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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (July 20, 1988)
I The Battalion Vol.87 No. 178 6 Pages College Station, Texas Wednesday, July 20, 1988 Freshmen recruits Incoming freshmen Kyle McPherson and Jeff Lemonds, both of Ar lington, discuss the Corps of Cadets with sophomore Blane Tredway, Photo by Sam B. Myers from Weatherford, on Tuesday afternoon in Rudder Tower. Tomor row is the final day of the student conferences. Dukakis gains Jackson favor, campaign base epartment investigates Meese ■ WASHINGTON (AP) —The Jus- VI tke Department has launched a new Mflhics investigation into the conduct oi outgoing Attorney General Edwin S JwWeese III in the wake of an indepen- wH «nt counsel's finding that he “prob- jf/\H>ly” violated criminal laws on four f Jljccasions. T H Meese's assistance to his longtime friend E. Robert Wallach is expected to come under especially close scru- tinv in the latest probe, said depart- ■ent sources, speaking on condition ol anonymity. jnjLl The self-styled citizens group '■ommon Cause asked the ] ustice Department’s Office of Professional ■esponsibility on July 6 to look into Meese’s ethics. OPR Counsel Mi- hael Shaheen replied, in a letter re- Jl quiet on landela’s leased Tuesday by Common Cause, that “We have initiated an inquiry into your complaint.” Common Cause President Fred Wertheimer had requested specif ically that the Justice Department unit examine whether Meese vio lated a 1965 executive order spelling out standards of conduct for govern ment employees as well as provisions of a federal law, the Code of Ethics for Government Service. The basis for Shaheen’s inquiry is expected to be the 814-page report compiled by independent counsel James McKay and publicly released Monday after a 14-month criminal investigation of Meese. The attorney general, who said McKay’s decision not to prosecute “completely vindi cated” him, has announced he is leaving the government, probably next month, to become a writer and lecturer at the conservative Heritage Foundation. The potential consequences of the OPR inquiry aren’t precisely clear. If Meese remained On the job, a neg ative OPR report could have led to the unit’s recommendation that President Reagan fire 1pm. As things now stand, an official censure or reprimand likely would be the worst possible outcome, although Meese’s successor-designate, Richard Thorn burg, has promised to pursue any new investigation wherever the evi dence leads. McKay found that Wallach en gaged in a number of activities which were “of substantial benefit” to Meese, including representing Meese without charge in connection with his nomination and confirma tion hearings to become attorney general. McKay also said Wallach as sisted in obtaining a paying job for Meese’s wife, Ursula, helped the Meeses get an $80.000 bank loan in 1983 and facilitated a 1986 loan of $260,000 to refinance Meese’s mort gage- McKay also found that Meese helped Wallach by interceding on behalf of Wedtech Corp. in a move that culminated in a $32 million en gine-building contract for the com pany and also by assisting the attor ney in connection with a $1 billion Iraqi oil pipeline project. ATLANTA (AP) — Michael Du kakis won the platform of his design Tuesday at the Democratic National Convention while a parade of Demo crats ridiculed George Bush as a “toothache of a man,” and worse. After Dukakis left the stage the at mosphere was set for a thumping late-night demonstration of Jackson action. In his campaign farewell, Jesse Jackson said he’d seek “bold lead ership” and new direction. Dukakis easily defeated Jackson’s call for higher taxes on wealthy indi viduals and corporations by a vote of 2,492 to 1,091. He thus sought to avoid the political damage suffered by Walter F. Mondale in the 1984 campaign when he pledged to raise taxes if he won the White House. Dukakis was expected to prevail, as well, on his rival’s call for a “no first use” pledge of nuclear weapons. Jackson’s third minority plank, a call for self-determination for Palestin ians as well as Israelis, was debated and withdrawn. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Mas sachusetts was leading off the prime time speechmaking, to be intro duced by his 27-year-old nephew John F. Kennedy Jr., son of the late president, in his national political debut. Otherwise, Day 2 of the conven tion belonged to Jackson — a chance to present a video of his life to the convention and a prime-time audi ence of millions. A chance to have his children join him on the Omni podium, and a chance to wrap up his remarkable campaign with a rhetori cal flourish. “God is not finished with me yet,” he said in a campaign-ending speech at the 1984 convention. This time he told reporters he would speak about the need for “bold leadership” in the coming campaign. “That’s what we need: new direction, sound ideas ■ and America must never surrender to be bigger and be better.” Georgia delegates supporting Du kakis and campaign dropout Albert Gore Jr. gave seats on the floor to al ternates pledged to Jackson in a ges ture of unity. And in a sign of sensi tivity to the former civil rights leader, a top convention official swiftly ordered the strains of Dixie cut off when they began blaring over the Omni public address system. The platform debate went as scripted, with Jackson supporters calling for adoption of a plank de manding tax increases on the wealthiest