Battalion
Serving the Texas A&M University community
'ol. 74 No. 46 Monday, November 3, 1980 USPS 045 360
6 Pages in 2 Sections College Station, Texas Phone 845-2611
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eria to
‘take care of hostage issue’
United Press International
n’s militant students agreed today to hand over the American
ges to the Tehran government and Algeria will act as inter-
jry in the next step to secure the Americans’ release from
liter a year’s captivity, official reports from Iran said,
p fast-moving development came after Ayatollah Ruhollah
leini told the students in a meeting that they should surren-
[eir control of the captives in the U.S. Embassy based on the
petitions accepted overwhelmingly by Iran’s parliament, or
L Sunday.
e students, in a communique reported by the official Pars
Agency, asked the government to present its representative
e delivery of the hostages.
reconsider it appropriate that the government should hence-
pssume the responsibility of holding the spy hostages,” the
hunique stated in sanctioning a step toward removing the
kes from the militants’ control for the first time since the
drama began last Nov. 4.
“This issue was raised at today’s meeting of the students with
the august leader of the revolution, Imam Khomeini, who
approved of this arrangement,” the communique said.
“You are therefore asked to introduce your representative to
take delivery of the American spies, ” the communique directed to
the government said.
The militants also sent a letter to Iranian Prime Minister
Mohammed Ali Rajai, officially transferrring responsibility for the
hostages to the government.
In Washington, the State Department said it has no confirma
tion of the students agreeing to hand over the hostages to the
Iranian government or Algeria agreeing to supervise them. In
Tehran, the Algerian Embassy denied a report that the hostages
had been transferred to its embassy.
It was not specified what Algeria’s role would be if the militants
release the hostages based on Khomeini’s four conditions
approved by the parliament Sunday, or what exactly was meant by
Algeria’s agreeing to “take care of the hostages issue.”
Initially, the Pars report, monitored by the BBC in London,
said Algeria’s envoy in a meeting with Prime Minister Moham
med Ali Rajai, agreed to “take care of the U.S. hostages,” which
was then corrected by Pars, not the BBC, to say “take care of the
U.S. hostages issue.”
A role of intermediary was finally settled on in the reports.
In another development, Pars said today that the Swiss ambas
sador handed Prime Minister Mohammed Rajai a message from
President Carter. There were no immediate details.
Earlier, Pars quoted one of the students who met with
Khomeini today as asking the religious leader to have the hostages
“relieved of their (hostage) duty and be free to go to the front to
fight the puppet regime of Iraq. ”
A Tehran Radio broadcast, carried by the Kuwait news agency,
said Khomeini told the militants that the government “should
take over responsibility for the hostages” — a step the militants
had balked at previously.
Meanwhile in Washington, President Carter said his chief ob
jectives were to get the hostages out of Iran safely at the earliest
possible time while protecting the “vital interests of the United
States.”
“As we understand the parliament’s proposal, they appear to
offer a positive basis for achieving both of these objectives,” he
said. “We are pursuing the matter through diplomatic channels.”
Carter did not detail the follow-up diplomatic steps but Swit
zerland, which handles U.S. affairs in Tehran, announced Sunday
it was ready to take immediate action admitting “so far we have not
been contacted.”
Officials of the Swiss national airline, Swiss Air, said they would
be able to prepare a plane “at very short notice” but had not
received any requests for flights into Tehran.
Zip CHiPs
jxas A&M’s Corps of Cadets members, Ted Etchison taking advantage of their senior privileges by motorcycl-
riving) and Ed Cano, faintly resemble a couple of ing their way to afternoon classes on Etchison’s Honda,
ghway patrolmen on the prowl. Actually, they are
Impact of the hostage
on election still mystery
United Press International
The long shadow of the American hos
tages touched today’s final hours of the
1980 presidential campaign, but whether
it will have any impact is one more uncer
tainty in an election year that has been
indeterminate from the start.
President Carter scrubbed his campaign
schedule in Illinois, Michigan and Pennsyl
vania to fly back to the White House in the
pre-dawn hours of Sunday morning.
He met most of the day with top advisers
on a response to Iran’s four conditions for
release of the 52 Americans, and appeared
for five minutes in a national broadcast to
express a degree of guarded optimism the
men will be freed in a “proper” way that
will protect the nation’s honor.
Ronald Reagan and his campaign staff
kept a wary eye on the developments, con
cerned lest some last-minute dramatic
event endanger what they believe is an all
but certain electoral victory.
But the effect of Iran’s belated, and con
ditional, decision to release the Americans
is uncertain. And, for that matter, Reagan’s
confidence itself could be misplaced.
Ever since he was nominated at the Re
publican National Convention in July,
Reagan has led Carter in almost every poll.
