European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 23, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Russell Baker Friday september 23, 1977 the stars and stripes Page 11 new York not by the time Bert Lance announced his resignation confusion had reached the status that Richard Nixon would have classified As a  that was apparent when the networks moved it onto television and Clark Clifford took the chair just behind Lance on the right of the screen. Here was one of the Many Fine ironies abounding in this circus. Clark Clifford. The genteel breathing embodiment of that old established Washington against which impudent carte rites of 1976 zest fully campaigned the living Symbol of a Way of life that would we were told fall before the dynamic new moral wind from Georgia. To those who know the Washington labyrinth Clifford is a Man of respect. Even senators stand straighter when he enters a room. Presidents ask him for advice and take it. In Washington Clifford knows and when you have a bad problem a really bad problem you go to Clifford. He is the human Washington Monument the Symbol of that byzantine old insiders Washington Carter was supposed to dismantle. That was 1976 talk of course. Now hardly a year later Here were Lance and Carter in the hands of the ultimate Washington insider who looked anything but dismantled. You knew then that this was the genuine Nixon article a crisis. European edition col Billy e. Spangler Usa. Editor in chief it. Col. J. C. Taylor. Usan. Deputy editor in chief Mert Proctor. Managing editor Elmer d. Frank. Production manager Henry s. Epstein. Circulation manager this newspaper is an authorized unofficial publication for . Armed forces overseas. The stars and stripes is published in conjunction with the armed forces information program of the department of defense. Contents of the stars and stripes Are not necessarily the official View of the . Government the department of defense or the . European command. The appearance of displays in this newspaper concerning commercial publications does not constitute an endorsement by the department of de sense including the military departments. Military address the stars and stripes Apo 09175. International mail the stars and stripes Postrach 11 10 34, d-6100 Darmstadt 11, Germany. Tel Griesheim c prefix 06155 811 m Darmstadt Airstrip prefix 2376 741, telex 0419-332. New York office room 948, 201 Varick st., new York 10014, Tel area code 212 620-3333. Second class postage paid at new York n. Y. News bureaus Kaiserslautern Germany Floyd Harrington building 2897, Pulaski Barracks Vogel Weh military 6050 or Kaiserslautern Civ 0631 52104 Nuernberg Germany Dan Synovec building 21, William o. Darby Cavern Nuernberg military 7256 or Nuernberg Civ 772019 Stuttgart Germany de Hill bldg. 4330, Mcgee Barracks Stuttgart military 7001 or Stuttgart Civ 541513 ., Gary Harris Raf Mildenhall co  Sports office Apo 09127, Mildenhall 712511 ext. 2231 or civilian Mildenhall 713882, telex 81652 Washington d.c., John Hart Oast a the Penta gon. Room 2e756, Washington 20301, Tel. 202 697-6695. Circulation offices Germany Berlin civilian 8331846, Mil 6187 Bremer Haven Civ 85168, Mil 8119 Frankfurt Civ 691665 or 691660 Kaiserslautern Civ 57617, Mil Vogel Weh 6050 Munich Civ 6901503 or 6901504, Mil 6556 Nuernberg Civ 706666, Mil 7256 North German Region Rhein main Mil 7103 or 6025 Stuttgart Civ 814596, Mil 6030. Greece Athens Civ 9923390 and telex 216892. Italy Vicenza Civ 559346. Spain Madrid Civ 2057546 or Torre on air base Mil 7546. Turkey Istanbul Civ 664372. United kingdom Greenham common Civ 44768, military 46263 ext. 209. The difficulty was to Tell what the crisis was about. It was hard to believe anyone but lawyers and Bank examiners either understood or cared much about correspondent relationships Between Banks or banking customs in Calhoun ga., which was what the crisis seemed to be about. Most of us to be sure May assume if impenetrable matters like these Are Dis cussed loudly nastily and Long enough that there must be something Rotten going on even if we can t understand it. This May create a political crisis of Public perception and May be part of what is happening. The last Harris poll showed a drop in presidential popularity since the Lance affair first surfaced. It is a hard thing for a politician to combat when con Stant publicity creates a feeling that some thing terrible has happened. Since the facts Are arcane even Boring a counter barrage of other facts is Likely to seem twice As Boring. The usual strategy is to try to overpower the feeling that some thing is  creating a feeling that everything is Fine. At this level the Lance affair becomes an image crisis for the administration. Their genial honest mud be tween the toes country banker has to be projected As the real article erasing the disagreeable image of a fast shuffling Wheeler dealer created by publicity. There is More. Perhaps this is a morality crisis. Like president Eisenhower a this administration was sworn to be As clean As a hound s tooth. America was to enjoy political revival through moral uplift. Honesty alone was not to be enough. Hence when Greg schneiders a Loyal Campaign trusty was found to have bounced a few checks during his impecunious Days As a Saloon keeper he was marked off the White House appointees list and put away