Americans and on cor porations, and with the Dukakis camp resisting. “Let’s not tie (Dukakis) hands with a tax increase,” said Denver Mayor Frederico Pena. Dukakis has said consistently that he would not rule out a tax increase to balance the deficit, but doesn’t think one should be considered until all other avenues have been ex plored. Dukakis, his nomination secure for Wednesday night, breakfasted with AFL-CIO President Lane Kirk land and visited the gravesite of Martin Luther King Jr. He praised the slain civil rights leader as a “man of action, a man of inspiration.” He cited his own background as the son of Greek immigrants and quoted the words of King: “Everybody can be great because anybody can serve.” Clements experiences slight stroke AUSTIN (AP) — Gov. Bill Clem ents suffered a “slight stroke” Tues day and was admitted to Seton Medi cal Center Tuesday, his press spokesman said. “Gov. Clements has had a slight stroke that had affected his vision,” the spokesman, Reggie Bashur, said Tuesday night. “His vision right now is almost all Ijjjick to normal. There are no othei Vlifficulties or symp toms,” Bashur said. Clements checked in at about 6:30 p.m. and walked in on his own, ac companied by the Department Of Public Saf ety officials who usually es cort him, said M. A. Bengston, a hos pital spokesman. Bashur said the governor was ex pected to remain at Seton for two to three days for observation. m 70th birthday Iran reports raids on nuclear plant ■ JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (AP) — South Africa was quiet on ■elson Mandela’s 70th birthday, ■towing once again the govern ment’s ability to defuse potentially ( explosive events and its refusal to bow to world opinion. ■ Dozens of governments — includ- | ifig the United States — appealed for Mandela’s release. Thousands of people held rallies in world capitals A to mark the birthday Monday of the Rfrican National Congress leader ■ho has been imprisoned since B62. In South Africa even the pro-gov- lirnment, Afrikaans-language news- Baper Beeld said it now would be Better to free Mandela rather than further enhance his stature as a mar tyr. j But the government responded in its customarily blunt fashion: no birthday celebrations and no free- , dom for Mandela until he renounces ^"violence. iis ears ;er is a 3 yed to iposinj a dried •one on MRE's officer Exten' -ith his ember* and Ft' ; Mandela’s birthday passed in South Africa without a major public celebration or an outburst of vio lence. || “This day turned into what the government wanted to be made of it,” the leader’s wife, Winnie Man dela, said Monday. j The government banned all cele brations, including concerts, festi vals, sports events and even a private tea party. More than 30 people in volved in organizing the events were detained. ■ The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference said govern ment authorities “were making themselves look quite ridiculous.” it f But Minister of Information Stof- fel van der Merwe said Mondav on national television, “No matter how much international pressure is brought upon us . . . we must do what is right from our own perspec tive.” MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Iraqi warplanes raided an unfinished nu clear plant and other Iranian indus trial targets Tuesday, the day after Iran said it would accept a U.N. cease-fire proposal. The ranking Republican member of House Armed Services Commit tee, on a visit to the Persian Gulf, said it would be “very simple” to start pulling the U.S. Navy out when a truce takes effect. Iran claimed three attacking jets destroyed the targets. Iraq did not acknowledge the air raids but claimed to have destroyed two Ira nian aircraft — one in a dogfight over the gulf and the other with anti aircraft fire near Kirkuk, an oil cen ter on the northern frontier. War communiques from Tehran said the Iraqi raids were “barbaric” and Iranian warplanes retaliated by raiding a dam at Lake Darbandik-' han near Kirkuk, 140 miles north east of Baghdad. Each side acknowledged the loss of one aircraft. Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz of Iraq said Iran’s decision to accept the year-old Security council resolution was “two-faced” and “aiming at win ning time to launch surprise offen sives” in the war, which began in September 1980. Rep. William Dickinson of Ala bama said in an interview that a gradual reduction in U.S. forces could begin as soon as a cease-fire became reality and the political and diplomatic process permitted it. “The extraction of our forces is going to be very simple,” he said. “We don’t have anything on the ground. All we have to do is wind that ship up and go." The United States has had naval forces in the gulf since 1948 and now has 27 warships in the region, with about 17 in the gulf at am time, according to U.S. military sources. Iran said the Iraqi air raids were proof that Baghdad opposes an end to the 8-year-old war. Tehran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency quoted the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Reza Amrollahi, as saying the Iraqi raid on the nuclear plant inflicted “heavy losses.” Amrollahi said in a letter to the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency it was the seventh at tack on the unfinished facility in four years, the news agency re ported. The Tehran radio report said the attacks would force “international forums,” including the United Na tions, to a “historic and sensitive test” while showing a need for Iran’s forces to “remain on a state of alert so as to confront the aggressive enemy.” The report accused Iraq of violat ing international law by attacking the nuclear power station at Bush- ehr. Marketing specialist says drought will increase grain, grocery prices By Had Binion Reporter Summer droughts in the mid west are more than likely going to raise feed grain prices and cause an increase in grocery prices for meat, poultry and some produce and canned goods, said Dr. David Mellor of the Texas Agricultural Extension service. Mellor, a poultry marketing specialist, said the effects first should become evident at the produce counter later this sum mer. “The drought should affect produce first, then it will affect the feed grain prices, causing beef and poultry prices to in crease,” Mellor said. Dr. Dick Edwards, an agricul tural economist for the service, said consumers should find at tractive meat prices and sales dur ing the mid-summer as farmers continue to sell off their stock. “If the drought continues, farmers will sell their cattle be cause they can’t afford to feed them,” Mellor said. “There should be a brief drop in beef prices because of a flood in the market and in poultry prices be cause poultry generally follows beef in pricing trends.” Consumers aren’t going to see the abundance of produce that usually prompts sales or falling prices as the season progresses. “We’ve already seen this effect with Texas watermelons, canta- lopes and peaches,” he says. “There’s no shortage, but prices aren’t falling as you would expect during the height of the sum mer.” Edwards said consumers also can expect higher prices on some canned goods this winter. Some consumers may find it practical to stock their home freezers in advance while the prices are lower. Bonnie Piernot, an Extension family economics specialist, sug gests that if consumers do pur chase meat in bulk, they should protect it with moisture vapor- proof freezer wrap, freezer con tainers and tape so they still have a quality product three or four months later. Piernot also suggests that peo ple consider the cost of running a freezer to see if that would offset any money saved by purchasing meat now. A&M supports drug, alcohol education By Fiona Soltes Reporter Even though a recent survey found lower- than-expected levels of drug and alcohol abuse among Texas A&M students, University officials realize the need to continue educating the public about substance abuse. “We’re striving to prevent drug abuse through education and information,” said Dr. Dennis Reardon, coordinator of the A&M Center for Drug Prevention and Education. “We w'ant to help students make responsible lifestyle choices that will stay with them forever,” he said. The center, which opened in Januarv, was cre ated for this purpose through a two-vear, $120,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Ed ucation’s fund for the improvement of post-sec ondary education. The center surveyed students to discover the size of the drug problem at A&M. Based on questions asked of 1,000 students, the survey found that 34.3 percent of 18- to 25- year-olds at the Universitv have tried marijuana, compared to an average of 64 percent of the same age group in the general population. College-bound students tend to use less alco hol and drugs than non-college-bound people of the same age, but A&M student averages are sig nificantly lower than other college students’, Reardon said. Besides the survey, the center has planned many activities to help students, faculty and staff understand the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse. “Right now, we’re planning a carnival for so cial chairmen of student organizations,” Ann Coombes, assistant coordinator, said. “Booths and games will promote responsible party-plan ning, including choosing foods and non-alcoholic beverages. “We also emphasize the legal issues of alcohol, such as forms of risk management and how to handle a liability charge. We want to get as much information out to the public as possible.” The center also is planning Alcohol and Drug Awareness weeks for the fall and spring semes ters. These events will include “Anatomy of a Party,” an Interfraternity Council skit about drinking that requires audience participation, and “Hall-y-wood Squares,” a mock game show run by the Residence Hall Association. “We give the student organizations ownership of events,” Coombes said. “ This way, the influ ence on the student body comes from peers.” Reardon agrees that communication through students is important. “Good influences need to come from peers,” he said. “So we let students help out w'herever possible.” The center has activities with peer groups that last throughout the year. “We sponsor many support groups, including Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous and Adult Children of Alcoholics,” Reardon said. “When students come to a college environment, they are exposed to many different lifestyles. They might realize that their lifestyle, which they thought was normal, wasn’t normal at all. “We want to help work it out, and the center gives us the chance to promote these groups more actively.” “Even if no one here had a problem with drugs or alcohol, we’d still serve an educational pur pose,” he said. “We realize that Aggies will be come role models for their families and the com munity, so it’s important that they choose the right lifestyle now.”