European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 8, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday augusts 1988 the stars and stripes Page 3 hands in motions a Brenda Hoster Sandy Brown defies the forces of nature during her Gravity s last stand show at bad Kreuz Nach Germany. Brown s juggling act was one of Many during the three Day . Army Europe camping Jamboree at Kuberg travel Camp. The Campground was also the site of the european Chili Cook off. Governors group hoping to avoid partisan conflicts Cincinnati a the Republican chairman of the National governor association opened the group s election year meeting saturday with a pledge tomake the conference non political and non partisan. I m going to display tremendous discipline said gov. John Sununu of new Hampshire a Strong supporter of Vic president George Bush and frequent critic of gov. Michael Dukakis his Massachusetts neighbor and the democratic nominee for president. Dukakis planned to attend tuesday final session of the four Day meeting of the nation s governors. President Reagan was flying in Mon Day to address the conference. At a news conference opening the meet ing Sununu said i m aware that our meeting has been boo ended by the two major political gatherings of 1988 the democratic National convention and the Republican National convention. We re also As governors very much aware that the Success of the Nga de pends on the very bipartisan non parti san character of our  he added that for my part i m going to try to make this the most non Politi Cal non partisan non presidential year event that you be Ever  participating in the news conference with Sununu were two democratic governors Host Richard Celeste of Ohio and Gerald Baliles of Virginia who is slate to succeed Sununu As Nga chairman. The two democrats agreed that Dur ing the past 7 a years president Reagan had succeeded at times Over the protests of governors in transferring Many Domestic responsibilities from the Federal government to the states. In keeping with Sununu s admonition to keep the meeting non political Nei ther he nor his democratic colleague would address directly the question of How they Felt Bush and Dukakis would Deal with relations Between the Federal and state governments. I won t touch that one with a 10-foot pole said Sununu. Sununu has had a Long bitter fight with Dukakis Over the Seabrook nuclear Power Plant. Dukakis played a key role in blocking licensing of the facility that sits on the new Hampshire seacoast near the Massachusetts Border. An Early Backer of Bush for the gop presidential nomination Sununu is one of three governors said to be on Bush s list of potential vice presidential choices. Theother two Are Jim Thompson of Illinois and Carroll Campbell of South . George Deukmejian of califor Nia sent Bush a letter asking that he note considered for the no. 2 spot on the National  Republican National convention convenes on aug. 15, with Bush the cer Tain presidential nominee. Another governor Thomas Kean of new Jersey will deliver the convention keynote  outnumber republicans among the nation s governors by a margin of 27 to 23, but Many states expected to be major battlegrounds in the presidential election have Republican  addition to California Illinois and new Jersey they include Texas with gov. William Clements and Florida with gov. Bob Martinez. Big states with democratic governor include new York with Mario Cuomo Pennsylvania with Robert Casey Ohio with Richard Celeste and Michigan with James  who played key roles at the democratic convention last month that nominated Dukakis for president an Texas sen. Lloyd Bentsen for vice presi Dent were Blanchard who was chairman of the democratic platform committee and gov. Bill Clinton of Arkansas who delivered the speech placing Dukakis name in nomination. Once thought of As officials who could make a difference politically in their states governors have lost some of that Luster in recent presidential  fact that democrats held a major Ity of the governorships in 1980 did no help Jimmy Carter win re election against Reagan s Challenge. And of course a democratic majority Instate houses did nothing to Stem the Rea Gan landslide in 1984. The National governors association was meeting at a time when Many of the chief executives were expressing concern Over what they consider the erosion of the role of states in their relationship with the Federal  of supreme court decisions in recent months and years Congress is Freeto regulate every minute detail of state administration and management and every sector of society that states traditionally had regulated said Sununu. Kidnapped pair s message please help us Iligan Philippines up a american hostage and his wife pleaded for their lives sunday in a tape recorded message released by moslem rebels who seized the pair last week in the rebellion torn Jungles of Southern Mindanao. We do not know what is happening around us said David Stiffler 47, in a recording delivered to military authorities to substantiate a demand for100,000 pesos $5,000 in Ransom for the couple s release. The kidnappers tried to rape my wife and held an Carmalite m-16 automatic Rifle with grenade launcher to her head the tape continued. Please help  Stiffler s philippine wife Elpidia be Numa also was heard on the tape saying i am pleading for anyone who can hearts to please help us. We have Only one life. We will die if you do not help us the couple was kidnapped from a Public minibus july 30 by four armed men believed to have broken away from an organized rebel movement fighting for moslem Independence on the Island. Three philippine businessmen Kidnap Ped by the group a week earlier have been found dead the military said. The recording was delivered by a Neutral emissary to military officials in the City of Iligan 30 Miles North of where the hostages Are believed held at Zanazzi Jungle bound Village on the Shore of Lake Lanao in Lanao Del sur province. The emissary former moslem rebel commander Mike Ali told the Mili tary he had seen the couple Only in Lam s ight and that Stiffler appeared Well is wife looked Haggard and ill and was crying he said. Frank huddle . Consul in the Cen trial City of Cebu who flew to Iligan wit two . Military attaches sunday told reporters that he was leaving the Matte to philippine authorities. The . Government will not negotiate with any kidnapper he said. However col. Eduardo Resos head Ofa special task Force handling the Case said after meeting huddle that he had received Blanket authority to try to meet the rebels and open talks. We will negotiate with them on our terms he said. We will not give the Ransom. If we can establish Contact because we got the tape recorded Mes Sage i am optimistic we can effect the release of the Kidnap  a military spokesman in Malawi just 15 Miles from the suspected Bandit hide out said the Mindanao kidnappers set an aug. 16 deadline for payment of the Ransom. Capt. Ismail pan Andaman quoted their emissary As saying that the couple was Well fed and Well attended but if the military resumes Rescue operations the hostages will be killed  Resos warned that the military will resume search and Rescue operations if the couple has not been released within 15 Days. Stiffler said on the tape that he had come to Mindanao to know the islamic culture and other minorities because we know the Island is Rich with  hand his wife were travelling to Malawi by Public minibus july 30 when they were seized by four gunmen. Military authorities identified him As a new York construction worker and anthropology student. The state depart ment in Washington confirmed that he Isan american but said his Hometown was unknown. Several foreigners have been Kidnap Ped previously in Lanao Del sur prov Ince usually by so called lost com mands of the moslem rebellion but All were released unharmed. The Rev. Bria Lawrence a protestant pastor from mad Ison wis was abducted in Lanao Del Surin july 1986 and freed after two weeks