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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 3, 1981)
/ The Battalion Viewpoint December 3,1981 :s Slouch By Jim Earle ‘Could I suggest that you consider using hand signals from now onr Williams "refreshing’ change in Parliament By DAVID S. BRODER WASHINGTON — The victory of Shir ley Williams in the Crosby by-election, out side Liverpool, last week made her the first person claiming membership in Britain’s new Social Democratic Party to win a seat in Parliament. In trouncing the Conserva tive and Labor candidates in what had been historically a Tory stronghold, she became the 24th SDP member of Parliament, the others all having switched from the Labor or Conservative benches. But the election meant much more than that. It confirmed the public opinion polls showing that the SDP-Liberal alliance which supported Williams now commands such a strong plurality in Britain as to gain a majority in Parliament if a new election were being held today. When Prime Minister Margaret Thatch er actually calls that election, in the autumn of 1983 or the spring of 1984, it is very likely that Williams’ victory will be seen as a land mark in the political realignment of that nation. And it is far from impossible that the former Labor minister of education could become Thatcher’s successor. So it was not just academic curiosity that set me last weekend to reading “Politics Is For People,’’ the book Harvard University Press published last August as a much- expanded version of the Godkin lectures Williams delivered in Cambridge, Mass., in 1980. Nor are her thoughts pertinent only to an understanding of what is happen ing today in British politics. Much of what she has to say applies to our own situation. The monetarist elements of President Reagan’s policies have produced an unex pected recession in this country just about as quickly as they led to a planned recession in the first year of Thatcher’s government — and for the same reason. “Tight control of the money supply in an imperfect economy, ” Williams writes, “hits investment and employment harder and sooner than it hits inflation. When interest rates increase, firms put off new invest- The Battalion USPS 045 360 MEMBER Texas Press Association Southwest Journalism Congress Editor Angelique Copeland Managing Editor Marcy Boyce City Editor . Jane G. Brust Asst. City Editor Kathy O’Connell Photo Editor Dave Einsel Sports Editor Ritchie Priddy Focus Editor Cathy Saathoff Asst. Focus Editor Debbie Nelson News Editors Phyllis Henderson Bernie Fette, Belinda McCoy Diana Sultenfuss Staff Writers Gary Barker Frank L. Christlieb, Randy Clements Gaye Denley, Nancy Floeck, Tim Foarde Colette Hutchings, Daniel Puckett Denise Richter, Mary Jo Rummel, Rick Stolle Nancy Weatherley, Barbie Woelfel Cartoonist Scott McCullar Graphic Artist Richard DeLeon Jr. Photographers Brian Tate Daniel Sanders, Colin Valentine 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- t 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 Regents. The Battalion also serves as a laboratory newspaper for students in reporting, editing and photography classes within the Department of Communications. Questions or comments concerning any editorial matter should be directed to the editor. LETTERS POLICY Letters to the Editor should not exceed 300 words in length, and are subject to being cut if they are longer. The editorial staff reserves the right to edit letters for style and length, but will make every effort to maintain the author’s intent. Each letter must also be signed, show the address and phone number of the writer. Columns and guest editorials are also welcome, and are not subject to the same length constraints as letters. Address all inquiries and correspondence to: Editor, The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843. The Battalion is published daily during Texas A&M’s fall and spring semesters, except for holiday and examination periods. Mail subscriptions are $16.75 per semester, $33.25 per school year and $35 per full year. Advertising rates furnished on request. Our address: The Battalion, 216 Reed McDonald Build ing, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 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. Security affairs adviser Allen: Will he come back if cleared? 1 Ch£ iUnive iiipdat icalth appro UVedn Me By HELEN THOMAS United Press International WASHINGTON — Some top aides around the White House are betting that national security affairs adviser Richard Allen, now on a leave of absence, will not return to his post — even if he gets a clean bill of health from the Justice Department. Although the department decided there was no wrongdoing in terms of Allen’s acceptance of a $1,000 payment for a Nancy Reagan interview with Japanese journal ists, and no need for appointment of a spe cial prosecutor, other aspects of Allen’s business relationships are still under re- was turned over by members of the national security staff who alerted White House counselor Edwin Meese. The NSC staffers did not inform Allen of the discovery of the money, nor did Meese, who notified the FBI. Whatever President Reagan’s attitude, it is clear that top aides in the White House decided that the Allen affair was beginning to take too much of a toll and was reflecting on the administration. corrci Jarifi !onal White I louse during the Watergate si and did not want the same defensive4 drome to overtake them. Ej™ So there was a collective sigh of imy, when Allen decided to take a leave ofiii | On ence. His decision to go public in abiM came as a big surprise, especially afteti] White House had decided on a “noo ment” strategy while the investigation!! under way. llydi trade He is “happy” that he has been cleared on the question of the $1,000 payment, but he has admitted “bad judgment” and “faul ty judgment” and a poor memory in his handling of the matter. He believes that he will be vindicated on all other aspects of the When the chips were down, they be came more and more reluctant to become the “conduit” for Allen’s responses to daily new allegations. The strategy changed in the middle of the stream. At first it was agreed that no one would comment while the inquiry was under way. But each day, Allen felt con strained to answer new reports concerning his relationship with Japanese friends and former clients. His decision to step aside also most White House aides by surprise unprepared to react. Allen took comi of his own defense in an aggressive determined way. He arranged to deliver his first mj announcement that he would take a lew I absence on a nationally televised prop! He had decided to take his case tothe lie, and seemed to be enjoying the with correspondents. ay i pet Tex Th< luire adei ptic 'ouk The money was put in a file with a com bination lock after it was received on Jan. 21. In February, it was