European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 15, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes Friday May 15,1987 exports helped Cut March Trade deficit Washington a the nation s Irac deficit helped by the largest Export surge in six years Nar rowed to $13.6 billion in March the Commerce department reported thursday. The Trade shortfall was Down from a si5.1 billion deficit in february exports increased by 12.9 percent in March to $21.1 billion the highest level since March i98t, when they were $22.9 billion. Thai 1981 figure was a record. Thus the Marc Export figures represented the second Best Export performance Ever. President Reagan s spokesman Martin Fitzwater said the nominal Trade deficit is gradually de  he also called the new figures Good news on the Trade  but the democratic speaker of the House Jim Wright of Texas noted that imports hit a record and called thursday s report More chilling  in spite of repeated Rosy predictions and promises by the administration of dramatic improvements in the Trade balance arising from the falling Dollar the deficit for March was still si3.6 billion. That is the same level As january and february averaged  analysis have Long expected the Steep decline in the value of the . Dollar against other major currencies to make . Goods More competitive abroad. Imports Rose in March but at a slower Pace up 2.9 percent to $34.7 billion. Still that was enough to bring imports to a record level surpassing the $34.3 billion of last october. So far this year the Trade deficit has been running at an annual rate of j163.8 billion suggesting a slight improvement Over All of 1986, when the deficit was a record $166.3 billion. The . Trade deficit shrank against Japan in March to s4.9 billion from is. 1 billion in the previous month. However the deficit with Japan which reached nearly $60 billion last year remained this nation s largest. The Trade Gap with Canada also narrowed to $1.5 billion from $1.9 billion the previous month. But the Trade deficit with Western Europe Rose in the same period to $2,5 billion from $ 1.9 billion last month. The deficit with Western Europe included a $1.6 billion trading shortfall with Germany the largest Trade Gap Ever with that nation. Sales of .-manufac tured goods overseas amounted to is billion in March accounting for so percent of the increase in exports. A $300 million increase in the sate of . Computers and other office equipment paced the Export surge. The . Dollar has fallen nearly 50 percent against other major currencies Over the past year. Despite the decline which should make foreign goods More expensive Here and . Goods More competitive abroad the Trade deficit had stubbornly refused to show much improvement. Analysts have said imports have not gone up in Price As much a the Dollar has gone Down because Many foreign manufacturer Are taking smaller profits to retain their share of . Markets. Many economists have predicted that when the improvement does begin to show up it would be on the Export Side. Making a big splash a new hydrofoil crushes into Lake Washington near Seattle tiler a gnat of wind flipped to daring i lest ran. The hydrofoil s Driver Jim Kropfeld wis trapped inside the overturned Craft to the tuesday incident until rescuers could pry open the canopy with screwdrivers. Kropfeld we hospitalized for observation after the Accident. The photograph was taken from videotape from the Komo television station in Seattle. Few candidates say adultery should be an Issue new York a most of the presidential aspirants in both parties were wary about answering questions on whether adultery is a legitimate Campaign Issue in the Wake of Gary Hart s downfall the new York times said thursday. Some of those contacted by the times would not discuss the subject others said they regarded queries about candidates sexual morality demeaning to the Politi Cal process the newspaper said. Only one Republican the Rev Pat Robertson called the Issue legitimate but Only Aslo a candidate s current morality. The times submitted questions on the Issue this week to 14 presidential Aspi rants 11 of whom responded. The questions were do you consider adultery to be a legitimate Campaign Issue and voter concern How do you think Gary Hart handled his situation How should a hypothetical presidential candidate who has not committed Adul Tery answer the question have you Ever committed adultery How should a hypothetical presidential candidate who has committed adultery answer the same question reflecting a general uneasiness with Public discussion of private mores Vic president George Bush urged great Cau Tion and respect for privacy before journalists indulge in unseemly inquiries into private  he said he did not feel comfortable commenting on such questions. The times said that of those who responded Only the Rev Jesse Jackson a Democrat took the unequivocal position that candidates should not be subjected to questions about adultery unless the Issue had some bearing on Public policy or National Security concerns. Rep. Jack f. Kemp r-n.y., refused to answer the questions because he believed it was beneath the dignity of a presidential candidate to answer such queries said spokesman John Buckley. Massachusetts gov. Michael Dukakis a Democrat refused to answer the specific questions bul said a presidential Campaign should not be about Adul  it should be bout creating economic Opportunity for every citizen in America and developing a foreign policy thai reflects american values he said. Sen. Albert Gore or. Of Tennessee a Democrat said adultery should not be an Issue unless the context of a partic ular candidate makes it an  i already have indicated thai once you declare you re a candidate All bets Are off said sen. Bob Dole a Kan. Everything up to that Point is fair game. Another Republican former Delaware gov. Pierre a do Pom in said personal integrity and character arc important to the voters and candidates should answer such questions honestly if their personal life becomes an  m. Haig or. Who also seeks he gop nomination said the Circum stances and the general principles of iceman should determine whether adultery becomes an Issue in a political  democratic candidates gov. Bruce Babbitt of Arizona and rep. Rich Ard Gephardt of Missouri said the would not answer hypothetical questions. The times said it had not received responses by tale wednesday from democratic Sens Joseph Biden or. Of Dela Ware and Paul Simon of Illinois and for Mer sen. Paul Laxalt of Nevada a Republican. Hart ended his quest for the presidency May 8, less than a week after the Miami Herald reported he had spent ailing to with a Miami woman while his wife was in Colorado. Marine pleads guilty to charges of arms theft san Francisco a a 31-year-old Marine has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the theft of 10 hand grenades part of a Large Supply of weapons and explosives taken from Camp Pendleton. Gustavo Rodriguez pleaded guilty wednesday to possessing and transferring the grenades a conspiracy charge was dropped. He admitted in court that he had taken the weapons from the Southern California base where he worked As an ammunition technician. Some of the stolen weapons were stored in the san Francisco area. Rodriguez faces up to 20 years in prison and a $500,000 Fine when sentenced aug. 4 by . District judge Marilyn Hall Patel. Charges Are pending against a san Francisco police Man Alejandro Serrano 31. Who allegedly got weapons and explosives from Rodriguez. A hearing is scheduled fonday before Patel. The two men were arrested after police and Federal agents discovered 120 pounds of plastic explosives Al least 60 hand grenades several machine guns and thousands of rounds of ammunition at two Homes and an underground site in mid March. Walker said All the weapons missing from Camp Pendleton have been accounted for except some plastic explosives. He said Rodriguez never planned to use the weapons to harm anyone. He did discharge weapons and grenades for his own amusement the lawyer said. Subsequently he look and gave them to san Francisco police offers who were close family  he was referring to Serrano and an officer who was suspended from police duty but not charged in the  s lawyer Gilbert Eisenburg has described the two officers Assi mk-survivalists1 who were Stor ing the weapons for future Protection and not for Sale