European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 16, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Inside stripes d . Sweltering in record Hest. Psge 2 d treated veal scandal widens Page 3 d debris said to threaten orbiting spacecraft Page 5 d Plo to declare state in territories paper says Page 28 the St trs and stripes authorized unofficial publication for the . Armed forces Good morning vol.47,no. 120 tuesday August 16, 1988 25 daily and sunday d 8693 a president Reagan shoulders a giant Gavel presented by gop National committee chairman Frank j. Fahrenkopf after Reagan s pre convention speech in new Orleans. Republican convention opens new Orleans a in an unusual morning session republicans opened their 34th National convention monday As nominee in waiting George Bush revealed from afar he has narrowed his list of potential running mates. The first order of business was an attack on Democrat Michael Dukakis As a Champi on of the failed Liberal policies of yes  related Story photo Page 5. Comedian Yakov Smirnoff recited the pledge of allegiance to a surprisingly Large mid Orang gathering of delegates in the cavernous Louisiana super dome. Bush remained in Washington As presi Dent Reagan prepared a prime time fare Well address to republicans who twice launched him to landslide victories. Reagan s remarks also were intended to arouse political passions for Bush disloyal lieutenant. With Bush trailing Dukakis in most National polls the attacks on democrats began Early. There were speeches by for Mer Secretary of state Alexander Haig and former Delaware gov. Pete Dupont two of the five men Bush Defeated in route to wednesday night s nomination. The vice president spent his morning in a round of television interview shows fending off questions about his running mate. I think my Choice will be widely accepted when i decide on who that choices Bush said. I be not decided Bush said. Asked if he were leaning toward someone Bush replied yes of course but toward some people i d  his Campaign manager Lee Atwater said he though Bush might have actually decided on someone. Meanwhile the rhetoric began in ear see convention on Back Page drought May hike some commissary prices by Deedee Arrington Dok Kaiserslautern Bureau a crop devastating drought in the United states this summer is Likely to trigger slightly higher prices for Frozen and canned produce and reduce those items availability in military commissaries this fall. Air Force and army commissary system officials expect the Price increases and diminished availability to occur once existing supplies have been exhausted and future shipments Are ordered. There probably won t be a Gross shortage. But there will probably be some limited Price increases similar to what you d see in the United states said capt. Larry Davis spokesman for the air Force commissary service. The drought the costliest natural disaster in .history, could increase the average annual food Bill in the states by $23 per person this year and by Between $40 and $50 next year according to one set of government indicators. In addition to the canned and Frozen products availability and Cost of some .-grown fresh pro Duce including so called Hardy produce such asap Les oranges and potatoes May be affected said Denise Gomes spokeswoman for the . Troop support Agency european Region the army commissary Agency. But we Don t expect to see anything like this for several months Down the Road she said. Because of the Lead time necessary to order an ship goods to overseas commissaries retailers and customers Here will feel the Pinch later than Consumers in the United states. Purchasing officials at the defense subsistence Region Europe said Friday no official word has yet been received on possible shortages or Price increases resulting from the drought which the Federal government has blamed for reducing . Farm production by an estimated $ 11 billion to $ 15 billion. If shortages result for commissaries overseas the army and air Force systems could file a joint re quest to purchasing authorities for military Pur chases of products from overseas sources said Ada Cohen spokesman for the defense subsistence re Gion Europe. European crops have not been affected by any extraordinary Adverse weather conditions to Date and Normal yields As Well As prices Are expected Cohen said. However Cohen added if there is any .production decline where the shortages would be filled from european sources we could expect that the Overall Price indexes would somewhat  if prices do Rise the increases on items in the stores would represent the same increase incurred by the commissary systems which Price individual items at Cost. The systems do Levy a 5 percent sur charge on a customer s total Bill. Despite a not so Bright Outlook for fruits and vegetables this year Consumers can ignore a Rumor circulating about yet another Type of crop failure. There s no problem with wheat Gomes said