European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 2, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Monday March 2, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 9 hundreds of germans waiting to by Connie Hanau Germany More than 350 of romans singles couples an families lire wailing in Hanau to meet americans. The Beauty of this is Hal you de cide what you want Lojo said Karin Leta Backe who thought up the informal German american sponsorship program. We understand soldiers Lime is very important to them. They Don t have to do anything americans who participate Are looting Tor friends to gel together i watch television and drink Beer or go to the Market or find but from them where the Best Hairdresser is. The Best place to buy certain items those kinds of the program is helping German and american families gel together to do everyday things said maj. John Mclinn commander of the s74s h personnel services co although the program is starting Siow by. Mclinn is confident in will work. It is voluntary out of 300 soldiers in processing we Are teeing about 30 to to soldiers Lake a card id Contact a Ger Man family and we gel feedback fro Mihm on whether they enjoy their visit or not Mclinn Laid. The first step the first Contact is very important Backe said. The sol Diers have to make the first Call but there is no shortage of germans who want to meet americans sit. Edward Kress of the 58th aviation Mai ,1 co on flip terhorst Cavern has found a German family willing to sponsor him and his wife Ann. The 30-year-old Soldier has been in Ger Many about three weeks and his wife will join him after he finds a place to live. He heard of the program through 8 Friend. The people at personnel did t Tel me about in at first. After my Friend told Nve they had information on in i went Back and asked and then i was shown the cards Kress said. I know a lot of people in my company it ssh i sgt. Edward kits discuss project with from left Karen Uty Backe Malka Schmidt and Michael vol Kiev. Have expressed an interest in the program. There arc people Here that have been Here for two years and stud would like to get Lopnow the German Beiler Monika and half Schmidt the dresses sponsors Are pleased with the arrange ment we just enjoy getting together Sai Monika who has written mire Kress to introduce herself. I helped translate to German landlords for Edward when we went apartment Hunting and my husband and i have introduced him to other Backe said that while lasting Friend ships do form from he contacts some just Don t work out Michael Volkmor who had to drop out of the sponsorship program because of new work commitments said he had two in quiries. One family i Uhink would have been Nice to know but we could no get together Volkmor said. The husband was with the military police and worked different shifts and my wife works different shifts. They were never offal the same their second Contact was a single Soldier who he said spent Loo much time eating at their Home. Mclinn said one reason More sol Diers Don t participate is because hey do not want to commit themselves when icy first arrive in Germany. Soldiers who arc in processing arc inter ested in getting their families settled getting into their he wants to reintroduce the program while the soldiers Are going through head Start classes and get the word out to families through army Community services. It is something i think that could be beneficial to families coming Over and help make their transition Here a ,1 he said. Ear a elections predicted if italian Leader resigns Rome up1 socialist prime min ister Belli no Praxi appears to be headed for a resignation announcement on tues Day after 3 a years in Power and he launched a hustings Type Campaign saturday that could in i dictate he expects his government Cri i Sis to Lead to Early elections. We have re i stored health to the i Economy and have accelerated Indus i trial production i that has taken us to i he rank of the i world s fifth Indus trial trial Power Craw said in a Magazine article to be reprinted in sunday s edition of the socialist party Organ Kvanli. We have Given growth to a new image and a new role of Italy in the inter National sphere he wrote. We have reawakened in italians Virtues that were deadened by an outdated culture and re stored a scale of the socialist Leader s assessment of the achievements of his record tenure As prime minister presaged the arguments Praxi will use at the hustings if the cur rent political crisis leads to parliamentary elections More than a year ahead of schedule. Most press commentators expressed fears thai premature elections Are the most Likely outcome of an exceptionally tangled situation. At a two hour meeting of leaders of his five party coalition Friday Praxi announced he will go before the Senate tuesday to explain Why his government has fallen apart and to draw the while Praxi did not announce his in Tention to resign All newspapers said he will do so in his Senate speech after a preliminary Cabinet meeting to ratify his decision. Immediately after the Senate session Praxi will go to president Francesco cos Sigalo Lender his resignation icy said. Praxi 53, became Italy s first socialist prime minister on aug. 4,1983. On june 27, 1986, his first government collapsed after defeat in a crucial chamber of deputies Vole. However he returned As head of an almost identical government Al the end of a five week crisis. Praxi s second government is Italy s4 Jyh since world War ii. But As a condition for supporting him the Christian democrats Italy largest party extracted an understand ing that he would hand Over the govern ment to a Christian Democrat prime minister Al the end of March i9&7, the Christian democrats forced the showdown because they feared Praxi socialists would make substantial Electo ral gains at Christian Democrat expense if he remained in Power until elections normally fall due in june 1988. The Christian democrats hold 16 seats in Praxi s 30-Man Cabinet and taxi s record tenure is due entirely to their support. Bui As the and of March deadline forthe handover approached Praxi started saying in Public there was nothing Auto Matic or obligatory about the under standing reached in july i9s6.instead of a simple handover of Power Praxi announcement Friday meant a full fledged traditional the candidate for the Christian democrats expected to be Praxi s foreign minister Cintio Andreotti will have to win full backing for himself and his program during negotiations with the coalition five coalition parties Christian democrats. Socialists republicans so Cial democrats and liberals keep say ing there is no practical alternative 10 their lineup. But unless they can recon Cile their differences and unite behind Andreotti for the last it months of the legislature Early elections appear inevitable political commentators say. Expert on Viet Cong is apparent suicide victim West Point miss. A retired army col. Gains Hawkins an expert on enemy forces during in Vietnam War and a defense witness in a libel suit brought by retired Gen. William Westmoreland has died of a gunshot wound that apparently was self inflicted it was disclosed Friday. He was 67. Hawkins was found dead at his Home thursday. Clay a Bull sheriff Sammie Man Cal said Hawkins apparently shot himself. He lost a lung to cancer a year ago and had since been in declining health. Hawkins who fought in world War ii and the korean War served in South Vietnam from 1966-67 under Westmoreland As the army s chief intelligence expert on the Viet Cong. His Job was to estimate the strength of Viet Cong forces. In 1982, a lbs reports documentary accused Westmoreland of a conspiracy to alter Hawkins Vietcong estimates so that . Troops would appear to hold an advantage in the War. In the documentary Hawkins claimed he had been forced by Westmoreland to reduce his estimates to a arbitrary level of 300,000 vice Cong. Westmoreland filed a s120 million libel suit against lbs and Hawkins was a key defense witness when the Case went to trial in new York City late in 1984. He was on the stand when Westmoreland and the network Agri de to drop the lawsuit in february 1985, Haw Kins retired from the army in 1970 and stilled Here
