European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 22, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes sunday september 22. 1985 Senate panel oks 16 cigarette tax Washington Alithe Senate finance com Mittee voted Frida to extend the 16-ccnts-a-pack Federal lax on cigarettes and impose new taxes on snuff and Chew ing tobacco As part of a plan to reduce the Federal deficit by Sis billion Over the next three years. The package Ano includes reductions in payments to doctors and hospitals for treating medicare patients an end of Revenue sharing with cities and counties several narrow tax increases and As a payback for the higher tobacco taxes a whole new government Price support program for tobacco Farmers. Also attached to the catch All Bill is a program of assist Ance for workers and companies adversely affected by Competition from imported products financed by a fee of up to i percent on imports the program would Lor exam ple give eligible workers tax free vouchers for up to $4,000 of retraining costs. After voting the spending cuts and tax increases the committee found it had generated about $250 million More savings than it was required to and proceeded to Divide the extra Money among members Pel social pro Grams. The committee voted Down efforts to raise tobacco taxes even higher in an Effort to discourage Young people from smoking dipping or chewing. But the key to winning pledges of  support for the taxes was the new support program for tobacco Farmers. That program would replace one that is financed by assessments on Farmers and under which the government buys tobacco that cannot be sold for a minimum Price. The Farmers assessments and government stocks of surplus Leaf have grown so Large that Many Farmers were talking of abandoning the program. The plan approved by the committee and supported by sen. Jesse Helms , chairman of the agriculture committee would shift part of the Cost of Price sup ports to the tobacco companies. In return they would get the right to buy surpluses at Cut rate prices. If it works As expected Price support Levels would drop and . Tobac co would become More competitive in world markets. The finance committee which usually has no jurisdiction Over such farm legislation was stymied for three Days because democrats objected to consideration of such a sweeping measure about which most knew Little or Noth ing. The Roadblock was removed after the agriculture committee thursday night approved a new farm Bill for non tobacco crops that influenced two finance committee democrats David Pryor of Arkansas and David Boren of Oklahoma to vote for the tobacco Mea sure. The finance committee adopted the tobacco package without a recorded vote. On the Price support portion. Sens. John Chafic r-r.i., Daniel Patrick Moynihan d n.y., Max Baucus d-mont., and Bill Bradley d-nj., voted no. This is not a very seemly occasion Moynihan said. Even chairman Bob Packwood r-orc., joked that his next move would be to offer an amendment to president Reagan s Star wars defense program. German Interior minister tells panel How he handled latest spy scandal news update Bonn Germany a Interior min ister Friedrich Zimmermann Friday de tailed his handling of West Germany s lat est spy affair during a closed door meeting of a parliamentary commission. The opposition social democrats have demanded Zimmermann s resignation Fol lowing tuesday s disclosure that a Secretary in Chancellor Helmut Kohl s office had fled to East Germany with her husband. Zimmermann told the eight member parliamentary control commission about How he handled reports of suspicions against Herta Astrid Willner and her Hus band Interior ministry officials said. They added that Zimmermann was informed june 28 that a Secretary in Kohl s office was suspected of spying. No details were immediately available from the closely guarded session which had been scheduled to begin at 10 30 . But was postponed until 3 . Without any Public explanation. Zimmermann has been under fire from the social democrats since the spy scandal began aug. 6 with the defection of a Long time aide to economics minister Martin Bangemann. Since then seven suspected communist spies have either fled to East Germany or been arrested. The eight member parliamentary control commission which oversees West Ger Many s three intelligence agencies was originally scheduled to meet next week. But it moved up the session after the Willners defection became Public tuesday. Before fridays session Hans Jochyn Vogl the social democrats Leader in parliament said the party would decide next wednesday whether to form a special com Mittee to probe Zimmermann. He is a member of the Christian social Union one of the conservative parties that dominate the government coalition. Zimmermann whose office is responsible for internal Security in West Germany has been accused of failing to pursue tips that the Secretary May have been involved in espionage. Willner and her 59-year-old husband Herbert had been under watch for some time by West Germany s counter espionage Agency. Interior ministry spokesman Hans Gunther Kowalski told reporters that Secu Rity officials informed Zimmermann on june 28 of suspicions against the husband of a Secretary working in the Chancellor s  but the Security officials did not provide any names he added. Zimmermann told Kohl of the suspicions two months later on aug. 28, following the defection of one of West Germany s top counter espionage agents to East Germany. Kohl at Zimmermann s suggestion turned Down the Agency s request to wire tap the couple s phone and open their mail but he urged that an investigation be Pur sued. West German Security officials predict More spies will flee to was Germany As a result of last month s defection of one of West Germany s top ranking counter spin nage agents a daily newspaper reported Friday. The Munich published sudd Cutsche Zeitung said the agents Are expected to Fol Low the Lead of Hans Joachim Tiedge who defected to communist East Germany on aug. 19. At the leadership of the Interior ministry it s now been determined that the Tiedge Case will draw