European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 06, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Poge 28 the stars and stripes Friday May 6, 1977 Bonn s Erhard Dies at 80 Bonn a former Chancellor Ludwig Erhard who fashioned West Ger Many s postwar economic Miracle but was forced out of office by a recession died Earl Day at the age of 80. See related Story and pictures Page 13 the portly Cigar smoking Erhard whose appearance reflected the Prosperity his policies fostered had been in declining health for months. He was hospitalized i March after an automobile Accident in Dusseldorf where he was attending a convention of the Christian democratic Union. Although Erhard served three years a Chancellor his most notable achievements came during his 15 years As West Ger Many s chief economist first As adviser to the British and american occupation forces and then As economic minister under Chancellor Konrad  Rise to prominence began in june 1918. When against the advice of the allies and other German politicians he revalued the deutschmark and ended rationing another economic controls. The moves plus the massive infusion of american economic Aid and the hard work of the German people revived the Defeated country s Economy. Production doubled within a year and eventually the nation that lost the War became the strongest in Western  1949, at the formation of the Federal Republic of Germany. Erhard became Economy minister in Adenauer s first Cabi net and held the Post until oct. 16. 1963,when he succeeded Adenauer despite the old Chancellor s  by the time Erhard took Over the government the Boom had slowed Down and the coalition of conservative Christian democrats and Liberal free democrats held together by the Iron willed Adenauer was coming  s critics accused him of indecisiveness in a succession of crises and he resigned in december 1966. Afler the free democrats bolted the coalition because he planned to raise taxes despite the races  economic policies were based largely on a philosophy of free Enterprise de Ludwig Erhard fall prof the economic Miracle spite Germany s tradition of restrictive cartels and state planning and controls. He studied at universities n Nurnberg and Frankfurt where he earned a doctor ate in economic in 1924 he joined the Numberg commercial Institute but was fired 18 years later for refusing to join nazi labor movement. He later established his own marketing research  Germany s defeat in world War ii became apparent Erhard wrote a paper outlining his ideas for rebuilding the National Economy. It came to the attention of american occupation officials and they appointed him economics minister for Testate of Bavaria. In 1947 he became a member of the economic Council for the British and american zones and a year later he was Given the position of director of the  was elected in 1949 to the first bundestag the lower House of parliament and was still a member when he died. After his retirement from the government he was a member of the Board of directors of a number of investment companies. He was married in 1923 to Luise  childhood sweetheart. They had a daughter and two grandchildren both girls. 2.7 million vehicles involved . Begins 3 probes of Auto safety charges Washington up the transportation department announced thursday it has begun separate investigations into alleged safety defects involving More than 2.7 million vehicles manufactured by Volkswagen. General motors and Ford. The pm inquiry involves Power Brake boosters on 2.2 million  Pon Earle sees Good Chance of new arms limit pact Washington a president car Ter s designed As alternate chairman of the . Delegation to arms limitation talk with the russians said thursday he is cautiously optimistic on the chances of reach ing a new agreement before the current five year pact expires oct. .1 Carter. Continued from Page j Vance prepares his trip to China later this  might be advantageous to have conversations with president Nixon he  would probably not do it myself. Talking with him about the special relation ship with China. But if a question came up we could answer without consulting president Nixon. I would not have any reticence whatever. President Ford and i have an agree ment that whenever he comes to the Washington area he will come by and sit Dow for an hour or so and talk about matters Carter said. President Carter arrived Here thursday night ready to offer new initiatives to old problems at this weekend s world eco nomic Summit. Carter smiling broadly stepped int Light rain at a Remote and heavily guarded part of London s Heathrow Airport for a Brief but warm Welcome from prime min ister James Callaghan. Testifying at his confirmation  Earle ii told the Senate foreign re lations committee the . Wants a goo agreement and i think the soviets would like to have an agreement  there has been no Progress since two alternative . Proposals were rejected in Moscow in March. Earle said he was cautiously optimistic that there May become developments at the meeting of Secretary of state Cyrus Vance and soviet foreign minister Andrei Gromyko in Geneva this month that will give a Frame work for agreement prior to oct. 3. Earle who has