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Texas A&M
The Battalion
Vol. 88 No. 139 USPS 045360 16 pages College Station, Texas
WEATHER
FORECAST for TUESDAY
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There is a slight chance of af
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HIGH:88 LOW:65
Monday, April 24,1989
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lirector of education for
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applications are due by
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University researchers stand
by fusion-experiment results
By Fiona Soltes
STAFF WRITER
Texas A&M researchers are
standing by results that helped con
firm a University of Utah experi
ment, but are hesitant to say that the
findings actually represent fusion.
“I like to call it uncertain confu
sion,” research scientist Dr. Jo in
Appleby said Friday. “We do know
il'snot a conventional nuclear fusion
process. We don’t know what it is.
But we can be fairly confident that
something peculiar is happening.”
U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Fnnis,
»ho visited Texas A&M Friday to
learn about fusion research at \&M
so he can explain it to Congress
n'hen the issue of funding comes up,
said he doesn’t care what it’s called,
along as it works.
“I don’t care whether it’s fusion,
fission, or what,” Barton said. “The
bottom line is, if y’all are on to some
thing that will he a potential source
of commercial energy, we’ll fund it.”
A&M scientists announced April
10 they had duplicated a controver
sial Utah experiment concerning an
electrochemical reaction at room
temperature that produced more
energy than it consumed. But the re
searchers have been facing skepti
cism about the experiments since an
April 19 article in the Washington
Post reported the researchers as say
ing their confirmation was probably
in error.
Friday, during Barton’s tour, the
scientists at the Center for Electro
chemical Systems and Hydrogen Re
search said they were baffled by the
Post article and that a second experi
ment, similar to the first, was pro
ducing excess energy, as had its pre
decessor.
Appleby, the director of the cen
ter, said the experimentation is still
in its early stages, but the process can
be explored a little bit at a time. Any
amount of research done will be
helpful in the Jong run, he said.
“We haven’t solved any of the
world’s problems yet,” Appleby said.
“In fact, we’ve only started looking
at them.”
Appleby said the largest problem
facing the scientists is finding a
metal through which the cold nu
clear process can work. Current ex
periments use palladium, a bipro
duct of platinum.
' Palladium, if it turns out to be a
unique material for this process, is
totally impractical,” he said. “In
terms of electrical cost, the cost of
palladium alone would be something
on the order of $5,000 or so per ki
lowatt, which is way out of line.”
Problems also arise because palla
dium is a biproduct of platinum pro
duction. Each year, only 100 tons of
platinum and about 30 tons of palla
dium are produced worldwide, he
said.
“Based on the data we’ve seen, it
will take about 150 tons of palladium
for one megawatt,” Appleby said.
“In other words, we need five times
the world’s production (of palla
dium) for a very, very small output
of energy.”
But Appleby said he is hopeful
there will be an answer to the prob
lem, possibly through alloys.
“We mustn’t believe that every
thing’s been invented yet,” he said.
“We’ve got a long way to go and we
must look for a new material to with
stand both the temperature and the
pressure necessary.”
Results will not be visible in the
near future, he sai«. It will be about
a month before A&M researchers
figure out exactly what is happening
and at least another 25 years before
the process, if it is indeed fusion, will
bring the results many are hoping
for.
“Maybe by the year 2015, if all this
turns out to be true, something
might happen based on this research
—- a new way to generate electricity,”
Appleby said. “But I say that ‘if
about 10 times.”
‘Merger mania’ strikes
Texas higher education
HOUSTON (AP) — A blue-rib
bon panel’s recommendation two
years ago to streamline the state’s
college systems has prompted
“merger mania” and a new concern
about the effectfcf large universities’
gobbling up smaller schools.
Already the Texas Legislature is
expected to approve placing Pan
American University’s campuses at
Edinburg and Brownsville under the
University of Texas System.
The Legislature also is expected
to place Laredo State, Corpus
Chnsti State and Texas A&I at
Kingsville in the Texas A&M Uni
versity System.
Those changes would mean that
•UT and A&M would control almost
half of the state’s 37 colleges and
universities. Other possible mergers
are being considered.
“I believe one thing we really need
to be careful about is that you don’t
get UT and A&M into such super
boards (of regents) that it winds up
being detrimental to all the other in
stitutions,” said Larry Temple,
chairman of the Select Committee
on Education, which in 1987 recom
mended streamlining the state’s
higher education system.
“Are we going to get such mega
systems that it negatively impacts the
Lamars and the Stephen F. Austins
and the University of Houstons of
See Mergers/Page 8
Photo by Phelan M. Ebenhack
“Softly call the Muster,..
