Viewpoint
The Battalion
Texas A&M University
Wednesday
April 1, 1981
BvBI
E
Afirstdra
nay or may
l&MUnive
o disclose £
be Univer
leencomplt
to Atto
fcforap
reeks.
“1 can’t j
ainty how
Garri
., ge
nittee. "Frc
lends mostl
"s sched'
And, she
Slouch
By Jim Earle
3 *
• • •
<o
• 7
8 |»
15
16
.<9
£5 *^4 zi
f7
29
“ fl II
■‘K
■4?
,/a
./9
4*
3® • •
COMMtEcT
rue cots
r
Missionary staying
raises old CIA issue
By DAVID E. ANDERSON
United Press International
The kidnapping and slaying of Wyclilfe
Bible translator and missionary Chester
Bitterman raises anew the old question of
the relationship of American missionaries
abroad and the CIA. , . ^ r .
Bitterman’s kidnappers claim the ling
uist-missionary’s employer, Wycliffe’s
Summer Institute of Linguistics, is a front
for the CIA. They have demanded an end to
all Institute activity in Colombia.
The Institute, which has more than 100
missionaries in Colombia, vigorously de
nies the charges.
Two issues have been raised: the use of
the missionary profession as a CIA cover
and the use of actual missionaries as sources
of information.
Since 1977, the CIA has been under
policy directives not to use clergymen,
journalists or educators — a policy that CIA
Director Stansfield Turner last year admit
ted had been violated.
Efforts to write that policy into a strict
legal prohibition in a new CIA charter failed
last year, with opponents of the prohibition
claiming it would limit the agency’s flexi
bility.
No one within the religious community
expects any positive action under the admi
nistration of President Reagan.
One of the leaders of the effort to defeat
the proposed prohibition last year was Dr.
Ernest Lefever, then head of the Ethics and
Public Policy Center and now head of the
State Department’s human rights office.
“If information about highly secret, sen
sitive and dangerous activities on the part of
an adversary is needed, it may be justifiable
for a CIA operative to pose as a journalist,
geologist, or even a medical missionary,”
the small society
by Brickman
Warped
There’s no Nobel for finesse
By DICK WEST
United Press International
WASHINGTON — What must have
been some of the most subtle negotiations
in modern times took place during the re
cent U.S. visit of Japanese Foreign Minis
ter Masayoshi Ito.
According to published reports, Presi
dent Reagan wanted to presuade Ito to cut
back auto exports to America without
actually asking Ito to cut back auto exports.
Although we won’t know how well he
succeeded until we count the number of
Japanese cars that reach our shores in com
ing months, administration officials seem to
feel the oblique approach hit home.
One cabinet member commented that
the Japanese were “very astute” and thus
able to figure out “what we were saying.”
Not having a transcript of the Reagan-Ito
talks, I cannot tell you exactly what was
said. But from various second-hand inter
pretations, I surmise that the meeting went
something like this:
The president welcomed the foreign
minister to the White Hon: gaud asked
what had brought him to America.
The foreign minister replied that he
came here under the impression the presi
dent had something important to discuss
with him.
The president said that as a matter of fact
there was a little matter he wanted to take
up. He asked if the foreign minister had
noticed anything curious during his visit.
The foreign minister asked if the presi
dent were referring to the custom of staging
the annual Cherry Blossom Festival either
before or after the Japanese cherry trees
were in bloom.
an everyday occurrence and not a spi
muster in honor of the foreign mini:
visit.
sti ittorae y
The foreign minister said that was
remarkable and a tribute to Japane
American friendship.
The president said he was highly in I
of Japanese-American friendship but
dreadfully worried about the U.S.
industry. He wondered if the
minister saw any cause-and-effect relal
ship between woeful conditions in
U.S. auto industry and the number of
anese cars on American streets.
ti ini
4 DO
A preside
: in Febr
consider:
possibl
time Tb
The president said no, he was alluding to
the number of Japanese cars on the streets.
The foreign minister said he had indeed
noticed this display of hospitality and
wanted to thank the president and the
American people for going to so much
trouble to make him feel at home.
The president said he appreciated the
foreign minister’s sense of gratitude but felt
the foreign minister should be informed
that the large turnout of Japanese cars was
The foreign minister said such a conn
tion had not occurred to him. However,
said a ton of bricks didn’t have to fall onl
to get a point across. Any export cutb
would severely damage the Japanese a
industry, he added.
The president asked about the possibi
of selling Japanese cars in Japan.
The foreign minister said that was
tainly a novel suggestion. He said he wo
study it further when he got back horn
Mi
stii
The mure
is investig
iolege Stal
Muhlingl
fas stabbec
face in tb'
|j|)ppw
An auto,
Lefever told Congress.
“The ultimate moral measure of any
such deception should be the conse
quences of the act — both short-range and
long-range,” lefever said, arguing it is
“sheer nonsense” that the use of a mission
ary coyer by-CIA agents compromised the :
integrity of the profession.
Opponents of CIA use of missionaries
and clergy, either as cover or as agents,
argue that such use creates both short-and
long-term problems.
“Our United Church of Christ ministries
around the world and the ministries of
other Christian churches depend upon inti
mate, trustful relationships,” Dr. David
Stowe said at the time of the Turner revela
tions.
“We cannot tolerate the jeopardizing of
these relationships by even the suspicion
that missionaries, clergy or church workers
are involved in spying,” Stowe said.
The Rev. M. William Howard, president
of the National Council of Churches, said
CIA use of the profession as a cover for their
spies “effectively impugned the reputation
of every American missionary in every
country they serve with the support of the
American churches.”
