European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 20, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes tuesday september 20, 1977 Carter feels Lance position stronger Washington up preside Tcarter met alone with Bert Lance monday and although he made no Public decision on his budget director s future the White House said he feels Lance is in a stronger position following a Senate appearance last week. It was the most direct indication of sup port Carter has Given his longtime Friend since Lance began testifying before the Senate governmental affairs committee thursday. The president said both thursday and Friday he is keeping an open mind on Lance and he declined comment sunday. Sen. Charles Percy r-i11., said monday that Lance should resign for the Good of the country and the  Percy read a 17-Page statement concluding the Public phase of the Lance hearings before the Senate governmental affairs committee and said that should Carter refuse to dismiss Lance. I see a rough period ahead for  the committee chairman sen. Abra Ham Ribicoff d-conn., earlier placed Lance s Fate in the hands of the president of the United states and Bert  after the Carter Lance meeting monday the mood at the White House was upbeat and press Secretary Jody Powell said recent Telephone Calls indicate Public Percy his resignation would be for the Good of the country support for Lance is increasing. He said Carter and Lance met Early monday before the president s first scheduled appointment at 7 15 . But provided no details of the  was a private matter for them and none of my business Powell said. Asked if Carter has not yet made a Deci Sion on Lance s future Powell said that is my impression. If he has he has not in formed  said that when Carter does make the decision he will sit Down with i think this decision is a peculiarly per Sonal one himself and or. Lance. In the final analysis that is one decision he does intend to make in a personal  Powell a highly personal matter for president not yet decided Powell said most people at the White House feel Lance s three Days testimony before the governmental affairs commit tee looks even better from the Vantage of a couple of Days than it did at the  Carter he said still feels Lance did nothing illegal. On Capitol Hill monday the committee held another round of hearings with Testi Mony from staff members who described what Lance told them in january when they were checking his background in preparation for his confirmation hearings. Though the staff members Drew no conclusions their testimony indicated that Lance s january statement did not always Square with information that has been revealed since. Claudia Ingram a committee staff assistant said Lance told her during a Brief january discussion that $100,000 might be a High estimate of overdrafts he and his family incurred at a Georgia Bank in the Early 1970s. A Federal report recently placed the overdrafts at $450,000. Percy the committee s ranking Republican said he accepts the extremely Strong Bond Between the president and Bert Lance. Or. Carter s loyalty to his Friend is  but he added the time has come for the president to make the painful decision Between loyalty to a Friend and his constitutional duties and responsibilities to the american  Percy accused Lance of being Eva Sive and  no one denies that or. Lance is exceedingly skillful and Clever in Fielding questions Percy said. But perhaps he has been too Clever for his own Good. And More important cleverness is no substitute for High moral standards. In my judgment Bert Lance should step Down for the Good of the country and the administration to which he is so Loyal and which has been so Loyal to him Percy said. Former National chairwoman Smith warns gop faces Battle for survival grand Junction Iowa up the former Republican National chairwoman Mary Louise Smith said monday the gop is in a state of disrepair that has left the nation dangerously close to one party domination by the democrats. One of the ironies or political Trage that was no ring it was a Choker Cambridge mass. A the detective told the suspect to cough it up and he did. Detective sgt. Domenic Scalese said he was questioning Pedro Munoz 30, of Cambridge about the theft of a $350 Diamond and Sapphire ring and other items from the Pri Mavera jewelry shop. Suddenly he noticed the Man choking. I tried to help him out. Cough it up cough it up i said Scalese re counted. And he coughed up the  Munoz was charged with larceny and Possession of burglar s tools. Scalese said two other missing rings and a watch were not recovered. Dies is that although every two years we suffer additional losses at the polls we continue on the same course in the smug knowledge that no voter can resist the allure of the Republican party Smith said in remarks prepared for delivery to a Greene county Republican fund Raiser. We continue to lose but we do not take the initiative to change our ways. We Are despite the setbacks apparently committed to the conviction that we Are right and the people Are with us. However if the Republican party is doing the right things then Why do we lose in her most alarming assessment of the gop s plight since stepping Down As its highest ranking