European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 9, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes sunday March 9, 1986 hostages families make Appeal on Beirut to Beirut up families of Ameri can hostages appealed on Beirut television to islamic jihad kidnappers in Lebanon Friday to begin talking to bring this heart breaking matter to a positive  Christian Channel 5 television in Beirut broadcast a filmed Appeal by the families and statements from two Sisters of the Rev. Lawrence Martin Jenco who was kid napped by gunmen in mostly moslem West Beirut Jan. 8, 1985. We have not been Able to change our government s position on negotiating with the captors demands but we have been assured by our government that they Are More than willing to talk with the captors or representatives. At any time or place they said. There Are six americans still missing in Lebanon. They were kidnapped Between March i984 and june 1985. The islamic jihad movement has said it seized them but it claimed last october to have executed one. We have to Start somewhere and talk ing or discussing is the first step. So please please let us begin talking to bring this heartbreaking matter to a positive conclusion said the Appeal read by Mae Mike Lich a sister of Jenco. We know that you want this whole mat Ter of hostage taking brought to a peaceful end As much As we do she said. We do have one thing in common. We All have one god and let us begin by praying and asking him for the guidance we All  american hostages in Lebanon when they were kidnapped David Jacobsen age 54 american University Hospital director May 28, 1985 Terry Anderson age 38 associated press correspondent March 16, 1985 Chicago to Mcune graphic source Chicago Tribune news reports Thomas Sutherland Rev. Lawrence Jenco William Buckley age 57 . Embassy political officer March 16, 1984 age 54 american University agricultural school Dean june 9, 1985 age 50 roman Catholic priest Jan. 8, 1985 Peter Kilburn age 60 american University librarian dec. 3, 1984 Mikelich said the hostages families had made 18 trips to Washington and met with president Reagan vice president George Bush representatives and state depart ment officials pleading for them to be aware of your  she also said the relatives had visited 19 states and More than 75 cities making the american people aware and asking them to Pray write to their elected officials to help secure your Safe  we do not know what More we can do said the families vowing to continue their efforts. The islamic jihad has said it wants kuwaiti authorities to free 17 iraqis and lebanese jailed for a spate of bombings in december 1983. In a few words to Jenco Mikelich said they were told by a former hostage the Rev. Benjamin Weir who was freed in sep tember 1985, that your physical needs were being taken care of. And we Hope that has  god bless you and keep smiling she said. Older sister sue Franceschini told her brother from Joliet 111. We love you. We just Hope that your captors will find it in their hearts to release you. Love  the broadcast of the film from Channel 7 in Chicago coincided with the French government saying it was sending an envoy to Beirut in a bid to discover if an islamic jihad claim it executed a French hostage wednesday was True. Islamic jihad claims to have abducted a total of four frenchmen. Church of England troubleshooter Terry Waite came to Beirut and made face to face Contact with the kidnappers last year in an attempt to secure the release of the americans. Waite last left Beirut shortly before Christmas saying that he was taking a proposal to officials in Britain and the United states. Nato ministers to discuss nuclear strategy March 20-21 Brussels Belgium a nato defense ministers will hold their regular Spring conference on nuclear strategy March 20 and 21 in Wuerzburg Germany the Alliance has announced. Thirteen of the 16 member nations will be represented in the talks which Are to include an assessment by . Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger of developments in the soviet Union s nuclear weapons Arsenal. France and Spain will not participate because they Are not part of nato s integrated military Structure. Iceland will not be represented at the ministerial level because it has no National armed forces. Irish Farmers foresee shortage of shamrocks for St. Pat s Day Dublin Ireland up with St. Patrick s Day approaching Irish Farmers have predicted a disastrous shortfall in supplies of the Shamrock the Clove like Plant worn to Honor the National Saint All Over the world. They said Ireland s recent harsh Winter weather the worst in 40 years has set Back the annual crop of the three leafed Plant worn by millions on the Saint s feast Day March 17. It is definitely going to be very scarce said Jim Maher of the Young Farmers organization. Michael Cunningham who exports shamrocks to the United states and Britain from his farm at swords near Dublin said we re finding it very hard to get enough to meet the demand. Well be Way below target because of the poor  using children s