One of many candle-bearers sheds a tear for a loved one during
Friday night’s Muster ceremony at G. Rollie White Coliseum.
Muster, which honors Aggies who have died during the last
year, was held in more than 400 locations around the world.
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Station.
Wright probe
moves to Texas
1
• •
protesters organize class boycotts
for oil inquiry
WASHINGTON (AP) — The
House ethics committee investi
gation of Speaker Jim Wright
moves to San Antonio this week,
where panel members will inter
view the Texas businessmen in
volved in an oil well investment
that netted large profits for the
blind trust held for the embattled
Democratic lawmaker.
Two committee members and
panel investigators reportedly
will spend three days in Texas,
beginning Monday, to interview
San Antonio financier Morris
Jaffe; his business associate and
son, M.D. (Doug) Jaffe Jr., and
two others involved in the oil well
deal.
At the same time, Wright’s law
yer in Washington, William C.
Oldaker, is expected to continue
negotiations with the ethics com
mittee’s special outside counsel,
Richard J. Phelan, over a timeta
ble for the speaker’s personal ap
pearance before the panel.
The ethics panel — officially
See Wright/^age 8
BEIJING (AP) — Students on
Sunday paraded on campuses, made
speeches on street corners and be- 1
gan organizing a nationwide boycott
of classes to press their demands for
democratic reform.
The protests in Beijing were orga
nized and generally peaceful, but
marches turned violent Saturday in
Xian and Changsa. Rampaging
mobs looted stores, burned cars and
seized a government building.
Scores were reported hurt.
The unrest was perhaps the most
violent since demonstrations began
April 15, when the death of reform
ist leader Hu Yaobang stirred anti
government sentiments and an orga
nized protest campaign by university
students.
Protest leaders said students at
Beijing universities planned to join a
class boycott beginning Monday and
to contact schools nationvv'ide to per
suade them to join.
They said the boycott was a peace
ful, legal attempt to force commu
nist authorities to meet with them
and discuss demands for a free
press, an end to official corruption
and other reforms.
Many students also called for Pre
mier Li Peng’s resignation and hung
posters on campus mocking him.
Houston university students support
efforts for democratic reform in China
HOUSTON (AP) — Chinese students from Houston
universities protested outside the Chinese consulate
Sunday in a show of support for the massive student
demonstrations opposing communism in their home
land.
It was thought to be the first such protest in the
United States since the death of ousted Communist
Party leader Hhu Yaobang sparked violent protests by
thousands of Chinese students.
“I believe most of the Chinese students here in the
United States have sympathy for the protesters, but
they just haven’t demonstrated that,” said Li Jin, an or
ganizer of the protest that drew about 22 Chinese stu
dents and recent graduates to the doors of the General
Consulate of the People’s Republic of China.
“Most of the students are afraid to take the risk. ”
Members of the group issued a plea for President
Bush and all Americans to acknowledge the lack of civil
rights in their homeland.
“We think the U.S. government should drop the
double standard on the human rights issue,” Jin said.
“They should do whatever they have to do. They
should not treat the Chinese different from the Rus
sians just because they look different.”
The protesters, carrying signs reading “No More
Dictatorship,” and “Anti-Autocracy,” were watched
from a balcony by consulate officials, but had only a
brief exchange when two men opened a heavy steel
door, accepted some literature and then slammed the
door shut without speaking.
“This is a fine example of Chinese government in ac
tion,” protester Yimin Yu said.
“They don’t want to give the students freedom of
speech, freedom of the press or a democratic China.”
The official Xinhua News Agency
said Monday’s People’s Dgijy news
paper voniameeUA Yoiniirt-fKiii'Y t- ...
warned: “Social turmoil can only do
good to an extremely small number
of people with ulterior motives.”
About 150,000 people joined Sat
urday in one of the biggest protests
in Communist China’s 40-year his
tory, holding a 15-hour rally at Beij
ing’s Tiananmen Square. Authorities
allowed the protest to unfold, but
students alleged Sunday that police
beat several and injured one se
riously.
Worse violence was reported Sat
urday in Xian and Changsha. The
state-run Xinhua News Agency said
rioters in Xian, a popular tourist city
and capital of northwestern China’s
Shaanxi province, forced their w'ay
into the provincial government com
pound and burned buildings and ve
hicles.
It said 130 security officers were
injured and 18 people were ar
rested. Xinhua said the melee began
after students who had been mourn
ing Hu left the scene.
A student contacted by telephone
said at least 30 people were arrested.
Another student, speaking on
condition of anonymity, said he saw
about 50 youths begin “ripping
limbs off trees and throwing any
thing they could,” including rocks, at
a truck of security forces. He said
hundreds of armed security forces
in riot gear closed off the area by
nightfall.
