European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 20, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday february 20, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 7 Navy s new Home port program criticized Washington a Congress should not approve funds for the Navy s proposed new Home ports until the program s strategic need is better demonstrated according to a general accounting office draft report made available tuesday. The Navy now bases Many of its ships in Charleston,. Norfolk va., and san Diego Calif. But As the Fleet grows to a projected 600 ships the service has announced plans to berth ships in new facilities on so Alan Island in new York and on the Gulf and West coasts. Navy officials have argued that spreading the flee around would make it harder for an enemy to attack in a Pearl Harbor Type strike which devastated the Pacific Fleet in 1941. The Gao an investigative Arm of Congress said the Navy s estimated s799 million Cost for the Home port program was understated because it Only includes the costs of getting the Home ports ready for initial operations. It said ships could be accommodated in existing ports for much less Money. A draft of the Gao report dated feb. 7 was sent to defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger for a response Tobe included in the final report. It was made available to the associated press by congressional sources. The report is being circulated As House and Senate subcommittees arc preparing to hold hearings next week on the Home port program. The Navy acknowledged in a report last november the program is slightly More costly than keeping the ships at existing ports but worthwhile for strategic land tactical  capt. Jim Finkelstein a spokesman fur Navy Secre tary John f. Lehman jr., said the Navy had no immedi ate comment on the Gao draft. The Gao audit was requested by sen. Strom thur mond . Regan does f like Iacocca or Chrys ers but. Washington a White House chief of staff Donald t. Regan says he s had some fights with Chrysler chairman Lee la Cocca and does t like the cars he makes. But Regan insists he played no role in firing Lacoc Ca from a Federal advisory commission. I do not hate Lee Iacocca s guts Regan said in an interview tuesday. As for Chrysler cars however i just Don t happen to like them Regan said. I drive a Mercury right  Regan rides to and from work in a chauffeur driven automobile. There have been persistent reports de Nied by the White House that tensions Between Regan and Iacocca played a Partin Iacocca s dismissal last week from a fed eral commission on the refurbishment of the statue of Liberty. One news account quoted an unnamed source As saying there was extremely bad blood Between the two men Over Chrysler bailout legislation a few years ago and that Regan hates his  Iacocca was fired by Interior Secretary Donald p. Model who said the Chrysler chairman could not serve As the chairman of both a private foundation that raises Money to refurbish the statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and of a commission that advises the Interior department on How to restore National monuments. He Hodel hired him. He therefore can fire him Regan said. He said the question of firing Iacocca never came to the while  Iacocca said he was fired in part because up photo chief of staff Donald Regan he opposed a plan by the National Par service to commercialize Ellis Island with a hotel and conference , at a Senate committee hearing tuesday on his department s budget said the argument of commercialization had been raised but against  know i have had to defend or. Iacocca on More than one occasion from a Ponio Chrysler chairman acc Iacocca accusations that he has Overly commercialized the collection of Money for the statue of Liberty Hodyl said. And i Felt that he has done an excellent  Hodel said the Park service was Sensi Tive to charges of commercialization but there can be genuine and deep differences of opinion Between people As to what constitutes  one Man s commercialization is another Man s historic preservation is a fair Way to look at it he said. At the while House Regan openly Dis cussed differences with Iacocca about the government bailout of Chrysler when it Wasin deep financial trouble. I had a dispute with acc Iacocca several years Back regarding options on Chrysler Slock which had been negotiated by the democratic administration Regan said. In that instance Iacocca unsuccessfully tried to get the Reagan administration to forgive options to buy Chrysler Slock. Regan who at the Lime was the Secretary of the Treasury said i insisted thai he fulfil the contract and the taxpayers Madea Nice  he said there also was a Dis Pulc Over these of corporate jets by Chrysler. Regan explained thai under the bailout agreement Chrysler had to get permission from the government to use corporate jets. He wanted several corporate jets for Chrysler at the time they were under the loan agreement he said. Regan said permission was denied by his predecessor. Treasury Secretary William Miller in the Carter administration. When Iacocca renewed the request wit the Reagan administration Regan said i said no nol until they had made a profit and i Don t think he had liked  Regan said Iacocca has done an out standing Job As a fund Raiser for the project and was very valuable during his ten ure on the  Eye injury did t impair his surgical skill Billig claims Washington a Navy or cmdr Donal m. Billig defending himself against manslaughter charges said tues Day that a 1978 injury seriously reduced his vision in one Eye  l Hurt his ability to perform open heart surgery. I Don t have Normal vision in my right Eye Billig testified. I work very hard to compensate. I think my patient statistics Bear thai  the former head of heart surgery at be Thesda naval Hospital is facing court mar tial on five charges of manslaughter in the deaths of patients during or soon after sur Gery in 1983 and 1984. Billig said the november 1978 injury occurred when a Tennis Ball struck his right Eye. He acknowledged that the injury left him with essentially no Central vision in that Eye but said he was still Able to perceive distances with his left Eye and the peripheral vision of his injured Eye. Prosecutors contend that Billig s impaired vision combined with rough handling caused him to tear heart and artery issues in several of his patients leading to their deaths. Billig denied that his vision or handling caused any of the deaths. He said he had a 7.8 percent rate of death among his Harl surgery patients a figure roughly in line with what prosecutors say is a 6 percent Orso National Standard. Roughness certainly not he said. In sometimes heated exchanges with assistant prosecutor Joseph  Winkle Bil Lig disputed the government s Contention that his 1984 death rate was 14 percent. Bank robbery suspect arrested trying to open account at 2nd Bank Portland Maine a a Man who allegedly robbed one Bank was arrested an hour later when he tried to open an account with the toot at another Bank three blocks away police Lay. Daniel d. Sabine 35, of Portland was charged tuesday with the robbery of Maine National Bank said policeman. Steven e. Roberts. Sabine was held on $25,000 Bond i Cumberland county jail pending arraignment  suspect walked into Maine National demanded More than ,000 from a Teller ran up the Street and did a Little shopping at two downtown stores before slopping at Peoples Heri Tage Bank police said. An official at Peoples heritage which had been alerted to the robbery thought something was unusual and called police who arrested Sabine. There was no weapon used said Roberts. At least none was shown at the  Man May have been alive when train ran Over him Hensley . A witnesses told police about a bleeding Man lying on Railroad tracks but did not move him before he was struck by a train because they did t want to get involved police investigating the death said tuesday. Authorities said they did not know if Paul Thompson 34, who was struck on the head before being placed on the tracks was alive when the train ran Over him late Sun Day. Investigators believe Thompson s assail ant wanted the body to be hit by the train making the wounds appear accidental said slate police trooper . Smoot. Thompson Lay on the tracks for More than half an hour before the train struck him Smoot said. Two residents notified slate police that there was a body bleeding on the Railroad tracks said Smool. They did t really get close enough to Tell if he really was alive or not he  they said he was  people just did t want to get  just did t want to do anything Smool said. James Smith 28, of twin Branch has been charged with murder in the Case. An autopsy indicated Thompson had been struck on the head before being placed on the tracks near his House according to Smoot. We believe a bumper Jack was used he said. Smoot said police have been unable to discover a motive for the killing