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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 11, 1982)
fell 'IV mtional e L natioi m M mil pnatio i In do| " ri| iiondo|. Pile 52,55 Mall grand opening set for Wednesday See page 3 Ags stomp over Mustangs for second time in season See page 17 The Battalion Serving the University community A S M . 75 No. 94 USPS 045360 36 Pages In 2 Sections College Station, Texas Thursday, February 11, 1982 Vietnam War jioviet break, Mien says ikes for )lks" lorthpuj by Johna Jo Maurer Battalion Staff brmer U.S. National Security viser Richard V. Allen Wednesday the Vietnam War provided a ri. IWSi ategic wedge for the Soviet Union d the Soviets made the most of it. Allen opened the 27th Student nference on National Affairs in idder Auditorium, with more than D persons attending. “While we were hopelessly Rbroiled in that land of conflict, hpusands of miles away, wasting our wdand treasure, the Soviet Union itinued its dramatic and relentless rch up the ladder of military ac- sition,” he said. “That strategic wedge constituted, yview, the most important open- in the entire historv of the Soviet The outcome of the Vietnam War the United States with a distaste that kind of conflict, Allen said. “We shy away from it today when think of the projection of Amer- n military power any place for atever reason, because it evokes harsh realities, the bitter memor- of the Vietnam War.” Former president Richard Nixon’s ministration promised the begin- gofan era of negotiation with the viet Union, Allen said, with a move ay from the old era of con front a- n. But the war went on for four years. The illusion the Americans suf- from, Allen said, was that some- w the Soviet Union wanted the ericans to end the war. In reality, Soviets wanted the Americans in ietnam for as long as the Americans dd endure. All the while the Soviet stem was geared to the production the “military colossus” with which : United States is faced today, he id. Allen attributed the beginnings of is Soviet striving for military super- lied iority to the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Americans hoped for a converg ence of Soviet society with American society after the Cuban crisis, as a means for future disarmament. In actuality, divergence was building as the Soviet leadership decided it would never again be caught in the strategic realities of hopeless inferiority to the United States, Allen said. “The Soviet Union made the deci sion that whatever it would take to catch up with the United States — and hopefully surpass us in terms of milit ary power for the pursuit of defiant objectives — would be worth the price.” Today, Allen said, Americans are confronted with the product of the decisions that were made during the fateful days of the Cuban Missile Cri sis and thereafter. Discussing Soviet-American rela tions in 1982, Allen said President Reagan’s goal is to restore a vital mar gin of military safety that has been allowed to dissipate over the 10 years prior to his taking office. “It was his decision to deal with the Soviet Union from the position of principled prudent strength based on a notion of reciprocity, utilizing our leadership and our allies in concert with us because alone we can do no thing.” United States economic strength is our most important weapon and to insure national security, Allen said, the economy must be revitalized. “The President can indeed help close that window of vulnerability into which we have been thrust by inaction for so many years.” Allen’s closing suggestion to SCO- NA delegates was to get involved in public life. “The penalty for refusing,” he said, “is to suffer at the hands of those perhaps less qualified than yourselves.” Syrian forces battle rebels United Press International DAMASCUS, Syria — At least 1,400 people died in weeklong fight ing in the city of Hama between gov ernment troops and rebellious Mos lem fundamentalists urged on by reli gious leaders speaking from mos ques, diplomatic sources say. President Hafez Assad’s govern ment said Wednesday, Washington’s accounts of the trouble in Hama were lies, and accused the United States of “flagrant interference in Syria’s domestic affairs.” Syria acknowledged disturbances involving the rebel Moslem Brother hood in Hama, a city north of Damas cus of 300,000 people, although it in sisted events were now under control. Diplomatic sources said up to 16,000 Syrian troops, air force planes and helicopters and at least 100 tanks were sent to Hama after anti government Islamic rebels killed members of an army patrol. When troops arrived, residents were “called into rebellion by local re ligious leaders” standing in the minarets of city mosques, the sources said. Rebels reportedly shelled an air base a mile from Hama and damaged a bridge over the Orontes River. The reports said rebel casualties ranged between 1,000 and 2,000 while about 400 government troops were killed. Hama, 50 miles east of the Mediter ranean Sea, has been a center of anti government sentiment. The Syrian statement said several hundred weapons were confiscated and criminals, including escaped con victs, were captured in Hama during a search for firearms and hideouts of the outlawed Moslem Brotherhood. The Moslem Brotherhood wants Sunni Moslems, who constitute a ma jority in Syria, to replace Assad’s gov ernment, which is led by the minority Aiawite faction Moslems. Syria’s statement accused the State Department of trying to shift atten tion from Washington’s “political and diplomatic defeat” when it backed Israel in a United Nations’ vote con demning Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights. Team to travel to El Salvador staff photo by David Fisher Getting all the news Richard Allen reviews Wednesday’s SCONA story in The Battalion on his way from the MSC to the reception in Rudder Exhibit Hall. After the reception Allen spoke in Rudder Auditorium . United Press International WASHINGTON — House Speak er Thomas P. O’Neill is sponsoring a fact-finding mission to El Salvador that will give him a firsthand report on the war-torn Central American na tion. Chris Mathews, a spokesman for O’Neill, confirmed Wednesday a three-member team consisting of Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., an Appropriations Committee aide and Kirk