He still does. But his huge popular vote
edge — more than 30 points before the
Democratic Convention nominated Carter
in August — has become a margin so nar
row that most pollsters refuse to predict a
winner.
In the Gallup Poll, published in today’s
edition of the Washington Post, Reagan
had 47 percent to 44 percent for Carter, 8
percent for Anderson and 1 percent for
other candidates. Pollster George Gallup
said the spread between Carter and Reagan
was so small it fell within the statistical
margin of error.
A new Harris poll, also published in the
Post, gave Reagan 45 percent. Carter 40
percent, Anderson 10 percent, others 1
percent and 4 percent undecided. Reagan’s
lead was greater than the statistical margin
of error.
United Press International’s final state-
by-state survey showed Reagan with 245
electoral votes either probable or leaning,
with 270 needed for election. Carter was
leading in 14 states and the District of Col
umbia with 156 electoral votes, and 12
states with 137 votes were too close to call.
Newsweek, Time, The New York Times,
all three networks and other major polling
sources had similar results.
United Press International
Texas newspapers, expressing the belief
— and in some cases merely the hope —
that Ronald Reagan can do a better job than
President Carter, have given the Republi
can candidate unanimous support in en
dorsements for Tuesday’s elections.
The newspapers which gave endorse
ments in general charged President Carter
has failed to provide the United States with
leadership.
The San Antonio Light, in its endorse
ment published Sunday, said the choices
“are limited” to Carter, who has shown the
job is beyond his capabilities; Reagan, who
has received only “ho-hum” support from
the mainstream of the Republican Party;
and Anderson, whose Tet us sacrifice’ prog
rams ignore the sacrifices of Americans
under Carter.
“President Carter basically is a good
man,” the Light said. “He wants, and has
newspaper support
wanted to do a good job as president. We
believe he simply does not have the know
how to do the job.”
Both Dallas newspapers said it was ur
gent to change presidents.
“Of course,” the Morning News said, “it
avails nothing to throw out one bungler and
promptly install another. We could not so
warmly recommend the election of Ronald
Reagan were we not convinced that a
Reagan administration would substantially
advance this country’s prospects for peace
and freedom during the critical 1980s.”
“Gov. Reagan calls for a vigorous, can-do
attitude while President Carter is trapped
in negativism, fear and confusion,” the
Times Herald said.
“Reagan doubtless will not be able to
remedy all (the country’s) problems swiftly,
but he has the advantage of bringing a new
perspective to the Oval Office,” the San
Angelo Standard-Times said.
The Corpus Christi Caller/Times edito
rial said: “A Reagan administration offers at
least the possibility of new approaches. It is
time, in our view, for a change.”
Students can
get yearbooks
starting today
The 1980 Aggielands are in and can be
picked up at the Commons starting today.
Students wishing to pick up their year
books should enter through the main entr
ance of the Commons and go to the rear TV
room.
Students must bring their Texas A&M
I.D. cards to pick up Aggielands.
xas voters to decide fate
Constitution faces changes
United Press International
STIN — A capsule summary of the nine amendments to the
f Constitution to be decided in the general election Tuesday:
Proposition One, Unmanned Tellers. A yes vote would
lit banks to establish unmanned teller machines that could
most banking functions anywhere within the city or
y where the bank is located, at any time of day. The constitu-
prohibition against branch banks now bars such machines.
Proposition Two, State Right to Appeal. A yes vote would
he state a right to appeal certain decisions of a court in the
ly, stages of a prosecution. For example, the state could appeal
ler quashing an indictment, suppressing evidence or over-
g a statute on constitutional grounds. The amendment
not allow the state to appeal an acquittal, a sentence or
the spending of appropriated money. The governor, with the
approval of a budget execution committee, could limit spending
by an agency or transfer appropriated funds from one agency to
another. The committee would consist of the governor, the lieute
nant governor, the speaker of the house and four legislators.
— Proposition Six, Removal of Officers. A yes vote would
permit the governor to remove any officer who has been
appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of two-
thirds of the Senate. The governor appoints members of 237
different boards, but may not now remove them. Among the
boards in question is the Texas A&M University System Board of
Regents.
— Proposition Seven, County Road Work. A yes vote would
permit counties with populations of less than 5,000 to use county
Election *80
r final judgment. The state now has no right of appeal in
inal cases.
Proposition Three, Counties in Single Appraisal. A yes vote
d require counties to join single appraisal districts, which are
mandatory for all other taxing units. The amendment would
ii that any piece of property would have the same appraisal for
ic taxes that are paid on it, although the tax rates applied to the
erty would differ according to the taxing jurisdiction.
