European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 23, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday july 23, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 9 file photo the Midway Only . Aircraft Carrier based and supported overseas is trailed by a Navy destroyer As the Carrier gets under Way for a tour of sea duty. Panel wants Japan to pay for Midway repair by William j. Bartma Washington Bureau Washington a Senate com Mittee has proposed a Way to end an impasse Over a $40 million repair forthe aircraft Carrier Midway that the Navy says is badly needed. The Senate appropriations commit tee which voted last year to Mothball the aging world War ii Carrier has approved fixing the Midway but Only after an intensive Effort is made to get the japanese government to pay for the work. The panel believes that the Midway the Only . Carrier based and sup ported overseas is of Benefit to Japan militarily As Well As economically. In a report the committee staff said the ship s location provides an economic stimulus to the up Usuka area result ing from expenditures by the ship s4,500 personnel and local procure  the report proposed negotiation with the japanese government through aug. 15, 1989. If no agreement is reached by that Date . Funds May be used for the repair. But in that Case the work must be done in a . Shipyard. The Midway remained afloat this year Only after the House compromised with the Senate by agreeing toot Mothball the vessel but not have it repaired either. The House was uncomfortable with having Congre Schoose specific vessels for retire ment. The Midway overweight from mod Ern equipment and aircraft sways too much in rough seas making aircraft landings dangerous. Previous Navy efforts to rectify this problem failed but the service maintains the problem is fixable. Several weeks ago Sens. Edwar Kennedy d-mass., Sam Nunn d-ga., and Carl Levin d-mich., unsuccessfully proposed that the decision on a 15-Carrier Navy a prime goal of the Rea Gan administration be deferred until the late 1990s and a 14-Carrier Force be maintained for the present. Such a deferral would have mean retiring one of the older carriers such As the Midway or the Coral sea. Anaide to Kennedy said the Midway might be a Likely Choice for deactivation because the older carriers Are not very capable. Besides we Lack munitions sea lanes and forces for a 15-Carrier  the Navy maintains that losing Carrier now would impair military readiness. It had planned to retire the Coral sea in 1992 and the Midway in 1997. Senate supporters of deactivation also saw it As a Way to defer the Cost of new carriers which will arrive begin Ning in 1990. Superman group facing bankruptcy Cleveland a never ending Battle inc., a non profit group that was founded to build a super Man museum and statue is nearly $200,000 in debt and is considering filing for bankruptcy its president says. We re attempting to file in such a Way that our creditors can receive maximum Benefit said Tony Isabella a comic Book store owner and president of never ending Battle. The group lost about $100,000 on last month s International Superman exposition which commemorated the 50th anniversary of the creation of super Man by Clev Elanders Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and $60,000 on last year s Benefit premiere of super mania in Cleveland Isabella said. Fewer than 10,000 people attended the convention. Organizers had expected to draw about 30,000 super Man fans. Isabella said about 300 people attended a $250-a-plate dinner that was part of the convention but not All paid for their tickets. I think a lot of deals were Cut for advertisers he said. Trustees earlier this month closed the downtown office of never ending Battle accepted the resignation of its general manager Alan Hills and fired spokes Man Tim Gorman the group s founder and former president. Special skilled doctors May get Bonus for extending Active duty by Chuck Vinc Washington Bureau Washington some military doctors in cer Tain skills will have a one time eight month window cosign up for a big boost in special medical pay in return for staying on Active duty longer. But the bonuses recently approved by Congress apart of the fiscal 1989 defense authorization Bill will kick in Only if military officials meet some condition set Down by lawmakers. The measure Grants the Pentagon authority to offer bonuses of up to $20,000 a year affecting variable and additional special pays for physicians with More than eight years of service in critical skills whose total compensation now Falls below that of similar private sector physicians. That last provision covers almost All military Doc tors said it. Col. Steven Mirick Deputy director of personnel under the Deputy assistant Secretary of de sense for medical readiness. There May be some senior military physicians whose compensation is about the same As in the private sector but the number is extremely Small Mirick said. The Pentagon could negotiate multiyear agreements with physicians but the minimum commitment to qualify for the Bonus would be an extra two years of service. The plan is set to take effect Jan. 1 if the defens department comes across by dec. 1 with a detailed report on the adequacy of the current pay package. The report would have to include justification for future Jong term specially requirements Grade Levels and training requirements. The Bonus authority totalling $30 million for the eight months of fiscal 1989 that it would be in effect is meant to be a Stopgap until Dod can come up with along Range plan to upgrade physician compensation and keep military doctors in critical wartime skills from leaving for lucrative private practices said Ahouse armed services committee staffer. The provision leaves it up to the defense depart ment to decide which specialities would qualify for the Bonus but lawmakers said those skills should be Onesin which doctors Are in Short Supply. While the limit would be $20,000 a year the authorization Bill said lawmakers expect that the total compensation a military physician receives May not exceed 48 percent increase in the total annual amount of the special