O’Donnell, the speaker’s general cousel, was scheduled to leave today and spend several days in El Salvador. The trip comes in conjunction with one by Rep. Clarence Long, D-Md., a leading congressional critic of the administration’s policies toward Cen tral America. Long begins a nine day tour of the region today, his office announced Wednesday. O’Neill’s decision to send the mis sion, Mathew said, was made on brief ings the speaker received earlier this week from the State Department, the CIA and the House Intelligence Committee. The sending of the investigative team comes at a time when American policy toward El Salvador is under intense scrutiny amid fears the Un ited States is entering a Vietnam-type entanglement. enate thanks Samson; Hood among appointed staff photo by Rose Delano Itudent Government President Ken Johnson presents Charles Samson, Texas A&M vice president for planning, with a [laque in appreciation for his help while serving as University President, while Dr. Samson’s wife Ruth looks on. by Rebeca Zimmermann Battalion Staff Greg Hood, the cadet suspended last semester after the saber incident with SMU cheerleaders, is one of nine new senators appointed by the Stu dent Senate Wednesday. Hood received national attention after he drew his saber and chased SMU cheerleaders off the Kyle Field turf during the Texas A&M-SMU football game in October. Hood, who was serving as an Officer of the Day, said he thought it his duty to keep people off the playing field. His controversial actions resulted in his suspension for the duration of the fall semester. At the time of the incident. Hood held the position of judicial chairman for student govern ment and also served on the Traffic Appeals Panel. Senators voted 37-13, with four ab stentions, in favor of Hood’s appoint ment. No discussion preceeded Hood’s appointment or any other senator appointment. Other appointed senators are: Mary Glymer, Angela Dodd, Terry Duran, Mary Flynn, Mark Gruettner, Sue Lednicky, Mike Plank and Mike White. Recognition also went to Dr. Charles H. Samson Jr., University vice president for planning. Student Body President Ken Johnson pre sented him with a plaque in recogni tion of his devotion to the University. Samson served one year as acting University president before Dr. Frank E. Vandiver w'as appointed to the presidency Aug. 26. Johnson said Samson is one of the University’s most faithful servants. Much of the Senate meeting was devoted to the allocation of $2,886,529.50 from student service fees for the 1982-83 budget. The Senate finance committee re commended an overall increase of 10.1 percent in the 1982-83 student service fees budget. Senators unani mously approved the budget. Allocations made by the Senate wall be submitted to Dr. John J. Koldus III, University vice president for stu dent services. The Personal Counseling Service received the largest increase in budget allocations with a 22.7 percent increase over the 1981-82 budget. Terry Smith, Senate vice president for finance, said the service has an 80-student backlog which justifies the request for an additional staff person. The A.P. Beutel Health Center re ceived a 16.9 percent increase in its budget. The center requested $703,135, but the Senate approved a budget of $610,000. The addition of two doctors last year and an increase in nurses’ pay called for the increase, Smith said. The Senate also approved a 15.3 percent budget increase for the Office of Student Activities, and the Shuttle Bus Service received a 14.3 percent increase. See SENATE page 16. staff photo by Rose Delano Greg Hood, Sr. Senator College of Business New Federalism sparks diagreement by Bill Robinson Battalion Staff In his State of the Union message last week, [President Ronald Reagan proposed a return to federalism by the U.S. government. That prop osal fueled disagreement between economists (and hard-line Democrats. U.S. Rep. Phil Gramm, a former Texas A&M [economics professor, State Sen. Kent Caperton and Dr. Charles Maurice, head of the Texas A&M economics department, gave The Batta lion their differing opinions on that proposal. Should Congress approve New Federalism | as proposed by Reagan, the taxpayer can expect increased efficiency and accountability of the government, Gramm said in a telephone inter view. “To quote a famous Democrat named Tho mas Jefferson, ‘Our country is too large to have its affairs controlled by one government,”’ Gramm said in support of the president’s prop osal. Reagan proposes that the states take over the costly and controversial basic welfare program, aid to families with dependent children and the politically sensitive and expensive food stamp program. In addition, the states would be in charge of distributing funds that are currently handled by federal grants. “Texas will benefit from New Federalism,” Gramm said, “because state money w ill be kept within the state. In addition, Gramm said the Texas legisla ture can do a better job of determining state needs and appropriating funds than Washing ton can. “I have more confidence in Bill Presnal (chairman of the House Appropriations Com mittee in the Texas House of Representatives),” Gramm said, “than any member of the approp riations committee of the U.S. Congress.” The legislature will be able to tailor programs to local needs. The programs supported by the people would be secure but programs imposed upon the people by the government could be cut, he added. Welfare and other entitlement programs probably would have the greatest cuts. In a survey Gramm conducted of his constituency, 37.5 percent favored cutting welfare drastical ly, 33.3 percent cutting it substantially and 88.3 percent overall favored some cuts in welfare. “Texas has never been a big supporter of welfare so I would imagine it would be cut se verely,” Caperton said. However, Caperton disputed Gramm’s claims that the program would be good for the state. It could result in major tax increases to See FEDERALISM page 16 inside Classified ", 10 Local 3 Local/State 6 National 12 Opinions 2 Sports 17 | State., 5 What’s Up 9 forecast Today’s forecast: Clear becoming mostly cloudly with a 30 percent chance of rain tonight; high in the upper 50s, low tonight in the mid 40s. Friday’s forecast calls for cool temperatures again with a 20 per cent chance of rain.