European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 09, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                May be Wise for gis to buy German  9 d this artist gets under your skin daily Magazine q redskins Down cardinals 27-10 in pro football Page 21 the Star Sand gripes vol. 44, no. 174 wednesday october 9, 19b5 in do d 8693 a 2 people May have been killed by hijackers of italian cruise ship the hijacked Achille Lauro we in Mediterranean a by inc associated press palestinian hijackers who Sei cd an ital Ian cruise ship carrying 413 people threat ened tuesday to kill passengers unless their demands arc met. Reports indicate that two hostages including at least one american May have been killed already. Reports of the number of americans aboard ranged from two to 28. Presiden tial spokesman Larry up cakes in Washington said there probably were about a do in americans and less than 20, for  the 23.629-ton italian liner Achille Lauro was hijacked off l Gyp late Mon Day night. The hijackers said they were members of the Palestine liberation front a dissident group of the Plo. Western diplomatic sources in Damas Cus the capital of Syria said that italian charge d affairs Pilro cordon was told tuesday by the syrian foreign ministry that the hijackers claimed to have k filled two americans. We have no confirmation said the Diplomat who spoke on the condition that he not be identified. After the ship was denied permission to enter syrian territorial Waters it began sailing West away from Syria one Western Diplomat in Damascus said. Cordon said the italian government has refused All Contact with the pirates. We re aligning ourselves with the american position that is not to negotiate with terrorists he told reporters. Radio stations in Israel and Lebanon earlier reported that the hijackers boasted on ship to Short radio of having killed one american and threatened that they might see ship on Page 28 search continues for puerto rican storm victims Ponce puerto Rico a workers dug through the mud and debris of devastated shantytowns Early tues Day seeking More victims of the mudslides and floods that killed at least 60 people and left entire towns Cut off. A major storm passed Over the Island monday dumping As much As seven inches of rain in some places within a 10 hour period. Most major highways were flooded dozens of Bridges were washed out thousands of people were left homeless and Telephone service was disrupted. There were reports that entire families had died and officials expected the death toll to Rise As communications were restored with isolated towns. Officials said damage would be in the millions of Dol Lars calling it puerto Rico s worst disaster since Hurricane Donna killed 107 people in i960. The number of deaths is Large. It is very sad and tragic said gov. Rafael Hernandez Colon who toured the Island by helicopter and visited the worst hit areas in this Caribbean coastal City late monday. He declared a state of emergency. Hernandez Colon said he saw six bodies pulled from a River below a collapsed Bridge Between the Southern cities of Santa Isabel and Coamo. Police said three police offi cers drowned when their car plunged into the River As they went to Rescue three other people. The governor also visited the mama yes Shantytown where police spokesman Luis Martinez estimated at least 30 people died. Eighteen bodies had been recovered this morning from the one Square Milc Shantytown one of Sev eral Hillside communities of Wood and tin shacks in this Industrial City of about 190,000 people. Hernandez Colon said the . Army had sent heavy equipment from fort Buchanan in Central puerto Rico to help dig out bodies and survivors. Many people were apparently buried As they slept police officer Jose Santiago said. Martinez said up to 400 Homes in Mac yes w Cre buried by the mudslide. Initially police said As Many As 200 people were killed but municipal officials said later that most people apparently fled before the mudslide. Twelve people drowned in a Shantytown Between Tuque see search on Page 28 time running ouf for Congress to cover Federal checks Washington a the Reagan administration warned the Senate on tues Day that government checks would begin bouncing wednesday unless the lawmakers restore Uncle Sam s borrowing Power. Senate majority Leader Robert Dole who conveyed the warning to the Senate said the Treasury was juggling \ books to maintain solvency into wednesday. We re advised today by the Treasury that they May be Able to avoid default until tomorrow sometime he said. That May be enough time he said for Congress to negotiate an end to the stale mate that has blocked action on a Bill Rais ing the National debt. The problem is a controversial amendment designed to Force balanced budgets by fiscal 1991. The government has reached its Legal debt limit of 1.824 trillion and without new borrowing will begin falling about $20 billion a month behind in payments. The administration which supports the budget balancing Effort has been warning. Of impending problems since last week. The Cash crunch was t noticeable Mon Day however. The government is going on in an absolutely Normal fashion said de Dale a spokesman for the office of management and budget. Still the administration insisted that it would soon be out of the Money needed to Back government checks. All those with government claims whether social Security recipients or de sense contractors or holders of government securities with interest payments due would then be unable to have those claims honoured Deputy Treasury Secretary see checks on Page 28