European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 6, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes Friday february 6,1987 Meese defends policies to judiciary committee Washington up attorney general Edwin Meese answering a wide ranging attack by sen. Edwar Kennedy said he considers himself one of the Foremost  civil right in the United states Cescon wednesday was the Lead off witness be fore a newly Democrat lie led Senate judiciary commit tee that has promised a iop-Lo-bo11om review of the Justice depart Man. He made the comment in his own defense under a barrage of laugh questioning directed by chairman Joseph Biden decl. After six years of minority status Kennedy. A mass led he attack denouncing the attorney general for dragging his heels on protecting civil rights and for the department s policy on . The administration s sins Kennedy charged in clude Tan credits for segregated schools opposition to the voting rights a resistance to the Martin Luther King Holiday Bill the assault on the civil rights com Mission relentless hostility to affirmative action the shameful ballot Security program for inc 1986 election and the nomination of racists to the Federal  i have served in the Senate for 24 years and bar none. This is the most Ami civil rights administration i have Ever seen Kennedy said. Howard reach and Forsyth county Are happening on your watch or. Meese Kennedy said referring to recent racial incidents in new Vork and Georgia. Bui the attorney general responded i consider my self one of the Foremost defenders of civil rights in the United states. In Moil of the things you have wid in your Politi Cal diatribe you Are just Flat wrong he said prom Ising to answer Kennedy in writing on each Point. Showcasing the panel s first ideological clash of which More can be expected As the attorney general s top aides also arc called before the panel Meese Aljo l defended the administration s judicial appoint ments but conceded Only two of 32 Al the District court level have gone to Blacks and three of 97 at the appeals court level we arc looking for a Broad Cross Sec lion and will continue to do so. Again defended the administration s spending for anti drug efforts saying a $225 Cut in some drug re lated Grants for state and local governments in fiscal1988 must be made because Federal funds ought to go to Federal  denied there is an ideological i Imus test far Judi Cial nominees or that they arc questioned on controversial issues during a screening process. We Are not interested in someone s philosophical views he said said the department had women in top policy jobs when he took Over and "1 have been instrumental to putting women in other  Kennedy also criticized1 me Csc directly for his recen criticism of inc supreme court s Miranda ruling guaranteeing the rights of criminal defendants. Meese called it a matter of  Biden a Liberal be moral and possible presidential candidate was noticeably reserved in his new role As chairman promising Moesche would be afforded every Opportunity to make your  but the More aggressive Exchange Between Kennedy and Mccase prompted sen. Strom Thurmond  remark the 1988 presidential race has now begun and prompted a question of who s in the race Kennedy has said he will not seek the nomination. The attorney general s two hour testimony before the panel came alter he launched a preemptive strike tuesday against expected criticism of the administration s War on drugs announcing the reorganization of the drug policy Board. E lion reorganize to defence administration the drug policy Board. Sapphire from $ 7 0 grab bag May be Worth up to $6 million Plano Texas a a potato size Stone that had of Kkt it ii aubire to Texas a a potato size Stone that had been purchased for $10 and turned out to be the world s largest uncut Sapphire has been Cut and polished and. The owner says he has nol made any Deci Sion Aboul Selling the Gem. The Oval ,1,154-Carat Lavender Gem now the world s largest Star Sapphire was unveiled wednesday after a Cutter spent 67 hours Over a 10-Day period slicing More than 750 carats from the Stone. We Are nol doing anything except to consider All offers and options said Roy Whitstine who Pur chased wha is now called the Star of America in a grab bag at a Rock show. There s just not another one in the world Iii is  the Stone has been appraised Al si.28 million but dealers have said it could bring As much As $6 million said Shelley Katz whets inc s spokeswoman. The rays Are very very straight said Gem Cutter John Robinson of piano who Cut and polished the opaque Stone that had weighed 1,905,15 carats in through. The guinness Book of records has already contacted us said Whetstine. Even after being Cut to the size of a Chicken egg and polished in is larger than any rough Sapphire previously found he said. The Stone s weight was certified last year by inc Gem Trade Laboratory inc. Of los Angeles and is registered with the gemological Institute of America. The world s second Large Star Sapphire is the Star of Queensland an opaque Stone weighing More than 700 carats. Third ranked is the transparent Star of India 500 carats Cut weight. Whetstine said he would return the Stone to Tucson ariz., to try to sell in bul added it would not be an overnight Sale. We Cosline said he spotted he Stone Al the Tucson Gem and Mineral show. The Stone came from an Idaho mine said Whitstine who never identified the person who sold in to him whets inc a 48-year-old former carpet layer has set up a Trust fund for his children to be funded by the Stone s Sale. Roy a helpline with his slur of America Sapphire. Appolo stateside rare snakes May prevent expansion of Airport san Francisco up a rare species of Snake May prevent expansion of increasingly Busy san Francisco International Airport. The Airport wit h a 10 percent increase in Pas sengers and a 16 percent growth in airline traffic last year wanted to use 60 acres across a nearby freeway for car rentals parking a hold Ana other support facilities. Bui the acreage is Home to at least 635 san Francisco Garter snakes an endangered species. In a three year  to the Airport commission the . Fish and wildlife service and the California department of fish and game recommended against developing the area across . Highway 101 from the Airport. The agencies said the snakes should nol be transplanted from the natural habitat because the move could kill them making the species extinct. The Snake is unique to the area which consists of Ondr secs creeks and canals. What this recommendation dots in effect is Force us Back to the drawing Board said Airport spokesman Ron Wilson. Air Force conducts test of minuteman til missile Vandenberg fab Calif. A the air Force on wednesday successfully launched an unarmed menu Leman Iii missile at targets 4.200 Miles away in the Pacific Ocean a spokesman said. The minuteman Iii look off on its 35-minute flight at 1 30 a.m., and the missile s three Dummy warheads were tracked to the us  test rang eat Kwajalein atoll said senior airman Bruce fre  was the 126th in a series of test launches of the missile which is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead. A Crew from the 2nd airborne Contd control so based at offrim fab neb., issued the launch command from aboard a specially modified Boeing Jet he said. The missile can be launched from its silo by airborne command in the event ground Crews Are  is 14 5 Miles Northwest of los an Geles chug a lugging liqueur a Hazard doctors say Boston a drinking fancy liqueur slowly not Only makes drinks last longer but also is apparently  a letter in the current Issue of the new England journal of Medicine doctors describe the Hazard of chug a lugging. The Brief report describes a Young Man who gulped Down liqueur at a party and in the pro Cess inhaled same. While drinking in this manner he began to choke and cough repeatedly Why wrote. A few hours later he began to Tail up blood. The doctors eventually dubbed this condition liqueur lung but at first they weren t sure what was wrong. The doctors Rick Conetta and colleagues from new Rochelle Hospital medical Center in new York noted liqueurs often Are highly acidic an said this can cause Hemorrhagic Goethe lungs. The liqueur guzzler got better in a few Days and he s been free of symptoms for two years. Broken Cable interrupts one service to berm Daph Beach Haven. . A at to Tele phone service from the United states to Bermuda was briefly interrupted when an underwater Cable was accidentally Cut by a boat dredging for scallops. Engineers were Able to reroute most Calls using either satellites or a submarine Cable from Newfoundland id Bermuda and inconvenience to customers was minimal said Rick. Brayall of at to s corporate hindquarters in basking Ridge. Brayall said the damaged Cable capable of carrying b l conversations simultaneously was old having been Laid in inc 1960s, and was prone to hidden like  he estimated that restoring Cable service would take about two Days