Proposition Four, Bingo. A yes vote would allow the Legisla-
Mand individual communities to legalize bingo for churches
■non-profit organizations. The Legislature would be required
■ass laws regulating the game for those communities whose
■rs approved it. All proceeds would have to go to the charitable
■oses of the organization conducting the games.
4 Proposition Five, Budget Execution Authority. A yes vote
Mid permit the Legislature to authorize the governor to control
equipment to do private road work for a “reasonable charge."
Proceeds from the work would have to be used for public road
construction or maintenance.
— Proposition Eight, Criminal Jurisdiction. A yes vote would
give the Courts of Civil Appeals criminal as well as civil jurisdic
tion and change their name to Courts of Appeals. The amendment
would also require that all Supreme Court justices be licensed to
practice law in Texas. Final jurisdiction would remain with the
Supreme Court, for civil cases, and the Court of Criminal
Appeals, for criminal cases.
— Proposition Nine, Community Property. A yes vote would
allow spouses or persons about to marry to agree that income
arising from separate property will itself be separate property.
The courts now permit couples to divide up existing property, but
there is a question about whether spouses may agree that income
from separate property will also be separate.
Dem support
from valley
not so secure
United Press International
MCALLEN — For decades, Texas
Democrats have relied on the bloc voting of
Mexican-Americans in the Lower Rio
Grande Valley to pull out close elections. It
was that Mexican-American vote in 1976
that allowed President Carter to carry the
state.
But Tuesday, valley political leaders con
cede, cracks in the Democratic domination
of the South Texas region may begin to
show.
“I think probably the Democrats can
win, but it won’t be by much,” said Sen.
Raul Longoria, D-Edinburg, whose district
includes Cameron and Hidalgo counties,
the major population centers of the valley.
“It’s not like it has been. I really feel
things have changed, and it won’t be the
same. There are too many people now that
just won’t go one way. ”
The “go one way” Longoria referred to is
the traditional one lever vote for the
straight Democratic ticket.
Now, the senator says, Mexican-
American voters have become more discri
minating and many will pick and choose
candidates rather than voting the straight
party ticket.
Republicans for the first time are run
ning a full slate of candidates for local
offices, and several of the candidates are
Hispanic.
But not all the credit for the GOP gains
goes to the increased attention given the
valley by the Republicans, Longoria said.
“It’s not that the Republicans have done
more, it’s that the Democrats have done
less for the middle class,” Longoria said.
Precinct determines
voter’s poll location
Tuesday is Election Day.
Citizens who are registered to vote in
Brazos County can cast their ballots at
the following places. The first number is
the precinct, which is listed on the vo
ters’ registration card. Second is the
polling location for each precinct.
1 — Millican Community Center, Mil-
lican
2 — Wellborn Water Supply Building,
Wellborn
3 — S.P.J.S.T. Hall, Highway 21 W.,
Bryan
4 — Carver School, 1401 W. 19th St.,
Bryan
14 — Milam Elementary School, 1201
Ridgedale, Bryan
15 — Fannin Elementary School, 501
S. Baker, Bryan
16 — Bowie Elementary School, 401
W. 26th St., Bryan
17 — Travis Elementary School, E.
25th St., Bryan
18 — Bryan Central Fire Station, 801
N. Bryan
19 — Bonham Elementary School,
2801 Wilkes Drive, Bryan
20 — Texas A&M University, Memo
rial Student Center, 2nd floor
21 — College Station Municipal Build
ing, Church Street
22 — U.S. Army Reserve Center,
★ VOTE ★
See related stories and candidate list, pages 6 and 7.
5 — Fellowship Hall, East Building,
Tabor Road, Bryan
6 — Edge Community Center,
Wheelock
7 — Steep Hollow Community Center,
Bryan
8 — South Knoll Elementary School,
1220 Boswell, College Station
9 — A&M Consolidated Special Ser
vices Building, College Station
10 — College Station Fire Station,
Texas Avenue
11 — Crockett Elementary School, 401
Elm, Bryan
12 — Ross Elementary School, 3300
Parkway Terrace, Bryan
13 — Henderson Elementary School,
2001 Sharon Drive, Bryan
Bryan
23 — Johnson Elementary School, 3800
Oak Hill Drive, Bryan
24 — College Hills Elementary School,
101 Williams, College Station
25 — American Legion Hall, Highway
21 E., Bryan
26— Bryan High School, 3401 E. 29th
St.
27 — Bethel Baptist Church, Bryan
28 — Peach Creek Community Center,
Bryan
29 — V.F.W. Hall, 2811 W. Bypass,
Bryan
30 — Fellowship Hall, West Building,
Tabor Road
31 — A&M Consolidated High School,
701 West Loop S., College Station