J1 inii,
f thej
has(|i
rnevs
; 10-11
C stajj
weekfl
■Hi BTexas A&M ■ ■ ■ ■
The Battalion
Serving the University community
ol, 76 No. 127 USPS 045360 12 Pages
College Station, Texas
Tuesday, April 5,1983
conomics vital to NATO, leaders say
by Gary Barker
and Denise Richter
Battalion Staff
Three former NATO leaders
ised the Reagan administration
ring a forum here Monday to cut
anti-Soviet rhetoric and concen-
tr te on Western economic problems.
As former West German Chancel-
lq Helmut Schmidt said, citing Theo-
d(re Roosevelt’s adage: “We need to
pk softly and carry a big stick. For
[long we’ve been speaking loudly
pcarrying a little stick.”
pchmidt, former President Gerald
Ford and former British Prime
Jiister Edward Heath concluded
(“the big stick” should be founded
a solid economic base.
Those conclusions came as part of
the inaugural program of the MSC
Endowed Lecture Series. The prog
ram, “The Future of the Western
Alliance,” was moderated by Marvin
Kalb of NBG News.
In addition to the lecture, the lead
ers met with Texas A&M students
and faculty Monday and held a press
conference that afternoon.
The forum, which was presented
to a full Rudder Auditorium, began
with a short introduction from each
of the former Western leaders. Kalb
then moderated a discussion among
the three.
Following the discussion, Kalb
said: “I came away with some sense
that the old framework of negotia
tions with the Soviet Union ... ought
now to be expanded to take into con-
staff photos by David Fisher
ate
Former President Gerald R. Ford, above left, former
West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, above right,
former British Prime Minister Edward Heath, below left,
and Marvin Kalb of NBC News, below right, participate
in the first MSC Endowed Lecture Series program.
sideration economic and social issues
as well.
“In a world of a dwindling number
of democracies, the NATO alliance
seems to be more important and
ought to be preserved.”
The original North Atlantic Treaty
Organization, signed in 1949, united
Britain, France, Belgium, the Nether
lands, Italy, Portugal, Denmark, Ice
land, Norway, Canada and the Un
ited States in a pledge to assist each
other in the case of aggression against
any of the members. Greece and Tur
key became members in 1952, and
West Germany became a member in
1955.
To preserve that alliance, the lead
ers suggested that current Western
leaders place more emphasis on such
economic issues as unemployment
and the U.S. deficit.
Heath said: “It is essential that we
restore prosperity in democratic
countries. We each have to face up to
certain economic difficulties (in our
countries).”
Commenting on one of those diffi
culties, Schmidt said: “We (the West)
have failed totally to deal with 10 per
cent unemployment in all of our
countries. It ought to be taken into
consideration that there is a great in
herent danger of political disaster if
we can’t overcome this economic
crisis.”
Schmidt said an economic crisis
also could result from the $200 billion
U.S. deficit, which he called “the
greatest single threat to the world’s
economy.”
Ford agreed: “A one-year ($200
billion) debt is not catastrophic. But
back-to-back-to-back deficits of that
magnitude could be disastrous — not
only to the United States, but to the
Western Alliance.”
But solutions to the world’s econo
mic problems can’t be limited to the
West. During the press conference,
Heath said: “There is a grave prob
lem that we spend too much in the
West on the wrong priorities. We
have to pay attention to developing
countries. If not, the only places they
have to turn to are Moscow and Pek
ing ... Because of military strings
attached, it is extremely dangerous if
they look to these countries instead of
to the West.”
The three former heads of state
also related economic problems to de
fense problems.
In his opening remarks, Ford said:
“There is a general recognition that
the Western industrialized nations
cannot maintain adequate defense
expenditures and programs if they do
not have a stable and prosperous eco
nomic base.”
During the press conference, Ford
said that current Western defense
problems aren’t with strategic arms —
where he said the United States has a
“rough equivalence” — but rather in
conventional arms.
“There is a gap as far as conven
tional weapons are concerned,” Ford
said, “that requires that the president
increase our conventional capability.
Hopefully it will be done in conjunc
tion ... with our allies.”
But Schmidt said: “I would not in
clude my country in the neglect of
conventional arms. We have 1.3 mil
lion trained soldiers through con
scription that could be called out. To
match that level, the U.S. would need
5 million trained men, some two and a
half times more than they now have.
