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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 2, 1983)
The Battalion Serving the University community 77 No, 2 USPS 045360 24 Pages In 2 Sections College Station, Texas Friday, September 2, 1983 ormer student among orean airline victims 11 n by Elaine Engstrom Battalion Staff A former Texas A&M student was nong 26 Americans on board the orean Air Lines jumbo jet that was lot down by a Soviet fighter plane hursday, according to the victim’s rather. Rebecca Lynn Scruton, 28, of iden, Conn., was on her way to sit her parents Robert L. and Mary I in Seoul, Korea, her brother id R. Beal said. Scruton originally intended to take another flight, a change in plans put her on the e which was later shot down. An airline official in New York nfirmed that Scruton was on the fated flight. Beal, a 1982 T exas A&M graduate and a school teacher in Navasota, said: "The Lord intended for her to lie on this other flight." Another of Scruton’s brothers, Robert Beal, 29, an electrical en gineering sophomore at Texas A&M, says his sister was a deeply religious woman. “My sister was a strong chur chgoer,” Beal said. “It is ironic that she was murdered by those who would advocate religious repression.” Scruton attendeo Texas A&M for the 1973-74 school year until she mar ried Dale Scruton and moved to Con necticut. Her husband died of cancer last winter. Scruton is survived bv her Plane’s loss called Soviet ‘accident’ photo by Eric Evui •om a breezf •cker Building on, ady »s fluctuated an* to 1.8 percentaji ain in the 12moi June 30 was merical leap in ms account for half the wqj Fifty-two perceij ire in China, In Union, the Uni Sakhalin Island about 785 miles northwest of the Japanese capital. Pavlovdid not identify the plane astheKorean Air Lines passenger jet,but the location he gave coin cided with the Boeing 747’s posi tion when it vanished from ipanese radar screens at 2:2() m. EDI Wednesday. The Japanese Maritime Agency said Japanese fishermen in the Indonesia, in realest contribnt 33 increase were! million, Chinaj Indonesia with i I with 3 million) with 2.9 million,i )epartment agei Jnited States, for the 12-moil 9 percent, with# rising from f 12 million toneai ER United Press International Japanese and Soviet ships sear ched today for debris from a Ko rean airliner shot down with 2<i9 people aboard by a Soviet war plane in a “barbaric act" conde mned worldwide. The Soviets to day called the plane’s loss an “acci dent." The Soviet Embassy in Paris issued a statement condemning as “absolutely unacceptable" the “hysterical anti-Soviet campaign” by Western governments protest ing the shooting down of the Ko rean Air Lines jet in the northern Japan Sea. Referring to the plane’s loss as an “accident,” the statement said the jumbo jetliner twice violated Soviet airspace. “For two hours the plane’s crew did not answer the insistent calls addressed to it in accordance with the universal international code,” the embassy statement said. The Soviet statement did not mention the fate of the plane, but Soviet Ambassador tojapan Vladi mir Pavloy told officials in Tokyo the Russians had detected signs" of a downed aircraft near area reported seeing a “glowing, expanding fireball” and hearing a loud explosion at the time the plane disappeared. Pavlov repeated Moscow’s de nial of U.S. charges that a Soviet warplane deliberately shot down the New York-to-Seoul flight with a heat-seeking missile after the jumbo jet carrying 269 people strayed over a sensitive military area on Soviet-held Sakhalin Is land. There were no known survivors among the 240 passengers and crew of 29. Rep. Larry McDonald, D-Ga., and chairman of the staunchly anti-communist John Birch Socie ty, was a passenger. Korean Air Lines said today at least 49 other Americans were believed to have been aboard. In Santa Barbara, Calif, Presi dent Reagan decided to end his vacation early and return today to Washington to discuss implica tions of the attack with advisers and congressional leaders, a White House spokesman said. A Japanese foreign ministry spokesman said today a patrol boat spotted a 100-yard-wide patch of oil in waters west of Cape Roprchi- na, on the island’s southern tip, 14 miles north of where the plane is thought to have gone down. However, the Foreign ministry complained Japanese rescue ships had to remain outside Soviet terri torial waters because Moscow has not responded to requests for of fi cial clearance to enter. JN Security Council alls urgent meeting United Press International UNITED NATIONS — The turity Council prepared for an ur- mt public session today after the States and South Korea de- anded a forum for charges the ovietUnion shot down a Korean air- tier in a “flagrant and serious” tack, U.N. officials said a session of t lie incil was not expected before late lay. Ambassador Charles Lichenstein, teU,S. acting permament represen- What’sup forecast Today will be partly cloudy and warm with a high near 92. Tonight will be fair and mild with a near 72. tative to the United Nations, re quested the meeting Thursday in a letter to Security Council President Noel Sinclair of Guyana. He said the United States consi dered “that this unprovoked resort to the use of force” by the Soviets “must be deplored and condemned by the international community and by world public opinion.” “Upon instructions of my govern ment, I request, in association with the Republic of Korea, that you con vene an urgent meeting of the Secur ity Council to consider this serious matter,” Lichenstein said. In a long letter that detailed the downing with a Soviet air-to-air mis sile of the South Korean airlines Boeing 747 aircraft, he labeled the action “a flagrant and serious attack on the safety of international civil aviation.” T he call came on Sinclair’s first day on the job. He took over the monthly rotated post as council president from French Ambaasador Luc de la Barre de Nanteuil Thursday. Lichenstein is acting permament representative in the absence of Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick who is on vacation in Rabat, Morocco. Other than hearing grievances in a public debate there is little action the council can take against the Soviet Union, which as a permanent mem ber has veto power over any decision. A spokesman for SecretaryGener- al Javier Perez de Cuellar, who is on a private visit to Portugal, issued a brief statement that avoided any conde mnation of the incident but said the U.N. chief was following it closely. “He is deeply saddened by reports of the