official after last novem Ber s election Smith said there were Omi Nous signs the party had not responded to political danger signs that could signal its eventual demise. Our party is engaged in a real struggle for survival. Let me Tell you that we Are dangerously close to one party domination in this nation  citing statistics that indicate continuing erosion in the proportion of voters identify ing themselves As affiliated with either of the two major parties. Smith said the prob Lem of declining party identification is particularly acute for the gop. She said it has been too preoccupied with fiscal issues. One of our problems As a party has been that we Are More concerned at times with a balanced budget than a balanced society. The Republican party s apparent Lack of concern for the needs of people has frequently left the impression that ours is a party without a soul she said. Humphrey Nof ready to get lost St. Paul. Minn. A sen. Hubert h. Humphrey made his first Public appearance monday since leaving a Hospital sept. 2 and warned in a speech to the Minnesota Al Cio convention that he s not about ready to have somebody cover me  it was an emotional coming out for Humphrey who has been a fixture at the labor convention in past years. After a 40-minute speech he accepted a series of gifts from Union leaders including a hard hat labelled no. 1. Worker of the  Humphrey underwent surgery at University of Minnesota hospitals aug. 18 and was discovered to have inoperable cancer of the Pelvis. Doctors at that time refused to speculate on a life expectancy saying it could be months it could be  Humphrey told the labor group i m not about ready to have somebody cover Rne up. I m not about ready to get lost. I m about ready to be found  an aide said Humphrey has returned to the Hospital five times for a Ray treatments designed to shrink the tumor and set the stage for chemotherapy. Humphrey noted that the Minnesota legislature is considering proposals to alter the method of naming new . Senators when a vacancy occurs. Well Don t let anybody depend on it for a few years Humphrey said. Humphrey said he has been Busy on the Telephone with president Carter Senate majority Leader Robert Byrd and other members of the Senate. Humphrey s color appeared better but his face still seemed gaunt after the surgery and recuperation. He conceded that it has been a Little More difficult this time getting Back  Rabbit diesel tops Epa fuel ratings at 45 . Washington up the Volks Wagen Rabbit diesel took top honors monday in the government s annual rank ing of new Model cars by fuel Economy averaging 45 Miles per gallon. Two other diesel powered 1978 models a Peugeot and the new Oldsmobile diesel also emerged As the most fuel efficient cars in their classes. The test results released by the Environ mental Protection Agency covered 91 per cent of the cars expected to be sold during the new Model year but did not include last year s Miles per gallon Champion the Honda which has not yet submitted its test data. Epa administrator Douglas Costle also announced that the Agency plans to change the Way it calculates the figures next year to More accurately reflect the kind of mile age Consumers actually experience when they own the  have been complaints that the test results Are never matched on the Road and Costle said there Are a Large number of Drivers who do not get the advertised mile  said this was due to wide differences in driving habits and maintenance practices and the varying Road traffic and weather conditions which Drivers expert  in testing 1979 Model cars he said Epa will adjust the figures downward possibly taking off a certain percentage to account for variables. The Rabbit called the Golf in Europe diesel which also took top honors in last year s preliminary mileage list but which was not widely sold in this country got 40 . In City driving and 53 on the Road. The car tested had a four Cylinder 90 cubic Inch engine with manual transmission and fuel injection. It topped the subcompact class and re corded the Best Overall average mileage Aswell. Here Are the other categories and their top finishers two sealers Fiat xl-9 average 23 ., 20 in town 31 Highway. Min compact Dat Sun b-210 average40 ., 36 City and 48 Highway. Compact Peugeot 504 diesel average30 ., 28 City and 34 Highway. Mid size Ford Fairmont and Lincoln Mercury Zephyr both averaging 26 . Large size Oldsmobile Delta 88 diesel and Oldsmobile 98 diesel both aver aging 24 . Costle also said it will be four weeks before the Agency comes up with a figure on the Overall average fuel Economy for All cars. But he said he is confident that the 78 models do continue the fuel Economy improvement of the last few years. The introduction of some new models with top fuel ratings is an especially healthy  Costle advised Consumers to use the mileage figures not As a Promise of performance but As a guide for comparison shop Ping to indicate for instance that one car might use 20 per cent More fuel than another. Several big cars a Cadillac Eldorado a Cadillac limousine a Dodge Monaco and a Plymouth fury emerged with the worst showings averaging 11 . Epa estimated it would Cost $200 per year in fuel Bills to run the vow rabbi diesel