other defectors into the German democratic Republic East Germany " because of fear of being discovered the newspaper reported on its frontage. Pic conservative newspaper die Welt which has close ties to the government said evidence is mounting that a presidential of fice Secretary was spying for the soviet Kab. Margaretc Hoeke a Secretary to presi Dent Richard von  was arrested aug. 24 on suspicion of spying. Jewish emigration Jerusalem a an Immi Grant organization said soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev has failed to meet expectations of allowing More jews to leave the soviet Union. Emigration figures released by Yuri Stern spokesman for the Jeru Salem based soviet jewry information Center indicated no change in the emigration rate since Gorbachev came to Power last March. Stern told a news conference that 29 soviet jews were allowed to leave in August the lowest monthly figure since 1969. Delegate takes leave Stockholm Sweden a James e. Goodby . Chief Delegate to the Stockholm Security conference has returned to Washington for family reasons and has been replaced by Rob Ert Barry former . Ambassador to Bulgaria the delegation said. Goodby flew Home and an in formed embassy source who did not want to be named said he has taken a year s leave of absence from the state depart cent because of con Cern for a daughter who is ill. According to the source Goodby Plant to resume an academic career. Policy on promotion after death explained Washington is in promoting Arthur Nicholson after his death Secretary of defense Caspar Weinberger said posthumous promotions Are indeed in  but conversations with service personnel officials suggest the Secretary probably meant that posthumously promoting scr ice members especially officers is rare when they Are not on a promotion list. Promoting soldiers posthumously is done not infrequently said army spokeswoman Elaine Henrion. But this u Only the second time the army has done it when the officer or Soldier was not on a promotion  she said the first time Wax after la col. Charles Ray serving As a defense attache in Paris was shot dead by a terrorist in 1982. Ray was promoted to colonel. The problem with promoting officers who have not been selected for promotion u that the number of officers at any one time is governed by Law said air Force spokes Man capt. Miles Wylie. With approval of the Senate the presi Dent can recommend promotion of an offi cer. Henrion said citing article 2, Section 2, clause 2 of the Constitution. That reads in part he. By and with the advice and consent of the Senate shall appoint ambassadors other Public ministers and consuls judges of the supreme court and All other officers of the United  in the Case of Nicholson who was not on a promotion list the president made the recommendation at the urging of rep. John Rowland r-conn., and the Senate approved it june 13. The defense department has no policy on promoting service members killed in the line of duty said department spokesman army maj. Larry Icenogle. We leave it to the services he said. In general each service permits advancing members posthumously if they were on a promotion list. But apparently there have been too few precedents for a policy on non selected members to have developed. Wylie said air Force personnel officials replied none in memory when asked about whether any non selected officers had been promoted posthumously. The decision probably would be made Case by Case agreed Navy spokesman it. Steve Pietropaoli. There s no evidence any consideration Ever was Given to promoting Petty officer 2nd class Robert Stethem Pietropaoli said. Stethem who was not on a promotion list was pistol whipped and then shot to death by a terrorist aboard a hijacked Twa Jet in Beirut in june. The marines promoted the four embassy guards slain at an outdoor cafe in Al Salva Dor in june and advanced 92 of the enlisted men they lost in the bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut in october 1983, said Marine spokesman Mai. Don Kappel. They were on the promotion list. Kappel said a Marine in that situation probably would be promoted unless the circumstances of the death brought discredit on the corps. Marines who would Advance to staff sergeant or above would have to be on a promotion list he said. Marines could be promoted to p.-5 and lower grades if they had enough time in Grade and a recommendation from their commander. When a service member promoted after death it is a matter of Honor Henrion said. The survivors Don t Benefit. Title 10. Section 1523 of the . Code reads no person is entitled to any Bonus gratuity pay or allowance because of a posthumous commission or  Weinberger has insisted that the soviets should compensate Nicholson s widow but they have never agreed or even apologized. In general personnel officials said the survivors of any Soldier who Dies on Active duty would be eligible for any group life insurance Soli Bene fit usually paid within a month. Service members Are automatically insured for $35,000, unless they choose not to participate. A $3,000 death gratuity usually paid within 72 hours. Pay for the remainder of the last month of service including any allowances and unused leave. Up to $1,400 for burial costs. Social Security payments depending on the deceased s age income and number and age of family members. The combined payment to a spouse and single dependent child ranges from nearly $1,000 a month for the family of a Soldier under age 31 who had been earning up to $10,000 a year to nearly $2,000 a month for the same size family of a Soldier 46 to 50 who had been making $40,000 or More. Veterans administration payments depending on the deceased s pay Grade. A major s widow would be entitled to $703 a month. The widow of an e-6 would receive $561. The a pays More if the family includes minor children disabled members or children or spouse in school. Survivors also could take advantage of a military funeral travel and shipment of household goods within a year health care payments under champs and use of military hospitals exchanges commissaries and other base facilities