European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 5, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes tuesday augusts 1986 Dod says contractors May be Given leniency by Norman Black a military writer Washington a the Pentagon unveiled a policy monday that suggests voluntary disclosures or wrongdoing by defense contractors May help them avoid being Cut off from defense department con tracts. The policy outlined in a letter from Deputy defense Secretary William h. Taft in to 87 of the nation s largest defense contractors does not offer Contr actors any guarantees if they report misconduct. But it says Early voluntary disclosure coupled with full cooperation and Complete Access to necessary re cords Are Strong indications of an attitude of contractor integrity even in the Wake of disclosures of Poten tial criminal  we will consider such cooperation As an important Factor in any decisions that the department takes in the matter Taft added. I believe that your corporate commitment to com plete and timely disclosures of irregularities regardless of their magnitude is essential to increasing Confidence in our ability to provide for the National defense effectively and  the letter was mailed july 24 and was released monday. The statement which Taft disclosed last May was under consideration a dam bed As a refinement of a policy initiated by defense Secretary Caspar w. Weinberger More than a year ago under which the Pentagon routinely suspends any contractor indicted or convicted of criminal charges involving overcharging the Pentagon. One such suspension occurred just last month when Litton industries was suspended from receiving any new Pentagon contracts following it guilty plea to 321 counts of fraud for Over toiling the defense depart ment $6.3 million Over a 10-year period. The Pentagon has used its suspension authority to Force contractors to accept tighter management and audit controls to provide refunds for past discharges and to Institute employee codes of ethics. Taft in a meeting with reporters last May stressed that he still supports that general policy of automatic suspensions but he was inclined to accept a finding by a presidential commission that the policy deserve Fine tuning. An area where i think we can make a change. Is on the question of what to do to stimulate the contractor to fix his own House Taft said at the Lime. At the moment we Don t have in our policy it seems to me due recognition of the situation where the contractor himself finds a problem and goes about fixing it and comes and Calls it to our attention. We tend on the Plain face of our regulations to treat that person the same As if we had found it and he had never told us about it or wanted to know about it. That does t seem to me to be  a panel created by president Reagan last year headed by industrialist David Packard recommended in february that the Pentagon take Steps not Only to Foster contractor self governance but also to limit sus pensions to those cases when misconduct is found Tobe  existing Pentagon policy makes no such distinction Between past and continuing misconduct and the policy memo unveiled monday makes no change in that area. To encourage voluntary disclosures however Taft said the Pentagon would take special administrative Steps to ensure that such cases Are resolved expeditiously and to ensure that All defense department agencies As Well As the Justice department Are aware of the contractor s voluntary cooperation. The Pentagon will advise the department of jus Tice of the nature of the voluntary disclosure the extent of contractor cooperation Ana the types of corrective action instituted by the contractor the policy states. As always any determinations of appropriate Crim Inal and civil fraud sanctions will be the Ultima Roga Tive of the department of  h ultimate pre Long ride ahead Jim Organ leaves new York s Vanderbilt Myca at the Start of an around the world bicycle tour. His first destination is los Angeles. He says the trip b a fund Raiser for a merchant seamen s shelter. They recall silent cal1 Northampton mass. A celebrating Calvin silent Cal 1 Coolidge the president who did t choose to run who would t say More than two words to reporters what goes on Here it s Northampton s Weelon Celebration of the late president s laconic wit Coolidge retired Here to a modes upstairs apartment in a two Story Home after his stay in the White House ended in 1928. The festivities opened sunday with an ice Cream social. _. There also was a 10-Kilometer foot race dubbed the i do not choose Torun race after Coolidge s succinct reason for not seeking office. He moved into the White House after president Warren g. Harding died in 1923, and moved out in 1928. The festivities continued Mon Day with a one Man show about Coolidge called More than two words a reference to a reporter who supposedly told Coolidge she had bet her editor she could make him say More than two words. His response you  there will also be lectures a Parade of antique cars saturday and a special Church service on sunday. Coolidge end urged to sexist stereotypes Washington a a group concerned about women s rights is urging writers to rid their prose of what the group Calls sexist stereotypes by refraining from such words As Kingpin Weatherman and  a four Page guide to no sexist Lan Guage from the project on the status and education of women provides a Long list of do s and Don t s for the non discriminating writer. The project run by the association of american colleges advises authors breaking away from sexist language and traditional patterns can refresh your  with a Little thought you can use accurate Lively figurative language in your classrooms and publications and still represent people fairly it says. The project often general rules for non sexist a of. Such As using plural nouns and pronouns alternating male and female pro nouns or using them both in a text such As to the Best of her or his  its forbidden list and suggested substitutes include businessman executive cameraman photographer craftsman craftsperson or Artisan craftsman drafter fireman fire fighter headmaster principal Kingpin key person or Leader manmade manufactured or handmade night watchman night guard policeman police officer Salesman salesperson or sales agent sportsmanship fair play statesmanship diplomacy weath Erman weather reporter meteorologist. It frowns on such words or phrases As male nurse authoress aviatrix coed maid and waitress. In their place it of fers such unisex substitutes As nurse author aviator student housekeeper and waiter or wait  in the project s Book there should Beno mention of the founding fathers and no one Ever went on a Maiden Voy  instead children should learn about the pioneers colonists patriots forebears or founders and ships go on a first or premiere voyage. Man to Man defense also draws a Flag from the project. It suggests one to one or player to player As substitutes. Filler up is also out. The guide stresses nations battleships Gas tanks and other objects have no  and the guide consigns those two anthropomorphic mainstays of myth Mother nature and father time to the scrap Neap of history. Just saying nature and time will suffice. Ditto for lady  it said researchers have found that when the generic he is used people in fact think it refers to men rather than men and  Many professional titles and work place terms exclude women and unfairly link men with their earning capacity while others patronize and subordinate women. Such no generic titles. Give false images of people and How they live and work it said. When in doubt it says follow two abbreviated rules to Check material for Bias would you say the same thing about a per son of the opposite sex would you like it said about you that s the Bottom  the project adapted its guide from manual developed by the University of Wisconsin Extension equal opportunities program office and department of agricultural journalism. New England women have Job Edge Boston a women in new eng land Are More Likely than women elsewhere in the United states to hold jobs in the professions according to a new study. In addition nearly 60 percent of new England women 16 years and older were working or actively seeking work in 1985, compared with the National average of 54.5 percent according to the . Labor department study released sunday. Although their participation in the labor Force was up from 49 percent in 1975, most new England women still held lower pay ing service jobs the study found. Women Are still primarily working in women s jobs said Anthony j. Ferrara regional commissioner for the Bureau of labor statistics. They Are still disproportionately employed in the traditional female  but they Are Chipping away at male dominated professions Ferrara said. Nearly 16 percent of new England s women workers were employed As professionals compared to 14.2 percent of their National counterparts. The area s Strong Economy and numerous High technology companies account for some of those gains he said. Some of the newer professional specialities came along just As women were entering the work Force in a greater num Ber and with greater skills he said. The study did not specifically look at salaries which Are being reviewed As part of a separate labor department Survey due in a few months Ferrara said. New England includes Maine new Hampshire Vermont Connecticut Massachusetts and Rhode Island