118-15 vote, then finally approved the fee billon
voice vote. It now returns to the Senate, where it passed earlier with
little opposition.
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Open meetings violations charged
Three Texas Tech University students, all staffers for the college
newspaper, have filed suit alleging officials of the Lubbock County
Hospital District have violated the state Open Meetings and Open
Public Records Laws. The suit charges that LCHD directors had at
least six closed sessions without publicly citing the section of the
Open Meetings Law governing executive meetings. Under the law,
the presiding officer of a governmental body is required to announce
publicly that a closed session will be held and to cite the relevant law
authorizing such a session. Plaintiffs Tod Robberson, Janet Warren
and Gary Skrehart also charge that on 13 occasions the LCHD filled
to post an agenda at least 72 hours before a regular meeting or two
hours before an emergency meeting, as required by law, and said
there was voting in closed sessions. The plaintiffs’ petition further
alleges that LCHD directors violated the Open Meetings Law by
voting in closed session.
NATION
Carter selects district judges
President Carter announced Thursday he has nominated two men
to new judgeship posts in Texas and Arkansas. Carter nominated
George P. K^azen of Laredo for U.S. district judge of the Southern
District of Texas. Kazen is the nephew of Rep. Abraham Kazen,
D-Texas, and son of E.J. Kazen, a judge in Laredo. And William Ray
Overton of Little Rock was nominated for U.S. district judge of the
Eastern District of Arkansas. The judgeships were among those
created by the last Congress.
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Council outlines price guidelines
The Carter administration announced Thursday it will strengthen
efforts to monitor price activity by companies. The announcement
was made a few hours after the Labor Department reported that
wholesale prices surged by 1 percent in February as food and gasoline
costs rose sharply. The wholesale price increase was “far too high,
said Alfred Kahn, chairman of the Council on Wage and Price Stabil
ity. He said there are “several” companies that are in violation of
President Carter’s price guidelines and they will be notified within 10
days that they are not in compliance. The firms will have another 10
days to respond to the council’s allegations before their names are
made public, Kahn said.
WORLD
Showdown to decide Amin s fate
A two-pronged Tanzanian invasion force Thursday drove unop
posed toward the Ugandan capital of Kampala and a showdown battle
with Idi Amin’s demoralized army to decide the fate of the dictator.
Meanwhile, Ugandan exiles in surrounding nations petitioned Libyan
strongman Col. Moammar Khadafy to halt his “gross and flagrant”
interference in Uganda and withdraw his military support from Amin.
Khadafy sent some 1,000 troops to bolster Amin’s tottering regime
and a Libyan “air bridge” supply of weapons and gasoline supplies
continued to pour into Entebbe International Airport. Tanks were
parked in the main city square, anti-aircraft guns dotted the city’s
many hills and the newly arrived Libyan troops reportedly were
encamped in positions three miles to the south.
WEATHER
Partly cloudy through Saturday with a slight chance of show
ers or thundershowers Saturday. High today near 80, low
early Saturday mid-40’s.
The Battalion;
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