European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 15, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday. Maeh 15. 1988 the stars and stripes Pago 9 a up a Rill a i express train nukes in inaugural run inside the world longest Andersn Tunnel sanity. Longest undersea Tunnel starts rail service in Japan Tokyo a passengers packed into trains and sped under ground and sea to the Island of hokkaido on sunday As the world s longest under sea Tunnel opened 10 rail service. Some riders had waited in line More than a week to ensure a scat on the first train which carried them 33.4 Miles from Aomori at the lip of Japan s largest Island Honshu to Hakodate in hokkaido the country s northernmost main Island. The undersea portion of the Seikala Tunnel runs 14. Miles. Excavation techniques developed by japanese civil engineers for the Tunnel arc to be used in the construction of inc planned Dover Strait Tunnel Between England and France. Transport minister a Luciaro Ishihara guest of Honor on sunday s first Hakodate bound train told japanese reporters after crossing through the Tun Nel ii is a technological teat without parallel in the world. It is a myth come  next month with the official opening of the selo Ohashi Bridge a series of 11 spans totalling 7,6 Miles linking Honshu with the Island of Shikoku transport officials Wilt Complete a decades old plan of linking All four of Japan s main islands by rail. But the Cost of the seikan Tunnel which took 24 years to build has fuelled debate in Japan in an Era of declining rail service. Overall construction and personnel outlays Cost taxpayers about ,5 billion n1 current Exchange rates instead of the originally forecast Cost of 11.54 billion. The project also claimed the lives of 34 workers and ran 10 years behind schedule because of technical delays and four major floods. Yukinari Shiojiguchi of the hokkaido Japan rail Way co., which will lease the Tunnel from the Japa Nese railway construction Public corp., said the new undersea rail i Ine will operate at a loss. But it s Worth it because More people will be coming through to hokkaido and utilizing the re Gion which has Long been Cut off Fram developments on the Mainland he said. Figures released by hokkaido Japan railway indicate that about 2.3 million passengers and s Mil lion Tont of cargo Are Likely to pass through the Tunnel each year. Snoj Iguchi said a final estimate of operating costs still is being prepared but he did not deny reports pegging the annual level at 123.1 million. An to year old ferryboat service Between Aomori and Hakodate halted operation on the ref of the Tunnel s opening. Thousands of ferry fans visited the Region for one last four hour crossing Over the churning to Fulani Strait site of a ferryboat Accident that killed More than 1,100 passengers in 1934, trains will be Able to make the Aomori Hako Date trip in about two bouts through the Tunnel. But japanese critics charge that government officials erred in approving construction of the Tunnel because of the Low volume or traffic across the Strait and they Are sceptical of claims that the Tun Nel will Spur regional development. As far As inc current railway service goes it s nut Likely that inc new Tunnel will help develop the Region by attracting new companies said Scott Foster iraqis Pontano analyst with Merrill Lynch in Tokyo. While a possible Extension of the Bullet train High Speed line up through the Tunnel could bring a turnabout some critics say the Hue additional cast of building the line which us different tracks would Only increase the deficits. Masao Takada who operates a souvenir shop in Aomori says merchants on both sides of the Tunnel Are worried that it will Hurt business. Surveys show that the number of customers in Aomori and Hakodate will decline Beta use train passengers on their Way to Sapporo in hokkaido from Tokyo arc less Likely to disembark Ansho around hcs Aid. Jewish group defines beliefs in document new York api conservative Judaism on sat urday offered its first comprehensive definition of principles declaring that its Faith is linked to Israel hut is not bound 10 it. The israelis and the jews dispersed to other coun tries Are winners Loaid and enrich the Oiler in every possible Way the 23,000-word statement Laid. Each needs the  however. Jewish identity was Len cd essentially a matter of religion rather than geography. Our religion has been land tem cred hut never land bound the document said. It has been a Porta ble religion so that despite our Long exile from our spiritual Homeland we have been Able to survive creatively and spiritual or. We do not believe that jewish identity can he re placed by israeli identity or the ability to speak he brew. We Are convinced that jewish religion is Essen tial a source of ethical and moral  some jews have viewed the jewish state a the religious Center of world jewry the statement said add ing that various jewish communities have complementary role in maintaining Judaism the statement truth and Faith was drawn up Over 2 to years by a 35-member commission of schol ars rabbis and laity set up in 198$. Never before in its history has the Century old conservative movement in the United states produced such an Overall summation of convictions. Officials of the rabbinical Assembly the rabbinical Arm of conservative Judaism and its jewish theological sem Inary hailed  Man Emmial and  it provides a consensus View of the movement s positions on personal and general questions affect ing jewish life Laid the commission chairman sem Inary professor Robert Gordis lie termed it a Way of life for the jew today to live in loyally to the tradition without resigning from the 20th Century conservative Judaism is the Middle ground Between the other twin major branches. Reform which fic Cly adapts jewish practices to changing limes and , which sees ritual As commanded by god and thus unchangeable. Conservatism s statement deals with god revelation evil the messianic Hope. Jewish Law personal practices the role of women. Israel social Justice relations with other faiths and meaning of chosen  the widely misunderstood chosen people concept often has been distorted into an expression of moral arrogance despite  the slate men said. Instead of implying any innate jewish superiority god t choosing of the jews to reveal his purpose Laid on them special obligations and duties As a result of their accepting that role it said. Far from being a License for special privilege it entailed additional responsibilities not Only toward cod but to their fellow human beings the statement said. Often however they had to pay n bloody Price for insisting on this Rale enabling them to identify with the Prophet Isaiah s suffering servant who accepted inc blows and contempt of others in order to bring attic truth of god to the  regarding Israel the statement voiced deep attach ment to the land and Pride in inc achievement of the modern state in gathering jews from dispersion and rebuilding a  however the state s discrimination against the conservative and Reform movements is morally intolerable the statement said. The writers said Israel should recognize the religious authority fall rabbis not just the orthodox adding we have often suffered from discriminatory policies but we remain firm and Loving supporters of the  soviet newspaper questions response to hijacking Moscow a a newspaper on sunday questioned whether authorities acted properly in ordering a hijacked Aeroflot Jet 10 land on soviet territory pointing out that nine people were killed an