European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 14, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                N exit was jammed in plane ire Page 2 c Berlin bound warned on paperwork Page 9 q chiefs atop raiders in pro football Page 21 the stm4an stripes Feu a uth Oil to unofficial publication for the u.�. Ahmed forces vol. 44, no. 149 saturday september 14, 1985 i Dom Ond Saor 0 8693 a apartheid foes Praise proposal to repeal passes Johannesburg South Africa a critics of apartheid Friday praised the government for proposing changes in its race Laws but asked for Mure reforms. Meanwhile sources said three top businessmen were meeting with Black guerrillas in an attempt to find common ground. A government panel on thursday pro posed repeal of the pass Laws that keep Blacks out of White areas. A Day earlier the government said it would Grant South Afri can citizenship to some Blacks. This is the beginning of the end of apartheid said Sheena Duncan the White president of the Black Sash women s move ment which opposes the nation s system of racial segregation. "1 really do think it Means something. They Are not playing around with words this  Helen Suzman a White member of parliament and Veteran anti apartheid campaigner called the proposed changes in the pass Laws probably the most important step Forward in 30  however the United democratic front the main multiracial organization opposed to White minority Rule said White leaders still believe that everything has to be done in such a Way As not to affect White minority Power and  opposition newspapers Friday welcomed the news of the proposed reforms but urged that further Steps be taken quickly. Don t Stop now urged the business newspaper business Day. The afrikaans language newspaper a cold which often reflects the thinking of see apartheid on Page 28 wholesale prices fell by o.3% in August Washington Cap spurred by fall ing food and fuel costs wholesale prices in the United states skidded Down 0.3 percent in August their steepest drop in More than 2vt Yean the labor department said Friday. The decline in the producer Price Index the fourth in the last 12 months Means wholesale prices have risen at an annual rate of just 0.8 percent this year. The trend toward lowered wholesale inflation expectations is based on a wide spread belief that further drops in world crude Oil prices Are Likely and that bar ring Harvest time weather calamities bumper Grain crops in the United states and abroad seem certain. Some analysts Are starting to hold out the Prospect of plunging commodity prices holding the final 1985 wholesale Price inflation rate even below the 0.6 percent in crease in 1983 which was the smallest since 1964. One analyst Donald Ratajczak of Georgia state University is now forecast ing a rate of 0.5 percent for All of 1985. Meanwhile the Commerce department in a new sign that the Long awaited eco nomic rebound May have started said retail sales Rose 1.9 percent in August. Driven in Large part by a 7.1 percent increase in Auto sales Overall sales posted their Best gain since april to a record $116.1 billion. The prolonged weakness in consumer de Mand had led to growing concern among Many economists about whether the coun try might be in danger of slipping into a recession. Inflation at the retail level is running at an annual rate of 3.7 percent so far this year compared to a 4 percent increase for All of 1984. The Index for consumer goods other than food and Energy showed no change after three months of modest increases. Food costs fell 0.7 percent last month after a 1.3 percent increase in july. The Energy Price Index fell for the third straight month with gasoline prices declining 2.1 percent and natural Gas costs dropping 1.4 percent. New car prices fell 0.2 percent after holding steady in july and rising 0.4 per cent in june. Capital equipment costs Rose 0.2 percent after holding steady in the pre Vious month. Changes that show up in the producer Price measure arc a Good barometer of How food Energy and other commodity prices will move at the retail level. Is photo by j King Cruger Prince Charles in cockpit gels a tour of an Al 1 1 from maj. Cd Lycin.  turns ouf to Greef Prince Charles by j. King Cruger . Bureau Raf Lakenheath England members of the american Community at this Al 11 base turned out in the thousands thursday to Welcome a visit ing British aviator the Prince of Wales. Sec photos on Page 3. Prince Charles was the first Royal visitor to Raf Lakenheath since his sister Princess Anne visited the base s grammar school in 1970. He toured the base for four hours after Landing at 10 30 . Aboard a red was sex Heli copter. Prince Charles visit came As the re sult of an invitation from col. Sam. W. Westbrook Iii commander of the 48th tac fighter Wing who was aware of the Prince s keen interest in aviation. Upon arrival Prince Charles was met by Westbrook maj. Gen. Thomas g. Mclnerney 3rd air Force com Mander Squadron Leader Mike Sharpe the base s Raf station com Mander and sir Joshua Rowley the lord lieutenant of Suffolk. The Prince was then whisked away in a motorcade to attend a briefing by  on the Mission of the Wing the largest f 111 fighter bomber unit in the air Force. Following the briefing. Prince Charles who was accompanied on the visit Only by his personal bodyguard was driven to a vast hangar where he inspected two Al i is and viewed Dis plays of the aircraft s pave tack laser guided weapons system and the Royal see Prince on Page 28 new envoy vows . Defense of Germany Bonn up new . Ambassador Richard Burt pledged Friday that the United states is committed to the defense of West Germany and West Berlin but will continue efforts to reach disarmament agreements with East bloc nations. At a ceremony during which he handed his diplomatic credentials to German presi Dent Richard von Weizsacker Burt said the preservation of peace and Freedom stands at the heart of american policy As much through the maintenance of Strong defense forces As through striving for meaningful and verifiable measures to restrict  Burt said West Berlin is a Symbol of Hope for a reunited Germany and the United states supports efforts by West Germany to achieve that goal peacefully. Weizsacker responded that Germany and its allies Are committed to the Ideal of free Dom. On this basis we strive for disarmament the elimination of tension dialogue and cooperation he said. Burt 38, a former new York times journalist arrived monday to take up his Post. He was previously an assistant Secretary of state for european affairs at the state department