European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 5, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday october 1988 the stars and stripes Page 9 House defeats proposal to count overseas service members in census by William j. Bartman Washington Bureau Washington a Bill thai would have included and their families stationed overseas in the official . Census was Defeated in the mouse last week As an earlier supporter of the proposal led a successful fight against it. The 317-93 vote Means there is almost no Chance Hal overseas personnel will be included in the upcoming 1990 census lawmakers said. The military will nol be included in this census. We Felt it was better 1o nol count Ihm irian completely skew their numbers an aide to rep. Thomas Ridge a a. Said of the congressman s much altered legislation. The reason we did t support this Bill is because it did not address the Issue of illegal aliens for congressional re apportionment and would not have counted he service people in he right earlier this year Ridge and rep. Barbara Ken Nelly a Conn. Introduced a Bill that would have included overseas in the census while dropping illegal aliens. The Bill was expected to be popular Amons lawmakers but it soon became a political foot Ball with Ridge and Kinnelly finally withdrawing their support. As the legislation passed through the House Post office and civil service census subcommittee chaired by rep. Mervyn Dymally d-calif., the illegal aliens provision was dropped and a controversial method of deciding where a Scricc member was from was added. Military family members and Federal work ers overseas also were added. Listing a s residence became a highly charged Issue because the census is used for congressional reapportionment. Dymally wanted to count As inc Home the place they were stationed sin months before the last Lime they were Scal abroad an aide explained. Ridge. Kinnelly and Many others argued that listing a person s last Domestic duty station As the place of residence would give Stales with Large numbers of Mili tary members assigned such As Dymally s California . As originally planned by the Pentagon and . Census Bureau inc count was intended to serve As a profile of inc overseas Force and no state of residence was to be listed for overseas . Except for the 1970 census overseas military personnel have not been counted for congressional Redis Iri eting purposes. But defense department figures on overseas personnel have been listed in previous census introducing the Champ nine year old Cui icer patient John Belli Ziu or Melbourne Australia plays the role of a Bax info referee As he declare that Pel Kangaroo re Jas the red is the fisticuffs Charapich of Camp Quality. John was enjoying u week of fun Al the recreation Center set up especially for children suffering from cancer Leader of nato downplays effect of soviet Union changes Brussels Belgium a the chief of nato monday said the leadership upheaval and other sweeping changes under Way in the soviet Union offer the West a mined picture but there is still More continuity than the aim of soviet Reform efforts is of course not to please inc West. Nor do the soviets intend to abandon their own system Secretary general Manfred Werner told the Royal ins dilute of inter National relations in Brussels. On inc contrary the Basic objective is to mate the present system work More efficiently and thus to enhance the credibility and authority of the communist Wornor former West German defense minister said the Wisl should Welcome soviet Reform programs that Promise greater Freedom for citizens. It is nol in our interest to Sec the present Reform programs fail he said. Stable and improved relations will re quire predictability in the behaviour of All countries Wimer said in prepared remarks that soviet Leader Mikhail s. Gorbachev faces considerable problems in his efforts to modernize the soviet society. But he pursues his objective with Energy and determination As last week s events in Moscow Gorbachev late last week led the most dramatic political changes in soviet leadership of his 3 it years in Power including his election As inc country s president to replace Andrei Gromyko. In addition Gorbachev has pushed policies of glasnost. Or openness and perestroika or Reform. He also has pressed for improved relations with the United Stales and other members of the16-nation nato defense Alliance. President Reagan and Gorbachev last december signed the intermediate Range nuclear forces treaty Hal provides for elimination Over three years of medium Range nuclear weapons. East and West negotiators also Are pursuing discussions on reducing conventional arms in Europe there can be no double that there has been a shift in soviet attitudes and positions w8mcr said. Nevertheless the present picture is a mixed one. There is still More Conli Noily than change. The soviets arc More actively pursuing arms control. At the same time the modernization of nuclear As Well As conventional forces facing Europe continues unabated. There is a Strong push for economic Reform he said. But military expenditures remain at a level far beyond defensive he defended nato against criticism Hal in has been slow to respond to Gorbachev s push and lacks a comprehensive strategy for pursuing East West relations. I strongly disagree with this perception. The achievements of the last few years have come in response to our proposals and he said. Wornor said inc Wisl should encourage cast bloc leaders in heir policy changes and be ready for greater cooperation. But in inc. End he said developments will depend on these leaders themselves and in particular on inc so Viels. They Musl demonstrate he said that they Are not merely seeking a breathing space but a permanently improved relationship Between Easl and Wesl Al a lower and Mare balanced level of study to explore Sites for commissary Center by Athington Doke Bureau the army and air Force commissary systems will look Al possible locations for a Central distribution Center in Europe in a study scheduled to Start m Jan uary army commissary officials said. A Central distribution Point overseas conceivably could Cut order and shipping Lime for goods and improve item availability and Stock control capabilities. By buying in the larger quantities the Central distribution Center should obtain a better Price from the manufacturer companies said Flo Dunn spokeswoman for the . Troop support Agency Headquarters in fort Lee a. Inventory Levels reduction would result by ordering for the one the study which must be completed by july is expected to pinpoint a site and determine operating procedures for a facility thai would Irve Boih services commissary systems overseas. One question to be addressed is whether such a facility should be owned by the . Government or a contractor Dunn said. The study also contains option for the contractor to study requirements for other distribution centers in inc United kingdom the Mediterranean and Pacific regions. Because the contract for the study will be award Edlo a commercial contractor by competitive bid no Cost has Yel been determined for the research. The army and air Force will split the costs of the european study but the costs of studying the of her areas will be divided by percentage based on the num Ber of commissaries each service Branch has in a Given Region Dunn said. The Navy is nol participating. The european project led the army to Shelve plans temporarily for a cd neral distribution Center at fort Gillem a because overseas needs arc considered to be critical especially with the do valuation of the Dollar in Europe Dunn said. The proposed Center Al fort Gillem would Nave served 10 army commissaries within a 250-Mik radius. Dunn said the data gained through the european study May be useful in planning for the Fon Gillem project at a later Date although a study costing $198,000 already had been done on inc stateside distribution Center