Most mainline Protestant denomina
tions supported the restrictive legislation
and many churches have internal policies
forbidding their missionaries to cooperate
with the CIA.
But the church policies do not stop CIA
agents posing as missionaries and the gen
eral mood of the public, as well as the
Reagan administration and the Congress,
makes it unlikely churches will get any
changes.
Bitterman’s tragic death is unlikely to
change that.
witi
-..■en i
ier, Mi
i comp
vitness
tment i
drawin
r<.
Z lie wee!
■-iiall wee
ways a
!/ the op
H e diffici
he weel
I Station
L(
log
It’s your turn
Local bar manager raps fraternit)
Editor:
Enclosed you will find a letter I have
written to the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.
The letter is basically a chastisement of
those persons incapable of adult behavior in
public. I would like to stress the fact that
this is not our overall impression of fraterni
ties or of the student population. This re
lates only to those Sig Eps who can’t control
themselves. I would appreciate your print
ing the letter in its entirety as a general
notice to anyone who may think that Rebels
will tolerate anything but decent behavior
by its customers. We try to provide the best
atmosphere, we ask in return the best in
behavior from our customers. We don’t
think that’s too much to ask:
(To the members of Sigma Phi Epsilon):
For the past six months Rebels has striven
to provide the best in food, drinks, and
atmosphere to the Bryan-College Station
community. We have done our utmost to
accommodate all our customers and in par
ticular the students of Texas A&M Univer
sity. In order to do so there must be certain
common rules of behavior followed by all
our customers, so as not to be offensive to
anyone. We understand large parties may
get out of hand at times and certain persons
may get a little out of line. We do not under
stand organizations, supposedly projecting
a refined image, to be consistently out of
line and troublesome. Your fraternity has
proven itself to be just such an organization.
There seems to be a tremendous lack of
self and group discipline, and common
courtesy among your members. The inst
ances of your group’s rudeness and com
plete disregard for others are too numerous
to cite. It has actually gotten to the point of
my employees requesting not to serve you.
Their request is hereby being granted.
As owner and manager of Rebels, I have
reached the limits of my tolerance for rude
ness and childish behavior. I have neitl
the patience nor desire to spend my time
that of my employees babysitting yo
group whenever they descend upon
Effective immediately, your fraternity
barred from Rebels in groups larger th
four. Should any larger groups gatl
together you will be asked to leave. TI
will remain in effect until such time as
members of your fraternity have sho'
themselves capable of behaving as adull
I would appreciate you relaying this mi
sage to all concerned. Should you wish
discuss this matter you may contact me
Rebels between the hours of 2-4 p. m. ore
at 846-7421 to set a meeting.
Steve Larson, Manag
Rebels Restaurant & B
By Scott McCullar
YOU? | CANT BELIEVE
IT, l THINK I'VE FOVNP
THE ONE /AAN I’VE
ALWAy* ^EARCHEP FOR.
'— —y
l'V£ SAVE P A SPACE
IN N\Y LIFE FOR A MAN
THAT LOOKS ANP ACTS
ANP FEELS THE WAY
I'VE BEEN ALONE FOR SO
LONG, COULD YOU ...
PLEASE,... NEED + LOVE
ME TOO ?
FM SURE YOU DO.
OH GOD, YES, IT'S
SO STRANGE, /
FEEL THE SAME...
The Battalion
MEMBER
ISPS <14.5 560
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Editor Dillard Stone
Managing Editor Angelique Copeland
Asst. Managing Editor Todd Woodard
City Editor Debbie Nelson
Asst. City Editor Marcy Boyce
Photo Editor Greg Gammon
Sports Editor Ritchie Priddy
Focus Editor Cathy Saathoff
Asst. Focus Editor Susan Hopkins
News Editors VenitaMcCellon,
Scot K. Meyer
StaffWriters Carolyn Barnes,
Jane G. Brust, Terry Duran, Bernie Fette,
Cindy Gee, Phyllis Henderson,
Kathleen McElroy, Belinda McCoy,
Kathy O’Connell, Richard Oliver,
Denise Richter, Rick Stolle
Cartoonist Scott McCullar
Photographers Chuck Chapman
Brian Tate
EDITORIAL POLICY
The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper
operated as a community service to Texas A&M University
and Bryan-College Station. Opinions expressed in The Bat
talion are those of the editor or the author, and do not
necessarily represent the opinions of Texas A&M Universi
ty administrators or faculty members, or of the Board of
Begents.
The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper
students in reporting, editing and photography clas
within the Department of Communications.
Questions or comments concerning any editorial mil
should be directed to the editor.
LETTERS POLICY
Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words
length, and are subject to being cut if they are longer. 1
editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters for style
length, but will make every effort to maintain the authi
intent. Each letter must also be signed, show the adds
and phone number of the writer.
Columns and guest editorials are also welcome, and
not subject to the same length constraints as lettf
Address all inquiries and correspondence to: Editor, 1
Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M Univers
College Station, TX 77843.
The Battalion is published daily during Texas A&M’s
and spring semesters, except for holiday and examinat
periods. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester, $33
per school year and $35 per full year. Advertising ra
himished on request.
Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald Bui
ing, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 7784
United Press International is entitled exclusively to I
use for reproduction of all news dispatches credited to
Rights of reproduction of all other matter herein reservi
Second class postage paid at College Station, TX 778
By Ci
T , Bal
‘Ouay m:
lerica’s L
Dystrc
tyan and 1
flieMD
Pt sponsor
W for ev
Lst ye
Hienatii
s in M
ing sem
iversity
CHIL
, ’0R(