European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 23, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes sunday february 23, 1986 watchdog group assails lawmakers travels Washington a travelling members of Congress who like visiting warmer cd Imalis in Winter months Cost taxpayers at least $9.28 million in 1984 85, a watchdog group reported saturday. In a report entitled flights of fancy Congress watch said senators representatives and their aides spent $4.96 million on overseas trips in 1984, an increase or 36 percent from the amount calculated by the group s previous report covering 1982. Congress watch part or the Public citizen organization founded by Ralph Nader said travel costs totalled $4.32 Mil lion for the first nine months of 1985 or at an annual rate of s5.76 million. The report was compiled from official travel expense records published periodically in the congressional record. Com plete records covering the final three months of 1985 have not yet been published. Europe was he favorite destination and countries in warmer climates were popular destinations for House members during Winter months the report said. Nancy Drabble Congress watch director said the actual Cost of foreign travel is higher because the published records Are sometimes incomplete and at Best disclose Only the Price of transportation and per diem but not related expenses incurred by the state and defense departments. It probably is double when you in clude All costs said Drabble who urged Congress to take up legislation introduced by a handful of members to require a More detailed disclosure of travel costs. The 36 percent jump in the Tab. Is hard to explain to taxpayers when the rest of the government faces the massive Orram Rudman budget cuts she said in a statement accompanying the report. Travel by House members accounted for s8.23 million of the $9.28 million re ported in the 21-month period Congress watch studied. This included $118,331 for an ii member entourage headed by speaker Thomas p. O Neill d-mass., to spend five Days in Ireland last March to celebrate St. Patrick s  unfortunately such junkets Are not unusual the report said. While senators and representatives Are often called upon to perform diplomatic and ceremonial duties abroad the sheer number of legislators taking part in these activities appears  the report said that 63 of the 100 senators Ana 261 of the 435 representatives made at least one overseas trip during the21 months. Thirty three senators and 165 House members made More than one it said. Congress watch said the most frequent flyer was rep. Stephen Solarz d-n.y., with nine trips to a total of 45 countries. Solarz is the Only person among the five most Active House travellers serving on the foreign affairs committee the report said four other representatives logged eight trips apiece Robert Badham r-Calif., 17 countries Joseph Mcdade r-pa., ii countries Samuel Stratton d-n.y., 12 countries and Bob stump r-Ariz., 21 countries. Mcdade who often goes along on trips headed by o Neill serves on the appropriations committee. The other three Are members of the armed services commit tee. Twenty two other House members went on five or More foreign trips during the 21 months according to the report. Congress watch said the most travelled senators were Dennis Deconcini a Ariz. And Charles Mcc. Mathias r-md., who each took five trips during the period Stu died. Mathias who visited 10 countries. Serves on the foreign relations commit tee. Deconcini who visited 12, is a Mem Ber of the appropriations committee s foreign operations subcommittee. Nearly two thirds of the House trips were to five european nations Italy 99 visitors France 96 West Germany 90 England 70 and Switzerland 70. The so Viet Union 41 visitors was in a three Way tic for eighth place with Argen Tina and  senators England with 33 Visi tors was the most frequent destination followed by Switzerland 19 France 16 the soviet Union. 14 and Hong Kong 13, the report  House records Congress watch found five trips in january february 1984 to latin America and the Caribbean and one to Thailand and Hong Kong. The report said that Between Decem Ber 1984 and february 1985, there were 14 House contingents travelling to warmer climates in latin America the Caribbean Africa Asia and Bermuda. The exclusive congressional frequent flyers club offers the ultimate Winter travel discount the congressman gets the Sun and the taxpayer gets the Bill drab ble said. Reagan says Aid to contras vital to . Security Washington a president Reagan asserting that the nation must learn the lesson of Grenada said sat urday that . Aid to rebels fighting the leftist government of Nicaragua is both morally right and vital to America s National Security. The communists did t succeed in Gre Nada yet a similar Chain of events has been happening in Nicaragua Reagan said in his weekly