European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 5, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday september 5, 19bs the stars and stripes Page 7 . Believes nato navies can counter soviet naval growth in Mediterranean Washington not american officials scythe expansion of a Sovil installation on the coast of Syria will permit the Sovil Navy to increase its pres ence in the Eastern Mediterranean. But the United states and its allies also have significant numbers of ships and bases in he Mediterranean and by most accounts icy would still be a match for the soviet Navy in Ihal Region. The soviet naval Squadron in the Mediterranean at its present Force level would nol pose a severe threat to inc . Sixth Fleet said Bruce w. Watson inexpert on the soviet Navy who used to work for the defense intelligence Agency and now teaches at the defense intelligence College , John m. Collins senior military specialist at the congressional research service said nato not Only outnumbers its rivals at sea but enjoys other Adan  example he said. Soviet abilities to conduct com Bat operations in the Eastern Mediterranean depend Al most completely on Freedom of passage through the Turk ish Straits which Likely would be closed in time of War the Straits the bosporus and the Dardanelles connect the Black sea with inc Aegean and the Mediterranean. Rear adm. William o. Pludeman director of the National Security Agency and a former director of naval intelligence said that the soviet Navy will be Able to main Tain and repair ships at its installation at Tartus Syria. Thai would reduce the need for vessels to return to Home ports in inc Black sea permitting longer deployments and an Overall increased soviet presence Inan area of considerable political military volatility the soviets Are cutting Back on naval deployment Sand exercises in other parts of the world. Mikhail s. Gorbachev the soviet Leader has proposed the reduction of american and soviet naval forces in the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. The . Navy has Access to bases or other installations on the islands of Crete and Sardinia and at Naples Italy and Rota Spain near Gibraltar. The latest edition of soviet military Power the Pentagon s annual assessment of soviet military strength reports that the soviets keep an average of 30to 40 ships in the Mediterranean. That compares with an average of 40 to 45 last year. The United state currently has an average of about 30 ships in the Mediterranean and its allies May have As Many As 1s to 24 warships there at one time. Ordinarily the United Stales tries to keep two air Craft carriers in the Mediterranean. A earner and us escort shins make up a Battle group. In recent years american combat Power in the Mediterranean was often reduced because one of the two Carrier Battle groups was diverted for other mis  Sovil Union has had difficulty obtaining for Mal base rights in the Mediterranean since the mid-1970s, and its Fleet there depends heavily on Supply ships which could easily be destroyed in combat. For that reason. Keith Allen an analyst at the Navy s operational intelligence Center in Suitland md., said the soviet Navy would have to attempt a rapid Victory in the Mediterranean. If the soviet Navy can meet More of ils Supply needs at Tartus it May be Able to keep More fighting ships inthe Mediterranean. Military experts say the United states and its allies generally deploy a larger number of modern heavily armed warships than the soviet Union has in the Mediterranean. Panda birthday cake Ling Ling the giant Panda Sticks Outher Tongue As she prepares to Sample � Panda shaped birthday cake in her Honor at Busch gardens in Tampa flu Ling Ling on loan from the Beijing zoo will return to Beijing in november. Chrysler to Appeal Fine for excess head in Plant St. Louis up Chrysler  Friday in will Appeal a $700 Fine assessed by the occupational safety an health administration Over excess heat this summer at the company s suburban Fenton Plant. Osha spokesman Denver Holt said the Fine was the result of an inspection that began after a worker in inc Plant Spain shop collapsed and died on june 21 although the Dalh of Willie ,54, was ruled to be nol directly related to the heal in the Plant the death triggered several Days of walkouts by workers Dur ing inc late june heat wave. Paint shop employees complained of excessive heal inside the Plant As a result of the heat wave and the ovens used to dry fresh paint on vehicles. Walkouts that forced Chrysler to shut Down operations look place both at plants no. I and no. 2 in Fenton several times in Lai