been representative Rotthe . Arms control and disarmament Agency to the strategic arms limitation talks Salt since 1973, was approved by the committee for Senate confirmation Tobe alternate to Paul c. Warnke As chief negotiator with the rank of ambassador. Asked Why the russians rejected . Proposals in March. Earle responded that we put a very full Platter in front of  he said the most substantive reason probably was the . Comprehensive proposal for retarding the growth of land based intercontinental ballistic missiles. He said the us. Considers land based icbms a principal destabilizing Factor while the russians place great emphasis on that  said he feels the russians want an arms limitation agreement As the Best Wayto overcome their perceived inferiority in the nuclear Field. Tics. Olds obites bricks Cadillac and Csc trucks. The Ford inquiry resulted from three re ports of the plastic instrument panels shattering and leaving Sharp edges which could lacerate and puncture vehicle occur  involved Are More than 192,000 of the 1975-77 Ford econ line and club wagons without instrument panel  Volkswagen investigation covering 370.200 vehicles equipped with similar throttle control systems is based on owner complaints of design weakness that leads to broken throttle  have been 59 owner complaints that there is less control Over the vehicle Speed because of the problem which reportedly exists in 1975-76 Rabbit and Sci Rocco models 1974-75 Dasher 1973-74-75 Audi 1975 Type i Beetle sedans and 1976type ii vans. Sac chief has heart attack Washington i up Gen. Russell e. Dougherty commander in chief of the strategic air come suffered a heart attack wednesday and was reported in serious condition at the Ellsworth air Force base s.d., , 59, a native of Glasgow ky., had announced he would retire from Theair Force in june. An air Force spokesman in Washington said Dougherty had been a passenger in plane taking him to a Sac missile Competition in California Early wednesday. He complained of Chest pains and the plane landed at Ellsworth where the discomfort was diagnosed As a heart attack. Europe partly Cloudy  pm  and Saturdayfrnnlgrt-h6 61 Benin r h if , r4s a brute it r 41 m p4m, Al it 71 Caponn gun. P Ucol Cloudy a per tar Cloudy r i to Rome p it i 3 hit Lowr so wholesale prices still mounting Washington a wholesale prices an indicator of prices consumer eventually pay soared u per cent i april the third big monthly increase in a Row the government reported  april increase which matched the March Rise in wholesale prices and Fol Lowed a jump of nine tenths of a per cent in february adds to worries of accelerating inflation. The March increase had been the biggest monthly jump in wholesale Price since october 1975. Government economists had expected the april jump because Arm prices have been rising at a rate of better than i percent for the past five months. In april prices Tor farm products in creased 3.4 per cent the biggest jump in a year while prices for processed food  climbed 2.5 percent. Wholesale Coffee prices Rose another 7jper cent last month following a jump of nearly 31 per cent in  All bad news not All the news was bad As the increase in prices for Industrial commodities eased slightly last month. These prices Rose six tenths of a per cent in april following an eight tenths increase in March. Economists look to prices of Industrial goods As a truer measure of underlying inflationary trend. Much of the recent in crease in farm and food prices has resulted from the Winter weather s effects on cropland shipments and economists expect these prices to begin moderating with the new harvests. Price trends at the wholesale level Are eventually passed along to the consumer at least in part since they represent higher costs to businesses that produce the goods Consumers  Are already feeling the effects of higher prices at supermarket coun ters where the Index for consumer foods those ready for Sale on grocery shelves Rose 2.5 per cent at the wholesale level last month. Help sought for captives continued from Page i lines but it was Learned later the drop did not take place. The arrested reporters were reported Tobe in Good helth. A British official visited Smith for 20 minutes wednesday and said he looks fit and Well but dishevelled and  was reported to have said Bis treatment was reasonable. No specific charges have been Laid against the group. Working in Zaire Are about 5,000 French nationals 600 British citizens and 700 Ger mans. It was not known How Many Spani Ards reside in Zaire but the number was believed  Well for the journalists is the fact that France has Given several Hun dred million dollars in Aid to Zaire. Most of this consists of 17 supersonic Mirage Jet fighters pan hard armoured cars and other military equipment. The United states West Germany and Britain also have Given much Aid to  and the . Have provided Zaire with the most military Aid Over the  so French military men assist the Zaire armed forces with supplies an maintenance of French equipment. Former Bandit slain in Sicily Palermo Sicily a Benedetto Pecoraro 52, a former member of the gang of sicilian Bandit Salvalore Giuliano was ambushed and shot to death Hen