serious loss of civilian lives,” the spokesman said. children, Alicia, 2, and Todd, 6. Robert Beal said his parents waited at the airport in Korea to meet Scru ton’s flight, but the plane never ar rived. Finally, all those waiting for the plane were brought into a conference with officials and were told what had happened. Pentagon sources said Thursday that the plane was shot down by a missile over Soviet territorial waters near Sakhalin Island. Scruton’s father-in-law, Raymond Scruton of Ludlow, Mass., told Un ited Press International that shooting down the plane was a senseless act. "There was no reason for it,” Scru ton said. “1 can't think of any reason why the Russians would shoot down an unarmed plane.” Robert Beal said the incident had opened his eyes to the real events of the world. “Everyone is insensitive to things we see in the news,” Beal said. “These events are real events that happen to real people. It’s not fantasy. “They seem to place a lot of emph asis on the senator that was killed. But to some of us the other passengers are just as important." David Beal said the United States should be strong in dealing with the Soviets. “We should take a firm stand with the Russians,” Beal said, “but not do anything as uncivilized as what they have done.” Repairs on fire-damaged Capitol wing underway Untied Press International AUSTIN, Texas — Construction workers moved into the Texas state Capitol Thursday to begin a one-year, $3.24 million project to repair and renovate the fire-damaged east wing of the 95-year-old building. The Senate side of the historic pink granite building was severely damaged in a Feb. 6 early morning fire that killed an overnight guest in Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby’s private second- floor apartment. Warrior Constructors of Houston won the contract with a $3.24 million bid for the work. The Legislature had appropriated $7 million for the pro ject. “They have one year to complete it,” said Sen. Roy Blake, D- Nacogdoches, chairman of the Senate Administration Committee, which will oversee the work. The construction contract includes replacement of the air conditioning, heating and mechanical systems and recarpeting and painting in the Sen ate chamber. Senate offices on the third floor, damaged by smoke and water, will also be recarpeted, painted and refur bished. Workers will remove some walls and raise some ceilings to restore the Senate wing to its original appear ance. Secretary of the Senate Betty King said the large archways — disco vered under walls that had been added since 1886 — will remain. Fire of ficials believe the fire began in a def ective television set in Hobby’s apartment. The attorney general’s office has sued the Zenith Radio Corp. for damages. Bootline Organizers hope, to avoid confusion by Ronnie Crocker Battalion Staff During halftime of Saturday's f ootball game against the Universi ty of California, theClassof’84 will form their first senior bootline to welcome the Aggies back onto Kyle Field. Bootline is a tradition where all Texas A&M seniors are invited onto the field for a yell practice. At the start of the second half, they form two spirit lines that the foot ball players run through as they come out of the stadium tunnels. Student body president JoeJor- dan asks that seniors use the south east entrance when coming out of the stands and that they be ready to show some type of proof that they are seniors. Proof includes senior rings, senior boots, I.D. cards, fee slips or any other means of identification. Seniors are asked to start filing out of the stands at the beginning of halftime because of the problem of getting the large number of par ticipants organized. Jordan says that last year many seniors waited until the Aggie Band finished per forming, which caused confusion on the field. When seniors enter the track area, they will be met by about 10 volunteers from Student Govern ment, the Corps of Cadets and other organizations who will be checking for proof that students are seniors. The seniors then will be formed into the bootline by more volun teers. The bootline will begin at the entrance of the stadium tunnel, extend along the track toward the scoreboard and turn up toward the south end goal posts. Entrance West Stands Flights could begin in January Braniff reorganization hopeful United Press International FORT WOR TH — A 16-month battle to return at least a portion of the bankrupt Braniff International fleet to the sky is coming to an end. Federal Bankruptcy Judge John Flowers gave his approval Thursday to a plan calling for the Chicago- based Hyatt Corp. to provide at least $70 million to put 30 Braniff jets — roughly a third of its fleet — back into service. The proposal, which drew the sup port of almost 95 percent of the some 45,000 creditors who voted on (he plan, would provide jobs for 2,000 people — possibly former Braniff employees. Any of the airline’s total 80,000 creditors has 10 days to protest the plan. At the end of the appeals period, Flowers will consider any pro tests in making his final ruling on the proposal. Braniff board chairman Howard Putnam, who struggled to save the airline before attorneys filed bank ruptcy in May 1982 and who super vised several efforts toward reorgani zation before resigning as president in June, said the vote of the creditors indicated widespread support for re suming operations. “I think the support indicates everyone is anxious to see people get back to work,” he said. Other Branif f officials said if Flow ers gives his final approval to the plan, the airline could be operating again by January 1984. There was no indication whether any creditors planned to file protests. A major obstacle was passed Wednes day when Braniff and the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. reached an out-of-court agreement settling $75 million in claims. Instead of discharging the debt through cash payments, Pension Be nefit dropped the claim in exchange for an agreed $1 million cash pay ment up front when Braniff resumes operations. Pension Benefit also will be given an $8.4 million cash claim to be processed among other creditors, and $75 million in uninsured claims convertible to stock in the new ven ture. Twelfth Man coverage staff photo by Guy Hood The news media keep a watchful eye as the Twelfth Man kickoff coverage team receives some final pointers from coach David Beal during practice in Kyle Field Thursday afternoon. The team is preparing for their opening debut against the California State Golden Bears Saturday evening at 6 pm.