“In order to build conventional
forces ... first, you need men, second,
you need motivation ... third, you
need skill and training and fourth,
you need money and weapons.
“The abandonment of the draft
has to be thought about if you (the
United States) are considering so
many theaters of war in the world.”
But Heath disagreed. “We (in Bri
tain) found the draft a very expensive
way to get qualified troops,” he said.
Both at the forum and the press
conference, Schmidt said he is more
concerned about the build-up of
Soviet medium-range missiles that
are aimed at Western Europe.
To counter the Soviet build-up, the
Carter administration in 1979 agreed
to deploy U.S. medium-range Per
shing II missiles and cruise missiles in
Western Europe. The deployment
has been used as a negotiating tool
with the Soviet Union during the re
cent intermediate-range missile talks,
which adjourned last week for a two-
month recess.
For the talks, Reagan outlined a
program called the “zero-option” in
which the United States would cancel
the planned NATO missile deploy
ment if the Soviets would agree to
dismantle the medium-range missiles
they now have in place. On Tuesday,
Reagan backed down from the zero-
option and proposed an interim
approach, suggesting that the two su
perpowers set a limit on the number
of medium-range missiles on both
sides.
Schmidt said he asked for the de
ployment only after the Soviet mis
siles were not included in the second
Strategic Arms Limitations Talks.
“I thought they were strategic,”
Schmidt said during the panel discus
sion. “They are aimed at my country.”
The proposed deployment of the
missiles in Western Europe has met
political opposition in that region,
especially in West Germany.
See ALLIANCE, page 12
’resident’s race needs runoff
eld
gles i
r Do*
t call I*
by Kelley Smith
Battalion Staff
|oeJordan and Joe Nussbaum will
mpete in a runoff election lor stu-
ntbody president Tuesday.
Jordan, a senior physics major
)m Fan nett, received 1,649 votes —
.2 percent of the vote for president
last week’s election. Nussbaum, a
dor industrial distribution major
)m Corsicana, received 1,200 votes
19.H percent of the vote. Seven can-
dates ran for the presidency.
Results for the junior yell leaders,
gineering senator at-large and
phomore engineering senator have
not been released. All candidates for
those positions will participate in the
runoffs because of an error on the
ballot. Names of three candidates
were left off the ballots, but were cor
rected early Tuesday morning.
Election commissioner Les Asel re
commended to the Judicial Board
that the election for those offices be
repeated.
Runoffs also will be held for the
following offices:
— Vice president for finance: Mike
Cook, a freshman economics major
from Duncanville, and ELllen Anita
Pifer, a junior business analysis/
accounting major from Plano.
— Class of ’84 president: Todd
Fleming, a junior business major
from Tyler, and Joseph A. Sandoval,
a junior biomedical science major
fronr San Antonio.
— Class of’86 president: Pre Ball, a
freshman biomedical science major
from San Antonio, and J. Raley
Marek, a freshman electrical en
gineering major from El Paso.
Other offices in which a runoff will
be held are senator elections for
architecture at-large, business sopho
more, University Apartments, off-
campus ward IV and Graduate Stu
dent Council veterinary medicine.
Runoff elections also will be held
for the Class of ’85 vice president and
the Class of ’86 vice president, secret
ary and social secretary.
Students may vote from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. at Zachry Engineering Center,
the Memorial Student Center, the
MSC bus stop, Sterling C. Evans Lib
rary, the Kleberg Animal and Food
Sciences Center, Heldenfels Hall, the
Academic Building, the Academic
and Agency Building and Sbisa Di
ning Hall.
See Results page 5
^ Don"'
t cal fa
event
jefieU
y in tkf
v Drive
lette*
inside
wound Town 4
Classified 6
iical 3
Opinions 2
Sports 9
State 6
National... 8
Police Beat 4
What’s up 7
forecast
Cloudy to partly cloudy today with
a30 percent chance of showers and
a high of 60. Partly cloudy tonight
with a 40 percent chance of show
ers by morning. Tonight’s low near
49. A 40 percent chance of showers
on Wednesday with a high near 63.
White House officials say
Reagan will cut defense
United Press International
WASHINGTON — President
Reagan, displaying flexibility in light
of growing pressure from Congress,
is willing to slice billions of dollars
from his defense spending blueprint
for 1984 and beyond, White House
officials said.
