European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 2, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday March 2, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 11 manipulating Dollar in t american Way says Reader i m getting tired of Reading in the news paper so frequently recently about the sup Posedly overinflated Exchange  that is just the administration s rhetoric for curing one set of problems the balance of payments and balance of Trade deficits by creating other ones a poor Exchange rate hurting the service members overseas and loss of Confidence in both the Dollar and America. Last Winter when the Exchange rate was 3.45 Marks to the Dollar nobody called it overinflated even in the press. Instead America was praised for the Strong Dollar. And everybody marvelled. But Ever since late summer when the administration made it known that its policy was to push the Exchange rate Down essentially in order to solve other problem the press has been parroting their claims that the Dollar is overinflated As though it were fact. It is not and you should know it now that the rate has dipped below a Good reasonable 3.00 through a solid and not unreasonable 2.50, to As Low As 2.19 a few Days ago we Are still hearing about the Dollar being overinflated this makes no sense at All. We praised it when it was High but Call it overinflated when it is Low. And you stars and stripes of All the Media should be most ashamed of your selves for this. You live Over Here the same As i do. You have seen the Exchange rate and experienced it. You know that prices on the Economy Are getting hard for Many service members to afford now but were great last Winter and Spring. You Are just parroting what the wire services say i m sure but you Are nevertheless guilty of biased reporting and false journalism to print what you know to be false. Admittedly costs have been much worse we All know folks who have been Here so Long that the rate was 1.90 or 1.75 and anything looks Good to them by comparison. But i also know that when i came Here nearly two years ago and the rate was about 2.60, that prices then seemed comparable to those Back in the states and of course last Winter and Spring prices were great. But now it costs me More to go out for dinner or buy Many things on the Economy than it did in the states because of a poor Exchange rate the Cost of my car has gone up nearly $3,000 Over the last year and my rent goes up similarly. Admittedly we americans stationed overseas Are about the Only group of people to really Benefit from a Good Exchange rate and i m afraid that the government won t make major political economic decisions just to Cater to us. And i Don t suppose they should either. But the problem is broader in scope than us. Practically speaking As the Dollar Falls and As people Call it overinflated euro peans Are losing Confidence in it and in America. The Dollar and the nation used to be viewed As Strong and now both Are viewed As  in trying to solve one set of problems by artificially manipulating the Exchange rate we have caused a worse problem a loss of Confidence in America and a View that we have become a weak and ineffectual country and other events such As terrorism and the recent space shuttle tragedy merely tend to corroborate that in the world s mind. But philosophically and economically the administration s manipulation of and Campaign against the Dollar is wrong also. We claim to be a free democratic Republic with a free Market capitalistic econ omy. That along with our Jude Chris Tian heritage is part of the Basic fabric and foundation of the nation. Having lived in Europe for a couple of years now i am convinced that indeed we Are a society that is the freest most Republican possibly most democratic and definitely the closest to a True free Market Economy in the world at this time. That is consistent with our heritage and that is seemingly very Good. We Are the world s showcase in More ways than one. But manipulation of the Exchange rate the Economy the press and Public opinion is not consistent with our heritage and ideals of Freedom and a free Market. That is socialistic and while that May be common in the world and acceptable to our european friends and allies it should not necessarily be accept Able to us. That is not what America stands for. I say cure a problem by addressing the problem directly and working to solve it. Don t create another worse problem in Hopes that it will solve the original prob Lem. Don t blame your problems on some thing else. Don t prostitute yourself in order to solve a problem. And by the Grace of god help make and keep Ameri Ca great. Karl Schank Augsburg Germany this Andge Helpes Salisbury Aken to task replies us a in reference to a recent Artirp. Shin la Rel Ninf he  i european edition capt Dale k. Patterson us editor in chief cmdr Jeffrey s. Zakem us Deputy editor in chief . Blackwell m. Proctor . Mcdermott production manager Managano de. Circulation manager this newspaper is an authorized unofficial publication for members of the military services overseas. Contents of the stars and stripes Are not necessarily the official views of or endorsed by the . Government the department of defense or the . European command. The appearance of advertising in this publication. Including inserts or supplements does not constitute endorsement by the department of defense or the stars and stripes of the products or services advertised. 