in a White House Corner. Morality triumphant yet we now know the Well heeled Lance s history As a Check bouncer did not Slop his appointment to the office of management and budget. The president faced the danger that he would be seen As a Man with one code of morality for banker friends and another for the working classes. Or does the real crisis Center on his failure to Deal effectively with the Lance matter before it reached crisis stage under pressure he has not acted decisively and so has Al Lowed a problem to Bloom into a crisis has drifted into a quagmire. Is this How he will respond to Graver confrontations crisis crisis what is the crisis May it perhaps be Only a phony crisis a Molehill made a Mountain by an energetic press caught in a Dull summer with no one but Lance to exercise on a press determine to show it can be just As beastly to democrats As to the Nixon ites maybe. Maybe not. I makes no differ ence to the administration for a phony crisis can Hurt just As much As the real article and is therefore genuine. You can Clark Clifford is there. Letters to the editor a solution to the doctor shortage i be been Reading lately about the critical shortage of doctors throughout the armed forces. Most of the people that uti Lize the medical facilities can attest to the shortage of doctors. I personally wish to thank ail of the tors in the army for the Job they Are doing. But i must admit i really feel sorry for them. Normally a doctor in private practice spends 20 or More minutes with each patient. But in the military due to the Short age of doctors they generally can t afford to spend this much time because of the Many patients still waiting to seen. Last year when my wife was expecting our third child she had to go to the Hospital for her of checkup every two weeks after her seventh month and very often had to wait As much As two hours past her scheduled appointment time. The Hospital schedules 45 to 60 patients every hour and with Only six doctors on the staff one can imagine How Busy the Yare. Doctors Are human too. They occasion ally get sick have emergency duty or take leave. This normally leaves Only two or three doctors on duty. On numerous occasions i have seen tors coming in after 24 hours of emergency duty or being called off of leave to help with the overload. To solve this shortage of doctors i Sug Gest that the medical corps be organized into one paramilitary organization. This organization could be structured similar to the civil service under control of the department of defense. The separate medical corps in each service would in effect be terminated with the exception of a very Small staff to handle assignment requirements for each service. There Are several advantages to a pro Gram of this Type. It would attract civilian oriented medical personnel be less expensive solve the doctor shortage now in exis tence and provide better management of doctors throughout the uniformed serv ices. . Van Dyke Nurnberg Germany no place for pm to take wives Why Are there no clubs available on Post for the enlisted men to take their wives can a husband take his wife to the pm club and feel comfortable would you take your wife there no Well neither would my husband. He does t like the idea of drunk single men drooling Over his wife. We Are a minority and Are being discriminated against. Race relations classes and lectures Are heard by everyone and the cry of prejudice rings throughout the Post. But there is far More discrimination of rank than of race. Many enlisted men cannot afford a car in Germany. Where can they take their wives to dance the no club is a very Nice place for a husband and wife to go and spend the eve Ning As Long As you Are one of the elite. My feet ache to dance but where can i go i feel it is very important that these clubs be opened to us. Places to dance in Germany Are limited and Many enlisted men cannot afford transportation and the Cost of going to a German club. Germany is great but it would be Nice to go out and enjoy an eve Ning in an american atmosphere. I m sure i m not the Only one who would like to see something done. We All enjoy an evening of dancing and partying just what can be done if it is the decision of the Community commander to open these clubs How does one go about getting action i do wish to see something done. Connie m. Killgallon Gellhausen Germany 9 written request i am 27 ears old and would like to Nave an  in pen pal. I am in a German prison Peter Dobmeyer 844 Stra Ubig austere Pas aver reminder All letters to the editor must con Tain full printed name and address of the writer and must be signed. Unsigned letters will not be considered for publication. Writers Are encouraged to i elude phone number and Economy address especially if they desire a fast reply. Because of the Large volume of mail this column receives daily letters that Are Brief and to the Point have a much better Chance of being published. With Home delivery accept my subscription to Stuis & stripes name phase Prinzi f 111 by 00 no of no ill Huni no i will pay the Home of hairy Whin of of 10 t Guski signature to Umof aria take advantage of the stars & stripes Home delivery service in most government housing areas. Delivered to your Mailbox every morning for $4.50 a month. Please Complete this form and mail to stars & stripes Apo 09175 attn sales promotion