Reagan planned a key meeting
with Republican members of the Sen
ate Budget Committee today —just
one day before the panel begins
marking up the defense budget — to
discuss his defense proposals in de
tail.
Reagan took a more conciliatory
stance in the face of spreading senti
ment in the country and Congress
that his proposal to boost Pentagon
spending in 1984 by 10 percent — toa
total of $239 billion — was excessive.
The president already has been
rebuffed by the House, where Demo
crats have approved an alternative
budget plan that allows for just a 4
percent real increase in defense
spending.
Reagan harshly criticized the
Democratic budget when it was pas
sed last month, saying such a small
increase would allow the Soviet Union
to make strong military gains over the
United States.
White House officials indicated bil
lions of dollars in savings over the
next few years were possible largely
because a special commission study
ing the MX missile will propose a bas
ing mode for the controversial
weapon that is less expensive than the
cost of earlier plans. The commission
is expected to propose placing 100 of
the multi-warhead missiles in existing
Minuteman missile silos.
The Washington Post reported to
day Reagan had decided he could
trim $8 billion to $10 billion from his
proposed defense plans for the next
five years. Administration sources
told the Post the savings for 1984
would probably amount to some $2
billion, a reduction of about 0.8 per
cent.
The president held a series of
meetings Monday with the Joint
Chiefs of Staff and key national secur
ity advisers, including Defense Sec
retary Caspar Weinberger.
Sources said he also met with
strategic nuclear experts about infor
mation that has been collected on pos
sible violations of the missile provi
sions in the Salt II treaty.
The U.S.-Soviet treaty has never
been ratified by the Senate but both
countries nevertheless agreed to
abide by its terms. The pact was
reached by President Jimmy Carter
and the late Soviet President Leonid
Brezhnev.
Reagan faces another key defense
issue later this week when the 11-
member MX missile commission he
appointed in January makes its re
port.
Deputy press secretary Larry
Speakes said Reagan has made no de
cision on how to base the weapon,
although he is “aware of the general
direction” of the commission’s work
through frequent briefings.
Aides said Reagan plans a major
defense address April 11, but Speakes
said the president has not yet decided
if he will unveil the MX decisions in a
speech to the nation.
After Reagan submits his proposal,
Congress will have 45 days in which to
act.
Former President Gerald R. Ford, left, former British
Prime Minister Edward Heath, center, and former West
German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, right, part on a
friendly note after the program.
DeLorean’s bail
firm, judge says
United Press International
LOS ANGELES — A federal judge
refuses to change John DeLorean’s $5
million bail, rejecting both the ac
cused dope peddler’s poverty claim
and the prosecution’s claim the auto
maker has $17 million stashed in a
Swiss bank.
DeLorean has “apparent access to
over $ 17 million in Switzerland,” gov
ernment prosecutors said Monday in
seeking a bail increase to $10 million.
But defense attorney Howard
Weitzman called the prosecution’s
claim “baloney,” saying the charge
was “only in response to our motion to
reduce bail.”
“We asked it be reduced to $2.5
million to give John some breathing
room,” he said. “He doesn’t have an
income. He has bills to pay.”
“My client is experiencing tremen
dous financial difficulties,” Weitzman
told U.S. District Court Judge Robert
Takasugi.
After hearing the arguments,
Takasugi rejected the claims as “un
substantiated speculation and gossip”
and declined to either reduce or in
crease DeLorean’s bail in connection
with charges of conspiracy to smuggle
$24 million worth of cocaine into the
United States.
DeLorean, 58, was arrested last
October and charged with conspiring
to distribute 220 pounds of cocaine.
He has been free since posting $5 mil
lion in cash and property about two
weeks after his arrest.
“The government views John De
Lorean as a greater, not a lesser risk,
at the present time,” the prosecution
said in its motion to increase bail. “His
release was, in a most significant
sense, obtained by fraud.”
A Texas A&M welcome
Former President Gerald R. Ford receives a saber-arch
welcome from the Ross Volunteers at Texas A&M
President Frank E. Vandiver’s house Monday afternoon.
Ford was in College Station to participate in the
inaugural program of the MSC Endowed Lecture Series.
See related story, photos, above.