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I t article Salisbury says chinese Are optimistic it is important for your readers to be re minded of the kind of journalism that har Rison Salisbury represents. During the Vietnam War this pulitzer prize winning journalist went to Hanoi to report on . Bombing of the North. His dispatches published in the new York times reported eyewitness accounts of indiscriminate bombing of civilian targets. The . Government denied his charges but because of Salisbury s reputation As a journalist and the influential nature of the times the impression created was that the government was lying the famous credibility Gap. It was later revealed that the source of Salisbury s information was unconfirmed communist propaganda from Hanoi officials and a propaganda pamphlet report on . War crimes in Nam Dinh City handed to Salisbury on his arrival in Hanoi. He had witnessed none of the alleged dam age his vietnamese hosts had told him about and had taken entire passages directly from this propaganda pamphlet without citing it As the source of his information. In a scathing article on Salisbury s journalism Tom Wolfe wrote the North vietnamese were blessed with a weapon that no military device known to America could Ever get a lock on. As if by magic. In Hanoi. Harrison Salisbury writing in the new York times about the atrocious american bombing of the hard scrabble folks of North Vietnam in the Iron Triangle if you had real sporting blood in you you had to hand it to the North vietnamese. They were champions of this sort of thing. It seemed As if the North Viet namese were playing or. Harrison Salisbury of the new York times like a ocarina As if they were blowing smoke up his pipe and the Finger work was just right and the song was coming Forth better then they could have played it  due to the controversy regarding Salisbury s journalism the pulitzer prize nominating committee withdrew his name for the award for International journalism for that year. Therefore if your readers should read any of his books they should keep these facts in mind. Dennis Mcmurray dam Mam saudi Arabia editor s note Harrison e. Salisbury replies this gent has got his history so muddled that about All that is straight is the fact that i did go to Hanoi with the full authorization i might say of the . Government and do some reporting in late 1966 Early 1967. And there was a Row about it beyond that it would take a Book to set him straight. Maybe i la write it one of these Days. E an Olean Speaks regarding your recent Story on the White squirrels in Olney 111., you should Check your sources again. Some of the squirrels Are albinos and have red eyes. I should know As one of the few the proud an Olean . Jon Brauer Span Dahlem a Germany pen pals i am Happy to Sav i have received Many letters since my name was published in your pen pal column. I would be very Happy though if you would publish my change of address. Gunnar Heiber diesel Strasse 5 3300 Braunschweig West Germany please place my name in your pen pal list. I am 20 years old. Malleta Silorio Siapol san Jose Negros Oriental Philippines i would like to have pen pals. I am 26 years old. My hobbles Are playing Tennis cooking doing household chores and listing to music. Dolvina h. Varias Kin Guitan my sails Oriental Mindanao Philippines we would like to have pen pals from All parts of the world. We will answer All letters. Marylou l. Grape 24 Gina Bruza 20 baby Bruza 22 Evelyn Galanza 25 Liza c. Inoferio 25 Aida Edo Dolean 27 Noralyn Libacao 30 1137 . Del Pilar St. Ermita Manila Philippines dear Ann Landers recently a woman wrote and asked about having her tubes tied. She was 32, had two children and was divorced. You told her to think two times three times and then a fourth before she made a decision. I had my tubes tied when i was 24, after two abortions and a miscarriage. I tried every form of birth control known to woman and Man and was t comfortable with any of them. I m 36 now and have never regretted my decision. I Don t like children never have liked them and am greatly relieved to know i won t have any. I have yet to meet a Man who was disturbed because of this. My Freedom from the tyranny of birth control abortion and the emotional Strain it produces has been a major Factor in keeping me Well balanced and anxiety free. Before i had the surgery several doctors tried to shame me into growing up and coming to my  i feel comfortable with my decision and Hope my letter will encourage other women to be honest with themselves and not feel guilty about it. Different Side of the Story in Santa Rosa dear Rosa motherhood is not for everyone. Women who do not like children and Don t want them make a big mistake when they buckle under to societal pressure. There would be fewer abused youngster juvenile delinquents and teen age criminals if More women had the courage to admit their True feelings and not feel like monsters. I applaud your courage to face the truth take an unpopular stand and not be concerned about what others think. Dear Ann Landers i would like to ask a favor of you. I was born in France and came to this country when 1 was 18. In 1976 my second Hus band passed away. He was a world War ii Veteran. I was Given the american hag that had been draped Over his casket. It meant a great Deal to me. My Nephew from France loves this country and comes to visit me every two years. In 1977, on his first visit he asked me to buy him the biggest american Flag i could find. I decided to give him the one i had. In 1978, i visited him in Paris. I was shocked and Hurt to see that he was using the Flag As a Bedspread. 1 asked him nicely to put it away while i was his guest. He apologized and said he had no idea he had done something wrong. Ann please Tell All americans to treat our Flag with the respect it deserves. To me it is a source of Pride and inspiration. Yet we see flags faded and weather beaten at the entrances of Mobile Home Parks and apartment buildings. A word in your column would help a lot. So Many people learn from you. Thanks for your help. A Lover of old glory Carthage miss dear Lover i too have seen flags that Are faded and torn. It s disgraceful. I Hope everyone who flies a Flag will Check it out today and if we re talking to you get moving. Dioxin level found High at Niagara Falls area dump Niagara Falls . A environmental Protection Agency tests at an Olin corp. Toxic waste dump have found the dangerous chemical dioxin at 630 times the level needed for Federal action officials said. But an Epa spokesman said there is no immediate health threat because the buried dioxin is not moving and no one lives on top of the site. The 22-acre dump has the highest Levels of the deadly compound found in the Niagara Are the officials said