European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 19, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page the stars and stripes thursday november 19,1987 Star wars chief orders switch to metric system metrics at a glance Washington a the american Public has never shown much interest in converting to the metric by sick. But if you want to design and produce military systems you take orders from the military. And when it comes to Star Ware the order is now out the English system or weights and measures is passe metric is in. All newly designed developed and ? mave up the strategic defense system shall use. Metric units As the Standard language and system of measurement it. Gen. James a. Abrahamson declared in a Recci directive. Systems will be designed and built in metrics As opposed  in inches and pounds and converted to  Abrahamson the three Star air Force Gener Al who oversees the strategic defense initiative As Star wars is formally known issued his directive earlier this month. Abrahamson wrote in a cover memo he had carefully considered the difficulties and opportunities which this step represents and i realize thai practically All cements of the ski program will be affected by this  the general added however that by embracing metrics now. The defense department could avoid significant front end costs and facilitate production programs if a decision is made to build and deploy a Star wars system. The role that our allies play in the ski pro Gram is also a major consideration he continued. And Many department of defense contractor and supplier have already either adopted the metrics Standard Narti will Inin re iof a . Customary  although use of the metric system has been Legal in the United states since 1866, it was widely ignored in favor of traditional English measures such As inches and pounds. The rest of the world including Britain Long ago converted to the Sim Pler metrics in which All units Are based on multiples of 10. Spurred by . Industry which foresaw the need to change to metrics to compete in foreign markets former president Ford signed the metric conversion act on  23. 19ts, setting up a system for an orderly voluntary transition. Today almost 12 years later americans buy their wine and liquor in metric containers and their automobiles arc metric. But the general Public has resisted the change and politicians have been reluctant to push the Issue publicly. Smtth r 1jooom�n�nr Ioc can  i kick Mettr 1 cure 2sjtoth 1 Pound  1quvt Damn 1 Gram 0.036 ounce t toot ttinchu1 cd 3 my t Yri 36mm then fort ohm a 1 it1  0.04 men 1 mow 3.3 t1 1.1 Pireu 1 Man Nair  Loock Mimi i1000 pm i Taim 1000hopann item � t Muncai Tounch 1 Pound 3xb Pound t thai in on Aioo to Mcune graph to Sara Mma mme end i1stq 1 Tamn Poon 15 rrmn1 Oun of Irmyn cuddly toys May be dangerous official warns Washington a the fuzzy while Moose seemed to smile and his belts jingled As the head of he government s product safety Agency held him up tuesday with a warning that such Friendly looking toys pose hidden dangers to the unwary. The loosely attached Bells on the Moose can easily come Loose and might choke a child. Terrence m. Scanlon chairman of the consumer product safety commission noted at his Agency s annual toy safely briefing. The Moose was one of millions of toys kept out of stores by Federal officials along with a toy train that had 300 times the Legal amount of Lead in its paint and a rattle with a Long handle that could choke an infant Scanlon said. However commissioner Carol Dawson added that the commission can t do it All. We need the cooperation of individuals parents grandparents babysitters and older Brothers and Sisters. Recalls covering some 2.9 million children s products mostly toys were announced during the 1986 fiscal year Scanlon said. In addition he said 2.2 million unsafe toys were stopped at ports of entry by commission and customs service officials. But still 35 children died last year in accidents involving toys and More than 100,000 were Hurt seriously enough to require Hospital care Scanton said. Commissioner Anne Graham stressed the danger of three items two of which she noted Are not toys at All even though they Are often used by children. One of the most dangerous is All terrain vehicles popular three and four wheel motorized cycles made for off Road use. Hundreds of deaths and hundreds of thousands of injuries have been blamed on these machines she pointed out. The commission has urged that the vehicles not be sold to youngsters and that the smaller versions of the machines intended for youths no longer be made. However consideration of a recall has been stalled by the Justice department. "1 believe the Only Lime they Are Safe for children is when they Are out of Gas Graham said. Second on her danger list was Lawn darts used to loss at a Large ring in a game similar to horseshoes. Children struck by them have been injured and killed. Lawn darts Are not toys for children. Parents should not allow children to play with Lawn darts said Daw the Only actual toys on her danger list were skate boards which have been associated with More than 50,000 injuries in recent years she said. Parents should select simple boards based on us abilities of 8 child Graham said. They should make sure the youngster use a helmet Glove and padding to Lessen injuries in Falls. Dawson sought to emphasize several potential hazards including crib toys choking hazards and age la Beling. Toys Strung across the lop of cribs can provide both entertainment and stimulation for infants but they should be removed when the child can pull itself up to reach the toy she warned. Several instances have occurred in which tots climbed up to grab a toy became tangled in the string and strangled to death Dawson pointed out. Elaine Torrelt of the commission staff suggested that parents Cut the toy apart and use the individual pie Cesas floor toys or keep the unit As a Wall decoration. As for choking dangers Small parts that can come off toys Are a major Hazard Dawson said. Small balls in jacks sets balloons and marbles Are examples of such hazards. It is very important thai older children least to keep such toys away from their younger Brothers and listen she said. Parents should pay close attention to age Labelling on toys for safety reasons. The commission has a pair of booklets entitled which toy for which child thai Are available at no charge by writing to the consumer product safety commission Washington , 20207. One Booklet u aimed at toys for children through age 5, the other for those aged 6 through 12. Railroad official blames strikers for runaway train Gardner mass. A the careening journey of a runaway train began when us Engineer left it idling while he ran into a store to buy a Candy bar. Police said tuesday and a Railroad official said he is certain that striking workers sent the train on its journey. The incident came on the fifth Day of a sink by Railroad workers who walked out Over allegedly unsafe working conditions. Asked tuesday if he suspected that pick ets had a hand in the runaway. Colin Pease. A Railroad spokesman and vice president replied no. I m convinced of ii. That train could not have moved without some body doing something to  he said Engineer Donald silk a Meier an supervisor had set the brakes before leasing if Irain. Scale police dusted the engines for fingerprints and three Fri agents Here on the scene Pease said. The Engineer the sole occupant of the train and a policeman who answered his frantic Call for help chased the train through three towns monday trying in vain to head it offal Crossings. My main concern was to gel that train said the of incr Robert Babincak. Who knows what May have happened fit had gone through a passing and hit a car the train travelled about 30 Miles Al la. Basin still the smog Giest Region los Angeles a once again the Mountain ringed los an Geles Basin has been singled out by the environmental Protection Agency As the Smo Giest spot in the nation. The Epa said tuesday the Region is cetus Federal Ozone standards 154 Days a year. The Good news is that we Are no longer four times Over the Federal Ozone Standard said Tom Eich Horn spokesman for the South coast air Quality management District. The bad news is that we Are still three times Over the Stan  the Region has been declared the nation s most polluted since the 19-ios, officials said. Speeds up to 55 Mph through Rural West Ern Massachusetts going through at least nine Crossings before it was slowed by a Hill and was deliberately crashed into a line of empty freight cars in Deerfield. Police along the route sped to Crossings to keep cars and people off the track but there was no was they could know where the train was and when it went by said a Deerfield officer John Newton. Officials of Guilford transportation co., which operates the Railroad followed the train from a control mom at company Headquarters 40 mile away in Buleca and the new switches by Remote control to divert the train into the freight can it s certainly not a situation for which there is a manual said Pease who called the Icene in the control room the most harrowing 45 minutes of my  no one a is injured