European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 10, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes tuesday december 10, 1985 Flora Lewis wilful distortion of Star wars research is scandal the ii per ski i in of Star wars  gone  beyond the in lilith  spot aimed it tie general Public on in. A Cyma the Tapuc claim mail to business men Anil allies by the program director. It c Ren. James a . Of Progress Al an incredible  it has Pine to the a int of uncaring up scientific failure in a a that endangers Llie honesty of research some of the scientists involved Are bursting with frus Talion they Don t  How to Cope with this govern Vieni disinformation Campaign a top official Al  Erinne and Limo Lucr at i of Alamos the two National labs where the pc research takes place have resigned though the Are too discreet to explain their decisions. A Kidder. A physicist Al , w As quoted in the i of Angeles times As saying the Public getting swindled by one Side that has Access to classified info Mahon and can say whatever it wants and not go to jail whereas we the sceptics can t say whatever we w ant. We would go to jail that s the  in orgy Secretary John s. Lucr Ripton. However has both denounced the doubters for hurling the National interest in speaking up and called it just a i talc Squab ble among scientists. Lac Ringlon said that the a Cal Tysl. Scheduled in Nevada this month and named  was going full Speed ahead despite Clear evidence Hal it cannot be properly measured with existing instruments. The a Ray laser Pel project of the physicist  Teller and the Centrepiece on which he sold Star wars to president Reagan is the locus of much of the distress. It was  himself who leaked last april  a test took place March 2.1. And his cronies put out word Hal it w As highly successful. It was t. It turned out that the monitoring instruments themselves were excited by the a rays to Emit Light. Therefore the brightness they measured was much greater than  the device actually produced and the result was completely unreliable one scientist in he program concluded thai instead of a weapon we have a toy. Undaunted Teller went to Reagan and wangled an other $100 million for the project including this month s Tysl. Which will probably Cost 530 million. Participants urged a delay until the measuring problem could be solved which would Lake six months to a year. That was rejected on the grounds that loss of Momen Tum would be politically unfavourable even though the lest is almost sure to be futile in the circumstances. Furthermore although the administration keeps say ing its anti missile program is non nuclear the a Ray laser relies on a nuclear explosion for its Energy. Insistence on continuing these tests is a major reason Washington won t even listen to the soviet proposal for a comprehensive test ban. There arc other Well grounded scientific doubts about the a Ray laser. The Assumption that it can kill soviet missiles while they arc being boosted rests on their cur rent technology they take Ihrck to five i nulls to Burn out and carry warheads some 200 Miles above inc Earth. But american experts know that it would t be hard nor inordinately expensive for the russians to accelerate burning time bringing it Down to some 50 seconds and completing inc boost Al 50 or my Miles High. Or is c it pknf.1ratk the atmosphere and it la t Altitude they would t get through even if the loss of shool time could be overcome. But nothing else has been developed As far. So a Ray lasers remain the chief Hope for boost phase missile defense. The wilful distortion of research is a scandal reminiscent of Stalin s support for Trofim  s phony theories of genetics because they were politically pleas ing. The result set soviet biology Back a generation. The american physicists working on inc strategic defense initiative Aren t threatened with inc gulag but icy arc being put in a demeaning position that under mines their integrity. It in t a violation of their High Security clearance to say Hal. But it could be if they gave out details to support their stand. They have been arguing inside the program for some time to no Avail. Apparently they Haven t been Able to gel through to Reagan to let him know what in happen ing. That is Why their concerns Are seeping into Public print despite inc gag Rule. Apart from the other arguments for and against Star wars if it in t based on Good science it can never be anything More than what Reagan Calls it his  but in could be a devastating Nightmare sap Pine the authenticity of american science. C new York time news be ire Mikhail the of the Mosow fers if facts personal fool of a vast Ortoff Rojar Wettack. Jim Fain a mfr Bufe of Biff Buckley and his caviar Fie Fefe William f. Buckley jr., the auntie Mac of inc conservative move ment was canonized last week with the rhetorical excess he made his trademark. About time. Loo. This epicurean Dandy created what is except for corporate Lake , the Only growth Industry to survive reaganomics Chautauqua to cum print hustling of new right theology. Until Buck Ley swaggered along Calvin Coolidge was As close As american tories had been Able to reach to inc hype of prophecy. Fortunately William f. Had wealth arrogance and flair lie needed All to convince the american right Hal ils greed for Mam Mon could be sanctified by financing Politi Cal sorcery in Academe and letters. If god did t mean Rich folks to sail yachts Why did he create fibreglass Bot ii Buckley s caviar clientele and we infidel wretches with our noses pressed against the pane Are Lucky hat he also look roguish pleasure in inc outrageous and absurd. The mockery in his Deadpan Marie Antoinette outcries saved his politics from terminal dreariness. It also May have prevented Buckley from Ever becoming inc conservative Pope that Honor went to his More Earnest protege George will who displayed his gratitude by anointing Buckley s  at Mew York s Plaza hotel in whose foun Tain during a similar gilded Era Scon and Zelda blithely bathed. Even without the papacy  will generously acknowledged in is Buckley we have to thank for the Boom in manufacture of reactionary ideology. Conservative think tanks Legal foundations and pundits have sprung up like Oil rigs Afler a Gusher. We also have a president folded to the right Wing orthodox though Reagan s victories owe More to his thespian skills than to his theology. There May be con Sec Nalion in 1988 among the faithful who shout their Hosanna to the message Raiher than the messenger. Those of us who think the new materialism and Concan Talion of privilege arc a scaling a two class society dangerous to democracy and alien to Ameri can values find Hal comforting. Our own painful experiences Lell us Loo. Hal to Day s gushing acolytes of right Wing theology will become ils albatrosses. Thai happened to inc new Deal liberalism my generation forged in depression and War when ils fad worshipping fair weather converts Rode Illo ridiculous sex inc pcs of permissiveness and pro isl Dur ing inc 60s and Early 70s. Ideological extremism so Long Asil conformed to his prejudices May nol have seemed a vice to Goldwater in 196-t, bul whether of n Ghl or left it does l Wear Well oils id Washington Cambridge new York and Palm Springs. The Rev. Jerry Falwell is among those who will become Buckley s Jane f Ondas. There Are signs aplenty in the opinion polls that Reagan s personal popularity does nol Transfer either to his policies or Camp followers. Next year s congressional election almost surely will show us More. Americans Are a caring people Dis inclined to to Lerate for Long the notion that the Mission of government is to shield the privileges of the few from the misery of the less fortunate. No problem for Buckley. An elitist by definition is awkward in the majority. His Mesqui Yedalian conceits work belter when hurled from mount olym pus. He probably will be happier and for sure the rest of us should be when he no longer has to worry Hal some poor inn Occil May be Laking him seriously. 1c co Newi service