European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 13, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                I 1 & inside stripes Drohm drinkers risk heart trouble study says Page 5 q Saberhagen wins by Young award Page 21 q today s Dollar buys 2.60 Marks other rates Page 27 the stars and stripes author id unofficial full cation pod the u i aimed Fricis vol. 44, no. 209 wednesday november 13, 1985 Oon a q 6693 a Arthur Walker gets life sentence re fired Navy officer apologizes for his espionage a film. Of Riv in Arthur Walker Norfolk a. A retired Navy it. Cmdr. Arthur j. Walker was sentenced tuesday to life in prison for his seven convictions of espionage stemming from a fam ily based soviet spy ring. He also was fined $250,000. I can t treat this As a slap on the wrist Case. The evidence is All to the contrary said . District judge j. Calvitt Clarkejr. Before he imposed the maximum sen tence of three life terms plus 40 years All to run concurrently. Walker is of Virginia Beach was convicted aug. 9 of passing classified documents from his defense contractor employer use corp. Of Chesapeake to his brother retired Navy communications specialist John a Walker or. In court tuesday he apologized for his espionage. I d like to take this Opportunity to apologize to All the citizens of this country for what i did. I dishonoured myself he said. Assistant is. Attorney Tommy e. Miller called for the maximum sentence saying the government did not believe Walker Dis closed his full involvement in the spy ring run by his younger brother. His version is not corroborated by other witnesses Miller said. Miller asked for the j250.000 Fine under a Federal Law that allows for stiff fines when a defendant plans to sell his Story for publication. Arthur walk or s attorneys argued their client played a minor role in the spy ring. There really is no evidence that he in tended to injure the United states said defense attorney Samuel Mickins. John Walker who pleaded guilty to espionage oct. 28 and agreed to cooperate with authorities revealed no surprises to Fri agents about his brother s involvement in espionage j. Brian Donnelly one of a thur Walker s attorneys said monday. I think it affirms some of the assumptions we be had All along Donnelly said after talking to agents who questioned John Walker saturday about Arthur s involve ment. The Only witness at the hearing tuesday Arthur Walker s wife Rita testified her husband became suicidal while he was involved in espionage and never intended to harm his country. He would t Hurt anybody she said. Mrs. Walker said her husband had night marcs and increased his drinking and smok ing while he was spying in the Early 1980s. One night he came Home looking for a Shotgun to blow his brains out she Testi fied. On Cross examination by Miller she said her husband had an affair with John Walker s wife Barbara Walker in the late 1960s and Early 1970s. She said her husband told her about the affair two Days after John Walker was arrested last May. John and Barbara Walker arc now divorced. John Walker 48, and his son Navy Seaman Michael l. Walker 22, arc awaiting see Walker on Page 28 new government checks to debut next month Washington up millions of americans will receive newly designed checks from the government next month printed on lighter Multi coloured pastel paper engraved with the statue of Liberty foldable and tougher to counterfeit. Treasury Secretary Jama Baker said Fri Day. The new paper Check replaces the heavy Lime Green punch card checks that have been issued for social Security Railroad ind veterans Benefit Federal pensions and salaries tax refunds and other government payments for 40 Ware. The army will begin issuing the new checks in the Spring a Usa eur spokesman in Heidelberg said. The air Force has t received guidance on issuing the new checks a spokeswoman for is. Air forces in Europe take a spokesman for the Navy in London said the new checks will be phased in when the Green forms Are gone or by december 1986, whichever comes tint we re changing the Check because the punched card techno Toay u obsolete and punched cards Are no longer consistent with modern banking practices Baker said at a Newt conference. We also wanted a More secure Check see Check on Page 28 this if the a Way designed . Treasury Check which millions will receive starting i december. Your Check s Good even if Treasury runs out of funds Cunt Swift Washington Bureau Washington military Banks overseas will Al most certainly Cash defense payroll checks and Honor direct to Bank deposits Friday even if the Treasury has ran out of funds banking official said tuesday. A will Honor the checks said Don Wilson a spokesman for american express military Banks Over seas. We be gone through this kind of thing before and we would expect to Cash the checks unless we get very Spe Dak instruction to the contrary from the government he  can t imagine the conditions under which that would happen-1 american express operates 189 military Banks mostly in Europe and the Pacific. An official of the Dod s Liaison office with the Mili tary Banks said he would expect the same from Chase Manhattan and the National Bank of fort Sam hous ton which also operate Banks on military installations overseas. I can t Tell the Banks on military posts in the . What to do but we foot the Bills overseas and we Call the tune he said. Unless we get very specific instructions from the Treasury not to we d expect to Cash the checks he said. Military Banks operate on a fixed fee management contract regardless of whether the Bank makes Money he said. If expenses exceed Revenue tax dollars make up the difference. If Revenue exceeds expenses the difference goes into the Treasury s general fund. A spokesman for Chase Manhattan which operates three military Banks in Japan said that firm s branches would accede to the defense department s wishes. A spokesman for the National Bank of fort Sam Houston which operates a Bank on Guam said his Bank has honoured the checks in similar situations in the past. But he said management had not announced How they would handle the checks this time. In the past the situations have Arisen when the begin Ning of a new fiscal year arrived before Congress had passed the 13 funding Bills that provide the Money that Federal agencies spend. That is the situation again this year but with a new wrinkle added. At Midnight thursday the Treasury not Only runs out of Cash but out of authority to borrow More unless Congress raises the ceiling on the National debt. Much of the government is operating under a continuing Resolution which authorizes them to spend at last years Levels. That authority expires thursday night. The House was debating a Bill tuesday that would extend the continuing Resolution to dec. 5. Simultaneously the nation has been bumping up against its $1.8 trillion borrowing limit. A Bill to raise the debt ceiling to More than $2 trillion became mired in politics when an amendment was attached that would require t balanced budget within five Yean. Defense officials were scrambling tuesday to deter mine the consequences for the Pentagon if the Treasury does win authority to borrow More by Friday and if Banks Are not honouring its employees checks. Chief Pentagon spokesman Robert Sims said there had been no decision on whether non essential employees see funds on Page 26