choirs violates German labor Laws court rules Muenster Germany a a German court has ruled that opera houses that use children s choirs violate the country s Laws Banning child labor. Children s choirs require special permission from authorities to perform the High court of North Rhine West Phalia said in a statement issued in Muenster. The decision came after Cologne officials told the City s children s choir it could not continue performing at the co Logne opera House unless it obtained a special authorization. Children under the age of 14 Are not allowed to work i Germany. The Cologne choir argued children had fun singing and they did not consider their performances As work. But the court ruled the choir had signed a contract scheduling the children for 96 rehearsals and performances m 89 Days in previous opera seasons. The children Are forced to attend and this could Lea to inadmissible stress the court ruled. Tells jewish group Wii nazi links Vienna Austria a Kurt Waldheim sent a let Ter Friday to the world jewish Congress denying allegations he belonged to nazi organizations during world War ii and saying he neither took part in nor knew of War crimes in the Balkans. Waldheim s office said a similar letter was sent to the new York times denying the newspaper s report on tuesday that he had been affiliated with a German army command responsible for the deportation of greek jews. The world jewish Congress in new York on wednes Day made Public a document that alleges the former . Secretary general was a member of the a a youth group that evolved into Adolf Hitler s storm troopers and the nazi student Union. In a series of interviews last week Waldheim rejected All the allegations. The letters were the first known written denial. I profoundly regret this Campaign against me. It is completely unfounded and unsubstantiated Waldheim 67, wrote Edgar m. Bronfman president of the world jewish Congress. Accounts of my alleged membership in the a and other organizations of the is nazi regime during world War ii As Well As accusations to have participated in activities incompatible with Normal army duty during my service with the German army on the Balkan sic published by the new York times Are completely unfounded the letter said. The letter to Bronfman written in English and distributed to news organizations by Waldheim s presidential Campaign office said the material used to fabricate this news Story has been deliberately misinterpreted in order to damage my International standing and my position As a candidate in the austrian presidential  Waldheim is a candidate in Austria s May 4 presiden tial election. Commenting on allegations that he had served in army units linked to War crimes against partisans operating in the Balkans and the deportations of greek jews he said i wish to state categorically that i had nothing what Ever to do with such atrocities. Independent sources have in the meantime confirmed that my services As an inter Preter and staff officer were completely unrelated to such tragic and deplorable  Simon Wiesenthal a prominent nazi Hunter who has said Waldheim was not a War criminal issued a statement challenging Waldheim s assertion that he was unaware of the deportation of greek jews. In a statement released Friday the Simon Wiesenthal Center in los Angeles said Waldheim telephoned Wiesen Thal in Cologne Germany where Wiesenthal was participating in the opening of an exhibit on the holocaust. Waldheim the release said thanked Wiesenthal for going on the record that Waldheim was not a War criminal. Striking truckers in Greece to ignore Back to work order Athens Greece a the government issued a mobilization order Friday for 40,000 striking truck Drivers but their federation said they would ignore the order and continue the strike now in its 20th Day. In a statement announcing the order Premier Andreas Papandreou said his socialist government had decreed the civil mobilization of the truckers to protect the smooth operation of economic  the government has the Legal right to mobilize strikers when essential services Are disrupted but the greek federation of truck Drivers said the strike would continue. Government officials declined to say what their next Ste might be. Police in the Western port City of Patras said Friday that hundreds of trucks remained parked alongside the National Road to Athens but there were no disturbances. Earlier in the week the strikers used their trucks to Block highways outside Patras and in Northern and Central Greece to prevent deliveries by foreign truckers to Athens. The truckers Are letting foreign Drivers through today a Patras police spokesman said. A 4thereuare shortages of milk sugar and fresh vegetables in Athens because of the strike and Gas stations throughout Greece have reported they Are running Short of fuel supplies. The truck Drivers Are demanding reductions in freight taxes Highway tolls and pension contributions and an in crease in transportation fees. They also oppose new finance ministry regulations requiring detailed records of their operations