In Changsha, capital of Hu’s
home province of Hunan, rioters
looted 28 shops, Xinhua said. It said
an unspecified number of police
were injured, one seriously, and
about 100 people were arrested.
No deaths were reported in either
riot.
Foreign sources in Changsha said
about 1,000 students from Hunan
University had marched to provin
cial government headquarters in
memory of Hu. They comman
deered a truck and bus on the way.
But thousands of young street
toughs joined the marchers and be
gan breaking store windows, the
sources said. They fled when nine
trucks of security forces appeared.
Peaceful student marches have
been held in Shanghai, Tianjin,
Chengdu, Nanjing and Canton,
Western witnesses and Chinese
sources say.
Williams plans to take ‘bidness’ savvy into politics
iery, lake
[i formation and res-
1 the winery at 778-
rville also will havea
! on Saturday from
n.
iclude a diili cook-
pet shows and cake
is $2.50 per car. For
ition, call (409) 596-
596-1421.
enefit in park
ncl Recreation De
crafts booths are
t space is limited.
0 charge per booth,
terested in having a
ct Davia Mason al
5 p.m. today.
Tom Houston
lemic.
ag is free of charge
ae public,
aation and referral
and AIDS-related
t the Brazos Valley
ation/Crisis Hotline
By Stephen Masters
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
What do you give to the Aggie
who has almost everything? A gu
bernatorial candidacy.
That’s why Clayton Williams, Ag
gie extraordinaire, likely will run for
governor in 1990.
“I’ve led a fortunate life,” he said.
“I’ve been blessed with many
achievements and accomplishments,
and today I am out of debt. In 1981,
I owed $500 million.
“Now I want to give something
back. You reach a point where you
devote yourself to public ser vice af
ter a successful business career.”
Although he has never held pub
lic office, the 57-year-old entrepre-
nuer from Midland said he thinks
his “bidness” and personal experi
ences make him the most qualified
candidate in either party.
Williams has not yet officially an
nounced his candidacy for governor.
“My qualifications are the lessons
and experiences I’ve learned which
can well be applied to run the big
gest endeavor in the state — the state
government with a $45 billion bien
nium (budget),” he said. “This state
could well be run like a business.
“I believe I can apply the lessons
I’ve learned and the scars I’ve car
ried to create a better Texas, more
like the one when I graduated from
A&M those many years ago (in
1954). I’m sincere and I’m dedicated
to trying to make a difference.”
“More than that, I have been
blessed with the ability to lead, to
motivate, encourage, in some cases
cajole. I’ve enjoyed great loyalty
from my thousands of employees
over the years.”
The fact that he has never held of
fice likely will be a major issue in
Williams’ campaign. But he declined
to comment on comparisons with the
political qualifications of other po
tential candidates such as State Rail
road Commissioner Kent Hance,
State Treasurer Ann Richards and
State Attorney General Jim Mattox.
Williams instead emphasized his
leadership skills and business experi
ences and successes.
Williams said the main goal he
would pursue if elected is to con
tinue and strengthen the war on
drugs, a subject that hits close to
home with him. Williams said his
oldest son became addicted to mari
juana and alcohol in high school. His
son went through extensive rehabili
tation to deal with the problem, he
said.
“That’s my number one priority
— to fight drugs,” he said. “Once
children get on drugs, they have to
enter crime. They can’t go to
mommy and daddy and ask for $300
pr $500 a month because they’ll ask,
What do you want that money for?’
“They’re taught by the under-
w orld how to live. The girls become
prostitutes. The boys deal marijuana
K en courage other kids to get on
the substance. So they start living in
the underworld and then drop out
of high school.
“Even if you rehabilitate them,
they don’t have a high school educa
tion so they can’t get a job. It’s a vi
cious, endless cycle. We’ve got to
start with the young people.
“I’ve lived through it with my son.
We’ve got to prevent it as best we
can.”
Williams suggested a profession-
ally-produced indoctrination pro
gram for children in public schools.
“We could take five minutes from
math, five minutes from P.E. and
five minutes from music, but drugs
are the main reason our young peo
ple aren’t finishing high school and I
don’t accept that that has to hap
pen,” he said.
“Even if you are a very selfish per
son, an investment in young people
today which would in any way keep
them off drugs is going to save you
money in taxes when they (would be)
in jail.”
“It’s my experience with drugs
and people on drugs that it’s a lot
easier, a lot less expensive and a lot
more productive to put your money
up front in prevention.
“If you’re worried about taxes,
which we all are, I’m going to sug
gest to you that your money is better
spent indoctrinating young people,
not that I don’t want to rehabilitate
people. A mechanic would call it
See Williams/Page 8