radio address delivered from his Camp David md., Retreat outside Washington. Reagan emphasized that . Aid not troops Are needed to fight what he said Are subversive elements in Nicaragua backed by the cubans soviets and libyans. The president is expected to request si00 Mil lion in Aid for the rebels in the coming week. In his five minute address the president reminisced about his trip thursday to the Caribbean Island nation where he was an invasion of . Troops in 1983. A har line marxist Junta had seized Power six Days before the military action in which 19 is. Servicemen died. His radio message echoed the one he delivered to the cheering crowd of thousands on Grenada likening the events in Nicara Gua to Hose that prompted him to order the is. Military action. In that speech he declared he would not be satisfied until All the people of the americas have joined us in the warm Sunshine of Liberty and jus  we hear the same old lies while the nicaraguan people see their Freedom being stolen away Reagan said in the radio address. Helping those fight for their own Freedom in Nicaragua is both morally right and vital to our National  Reagan argued that if communists Are allowed to consolidate their Power a Campaign of violence would spread throughout Central America sending hundreds of thousands of refugees streaming toward the United states Southern Border. We cannot and we must not permit this to happen Reagan said. We should learn the lesson of Grenada. If we have courage to do what is Nec Essary now helping those struggling to bring Freedom to their country the Nicara Guan people will be Able to liberate them selves Reagan said. Reagan began his lobbying Blitz earlier this week for $70 million in military Aid and $30 million in economic Aid. House Republican Leader Robert h. Michel of Illinois said it would be difficult to gain approval of the Aid. Michel added he expected the formal request for the Aid to come from the White House by tuesday. Titanic expedition seeks passengers to go on dives new Orleans a an expedition forming in new Orleans plans to take passengers this summer on deep sea dives to see the sunken passenger liner titanic. It s not just an expensive tourist Gim Mick however. The project is affiliated with he Louisiana science Centre and will study what happened to the Mammoth ves Sel to convert that knowledge into a travel ing exhibition and to documentary. Plans include bringing up some artefacts from around the wreck but participants would not touch the Hull according to the project s organizer Michel Grau an under water structural Engineer from France. The project would compete with any other expeditions to the site located in the North Atlantic in 1984 by Jack Grimm an oilman from Abilene Texas. Last september a joint French Ameri can team from Woods Hole Oceano graphic Institute of Massachusetts headed by Marine geologist Robert bal lard successfully dived to the site. The divers brought Back the first startling photos of the titanic resting on the Bot Tom. Ballard has said his team also is planning a return expedition this sum Mer. Grau 38, said Grimm has accepted an invitation to accompany the new group. It s a monstrous and exciting project said Linda Lewis director of the non profit Louisiana science Centre a co sponsor of the exhibition. Grau has organized a Small group called the discoverers club. The $4.5 million titanic expedition is its first project he said. Basically i m an underwater Man a Seaman Grau said. Any Seaman is inter ested in the titanic. I want to see what happened to her what happened to the Hull what condition she s  the idea is tantalizing to select about 40 people anybody who can afford it and can pass the medical and psychological exam to accompany experts on dives to study the wreck 12,300 feet Down on the Atlantic Ocean floor. The Cost is $20,000 for 12 Days at the site and one dive or $50,000 for one month and a minimum of two dives. Lewis and Grau have described it As a private sector initiative but they have not disclosed the financial backers. Jacques Piccard a 63-year-old Swiss who holds the record for the deepest manned dive was named to head the team. In 1960, he piloted the Bath sphere Trieste 35,800 feet Down into the Marianas Trench off Guam. Grau said he is negotiating to lease the Alumina it the world s Only All aluminium submarine for the expedition. It can carry eight people and is Best known for its help in the recovery of a Hydrogen bomb that plunged into the Mediterranean off Palo mares Spain after the collision of two . Air Force planes in 1966. Unsafe at any Speed a photo Bradka a reporter for the san Jose Mercury Bangs on to a Road sign while jul Rescue from floodwaters in Linda Calif. Kan and a number of other journalists cowing the flood at were thrown from their boat when it hit a submersed object and capsized. No one was injured in the Accident