found by a military aide and moved to still another file. Even then, there was apparently no move to hand the money over to proper authorities. When the money was found by three military officers who occupied Allen’s for mer office next door to the White House, it Soon the White House was issuing state ments that were clearly labeled as “Richard Allen’s” answers, and some of the spokes man caught in contradictions washed their hands of the matter. Others hoped it would go away. They felt they were in a no win situation since they did not know every thing or where the other shoe would fall. Some of the aides had been in the Nixon Strangely enough, the Justice Dq ment also said that it put out itsstateij on the completion of one major aspectol case because of public interest, whicli! interesting way to run an investigate As for his own view of where he will when the investigation is completed,,^ - yy 1( said, 1 don’t know. It will all dependm colleagues at the White House andlll use we ll just wait and see.” ; COUJM^ ^ ^ Nri ment; firms unable to finance working capital go to the wall; moreover, higher costs are often passed on in the form of higher prices ... “Tight money,” she says, “similarly hits jobs long before it hits wages. Organized labor is often strong enough to resist and delay any attempt to drive real wages down.” This may be less true in the United States than in Britain, she concedes, because of the relative weakness of American unions. But in either country, “real wages will only fall when unemployment has gone so high that it has seriously undermined the unions’ bargaining power.” There are enough differences between the Reagan and Thatcher programs and be tween the American and British economies to make anyone cautious about predicting a similarly bleak picture here when the Reagan economy arrives at its third birthday. But there are also enough similarities to make Williams’ book a cautionary tale for our own conservatives and a stimulating treatise for those Democrats struggling to find sensible alternatives to the Reagan policies, if they prove to be a failure. Williams has some plausible notions ab out industrial and technological innovation, about job training and the alternation of education and employment throughout a working life, about the encouragement of small business, the democratization of un ions, the application of incomes policy, the improvement of schools, and about the re turn of social services to the community level. All of them are challenges for us no less than for Britain. Most refreshing of all, she brings a humane intelligence to these topics that makes it easy to see why she is such a popu lar candidate on the hustings. The same combination of qualities that is bringing a new party to birth in Britain could contribute to the rebirth of the oldest party here. G a5H...WffiRE.'S the rest of me r It’s your turn Campus-wide quiz file needs tests Editor: The campus-wide quiz file has finally arrived and we need your help. The quiz file will be located in the reserve room of the library and open to students during lib rary hours. It will be bound, card catlogued and includes tests from the two previous school years. Any A&M student would be allowed to check the material out for two hours. Ags, this is a super opportunity to consolidate our efforts so that the student body as a whole can have a large, up-to- date, and well-organized quiz file. The quiz file will become operational at the first of the spring semester, but in order to do that we need your help now. WE NEED YOUR OLD TESTS. Please turn your old tests into Room 216 MSC. There will be boxes in the Student Government office and OCA cubicle that you can drop them into. Tests can also be turned into the reserve reading room of the library. Please bring your tests by before Thursday Dec. 17 — the earlier the better. Also any organization that would like to donate or xerox their existing quiz file please do so. Come on Ags, let’s pull together and make this quiz file a success. If someone goes to the library to study indi vidually, he or she should use the indi vidual carrels or study desks. Thats»what they were made for! It’s hard to fit four people in a desk made for one person. Deraid P. Grice ‘83 The sixth floor has definite possibilitj for the nightclub scene. A wet bar (III required) and dance floor should keepr action rolling. Climaxing dead weekontf Sunday before finals, a floor show and wrestling tournament would be held, j Those who wish to study would be«| c lined to storage space in the basement4 ( on the first floor. I s Disco library Dave SpH Timber. 1 Kathy Bartholomew Vice President of Academic Affairs Group study areas Editor: I’d like to comment on the group study areas in the library. I get very perturbed when I go to the group study areas (to group study) and find that a great number of the large, study tables (intended for two or more people) are occupied by one person! Editor: When I went to the library last night, I was forced to move four or five times before I could find a comfortable spot where I could relax and socialize without interfer ence from someone who was studying. I finally just left the library, cursing those audacious swines who had selfishly ruined the few hpurs that I have for visiting with my friends. Something has to be done about the situation, especially during these last few weeks of school before we all go home. Of course, not everyone goes to the lib rary for the same reason. I’m not particualr- ly a hard “partier,” but I do agree that there should be a place reserved for those of you who like to sneak in a bottle. Likewise, if a few hours of sleep is your goal, a quiet area for that could be arranged. Here is may proposition: The mo/e ac tion you want, the more floors you ascend. The second floor, with its delightful white couches, would facilitate a sleeping area perfectly. Its dimly lit microfilm section would be a fine spot for girlfr jend-boyfriend intimacy. The third, fourth, and fifth floors could cater to light, moderate, and loud conversation, respectfully — the third floor being mostly flirting grounds; the fifth floor housing the spit-wad, paper-airplane crowd. Study prayer Editor: I would like to share the following? 11 * with my fellow Aggies. I feel it is vB appropriate considering that mostofite now facing final exams: The Study Prayer Now I lay me down to study, I pray the Lord I won’t go nutty And if I fail to learn this junk I pray the Lord I will not flunk But if I do, don’t pity me at all, Just lay my bones in the study hall. Tell my teachers I did my best, And pile my books upon my chest. Now I lay me down to rest, I pray I’ll pass tomorrow’s test And if I die before I wake, That’s one less test I’ll have to take. This poem was shared with me by a friend who curently attends La. Tech. M fortunately, neither of us knows the autb Diane Mock,