june neither Plant is air conditioned. We Are of the opinion that the Fine i totally without Merit Chrysler spokes Man Doug Nicoll said in Detroit behave not received the citation Here yet but our lawyers have been Given a verbal rundown on what the citation is  saying Chrysler will contest the Fine Nicoll added we had additional people brought in and added about 5,000 pounds fice daily in addition to what we already bad. We placed water fountains in close proximity to the work stations placed fans throughout the Plant made sure the Roo events were open when the Lemper lure reached 85 or above and had inc fresh  of the Plant  Nicoll said the dress code was relaxed to allow workers to Wear tank lops or shorts except in unsafe areas and allowed employees to bring in coolers containing non alcoholic beverages. Chrysler had 15 working Days begin Ning Friday to Appeal the Fine to the Osha review commission an Independent Agency. Holl said he violations cited in the report released thursday could have brought a Fine of $1,000 but in was Only$700 because Chrysler tried to show Good Faith after we brought inc conditions to their  the report said oven workers inside the pain shop at inc Plant had been exposed to heal stress higher than the threshold limit set by the american conference of Industrial hygienists. Deep body Lemper Aires above the limit of 100.4 degrees can produce exhaustion and heat stroke Osha said. At the Lime of the walkouts some Chrysler workers said that outside temperatures in the upper 90s led to inside readings of 115 degrees. Officers of United Auto worker Union local 136, which represents the Fenton no. 1 Plant were nol available for comment. Two lawsuits against Morton Thi Okol dismissed Salt Lake City a a Federal judge has dismissed 10 lawsuits seeking $3 billion from space shuttle rocket maker Morton Thi Okol by a former company Engineer who warned against the ill fated 1986 challenger launch. . District judge David k. Winder granted mor ton Thi Okol s request for dismissal of the suits filed by Roger Boisjoly who left the company in july 1986, physical ailments and alleged menial torment. Telephone Calls to Boisjoly j Willard Home were not returned. In his decision. Winder dismissed most counts i Boisioly s suits with prejudice meaning they cannot be refiled. But inc judge said he would dismiss two counts Ozone suit which Deal with allegations of defamation and conspiracy without prejudice. In one suit Boisjoly sought is billion for the deaths of the seven astronauts killed when challenger exploded on Jan. 28, 1986, and $1 million in compensatory damages for Boisjoly s health and career. Boisjoly claimed Morton Thi Okol impugned his professional re Patalion after he and other engineers Testi fied before a presidential commission investigating the disaster that they had warned against the launch. Boisjoly look disability leave in july 1986 and left the company for Good two months later. This year he won the scientific Freedom and responsibility award from the american association for advancement of science. His other lawsuit filed under the false claims a Lon behalf of . Taxpayers sought $2.075 billion and alleged that Morton Thi Okol knowingly provided Nasa with defective solid rocket motors. Winder ruled Ihal inc conspiracy  the complain is nol of a nature to support an action for damages on the part of Boisjoly neither the conspiracy itself nor the overt acts allegedly done in fur therance of in were directed toward Boisjoly. The judge wrote that to suggest that the recommendation or the launch were acts directed toward and for the purpose of injuring Boisjoly is ridiculous. Furthermore for a reasonable person to know tha Boisjoly might suffer emotional injury As a result of the launch would include the requirement thai the person know thai the launch would end in disaster.1 in a May interview Boisjoly said it was Only after iwo years of therapy and the positive catharsis of lecturing on the disaster that he was Able to Stop blam ing himself for the destruction of the shuttle and deaths of its astronauts. " for a Long time i bore the Burden of guilt because 1hadn t done More to Slop in he said. But i be re solved in now i did everything i  Boisioly and several other Morton Thi Okol Engi neers argued the night before the launch that tempera Tures offs degrees or less could cause a rocket joint Seal to fail. The Rogers commission which investigated the disaster blamed the tragedy on a leaking joint Seal Iha allowed supernal gases to escape and ignite the shut lie s external fuel tank. Investigators said the cold had weakened the Seal