European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 16, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Paga 10 the stars and stripes Cal Urrih to Wicker just following orders is no defense for North Oliver North before inc bar of Justice seems a different Man from inc Oliver North who proudly slacked up his telegrams of approval before a wary committee of House and Senate poll Lician two years ago. As he twists and turns and gropes Tor some Means of saving himself from criminal conviction North strikes me at least As a More sympathetic figure than the arrogant Marine who lectured the nation on patriotism or the jealous White House aide who could hardly conceal his contempt for. Congress and the Law when either stood against his idea of the National interest. A lilt a humility never Hurt a Man. Nonh and his attorneys moreover have been Able to strongly suggest that presi Dent Reagan and vice president Bush were More intricately involved in the Iran Ciura fiasco than either has admitted or than the Tower commission reported. If thai suggestion holds up or is . I suggests in Librn that. North did have some reason to believe that he was acting under orders and that he really May be a Scapegoat. The Struc Ture of deniability thai vice Calm. John i o a dealer erected around Reagan. Looks shakier than Ever the picture. Painted by the Tower commission of an indolent president unaware of what sub. Ordinates were doing behind his Back further Clouds Over and it never was very convincing. Bush s claim that he was out of the Loop and uninformed about what was Goin on in the Navy we used to say "1 was to the head when it happened also has been undermined. If lie played the direct emissary s role in the illegal Effort  the con iras thai the Nonh defense has. Implied he has been staging a risky cover up and lying to those who elected him. Even if never proved As Long Jis Thim charge remains a possibility ii i a wild  his presidency that Reagan and Bush May be More culpable than previously known does hoi necessarily mean however thai Oliver North is innocent of any crime. It s not Clear Whitt a Good German defense of having merely followed orders should exonerate anyone particularly in inc Gigli position North occupied. Can a president order a sub Ordi talc to break the Law and thus cleanse the subordinate s act of criminality particularly if the order was not in writing or even spoken but was merely under stood Between them or along the Chain of command ". " on the other hand no one . Comfortable with the thought of such a subordinate going to jail or suffering some Oiler criminal penalty while1 Lite Man who gave or implied the order makes big Money on inc lecture circuit. North moreover is charged with Al. Leas one criminal Al making false statements to Congress thai in diff cult to Ucli Mil or even define. Is in making a false statement to con Gress if an official is lifting about an administration program docs not Tell the whole truth or if by inc adroit use of statistics or language he knowingly makes something look better or worse than an impartial judgment might War rant is a exaggerated claim a tie a diplomatic denial what if one witness testifies while and another swears Black is either necessarily lying or both. Thai kind of thing. I As common in Washington As tourists in shorts the Case of Richard Helms was a rare in stance of someone being prosecuted for a Missal Cmunt to Congress. A former Cia director,1 he was asked in 1973 if inc Agency had tried to overthrow the government  denied in. ,., / that was untrue an Helms Jator pleaded no contest to a charge of perjury he was not tried but paid a Fine and subsequently received much Honor in the capital for having tried to protect his Agency North s offence was equally specific he drafted letters to members of con Gress fatty denying that the administration was extending Aid to he contras at a Lime when Congress had prohibited such Aid. Those statements were false As North now  argues that they did not break the Law i did t think ii was High but i did l i Hank it was against inc Law to Send the misleading letters lie testified. Besides tie said he was instructed to write them by Robert Mcfarland then the National Security adviser despite protests North claims to have made. The alter were signed by Mcfarland. I if a jury nevertheless concludes that drafting the letters was criminal some future Oliver North who might otherwise believe it his duty to mislead Congress or who is ordered to do so May just say no particularly if he knows that he s Likely to be left to face the consequences  Donald m. Rothberg the Wright crisis How s it playing in Peoria the. Ohio democratic party chairman put. The Belt political face on the nerve wrenching drama sur rounding inc Speahr of tin House. My candidate for mayor of Toledo in t going to be Hurt by Jim Wnent he said. Hut Many democrats fear Wright s troubs Are their troubles. The Texas congressman h the party s highest rank ing elected official and one of its most Isik spake Inion. As such he ii an easy target for republicans their Louie leadership sharpened by he recent selection of Wright Tormentor ne1 Gingrich As gop whip. Among House democrats As Well As among party of culs across the country the concern was palp Abic thursday Ai it became Clear the House ethics commit tee was prepared to charge wrigb.1 with violating House rules i m not hearing much said Iowa democratic part chairman Bonnie Campbell when asked if Wright was becoming a political Issue in her state to the extent i do it s democrats fearing fit1 worst the speaker went on the offensive declaring that he was Eonik Loftt has in the w years 1 have been in inc Congress 1 have not \ Iola cd those Basic rules nor any commonly accepted Standard of ethical  he vowed to fight to the last ounce of conviction and Energy Lylial i to ass to Clear my Good  watching on  As. Wright defended himself was Charles Lii Thoad. Chairman of the Florida democratic party it certainly does t help is Whitehead said later. "11 gives the republicans an a fut Tot of  Jim Ruvolo Whitchead s Ohio counterpart said it obviously depends on the extent of the charges How seriously they re perceived in terms of his personal integrity i f lie makes a convincing Case that these arc minor infractions and he regrets them then they May nil have Jong  fac s unable to do that clearly then it s a problem for Democrat and Tomt democrats have to sit Down and talk to him about in Ruvolo said. The next couple of Days will Tell because it s going to be on the news  rep. Dale kind cd. D-msch., said i think there s deep concern both its to inc person of the speaker and the Congress itself. Agony is probably the Best  hut Greg schneiders a democratic political Consul Tant questioned whether there would be much Politi Cal Impact from Wright s problems. Voters Are so cynical about politicians in general thai whenever they hear about a politician doing some thing or being charged with unethical activity they say so what else is new the assume that about politicians until it gets to a Point where u is really unacceptable schneiders Sard. He said he does not believe the allegations against Wright have captured the Public imagination Whitehead disagreed about the depth of cynicism "1 Don t think if gotten that bad yet he said. They re cynical yes. They expect . And in Wright s defense 1 Lii he this will be played out of  when the speaker appeared before reporters to de fend himself he was flanked by inc House democratic leadership. House majority Leader Thomas Foley d Wash next in line to Wrigh said the speaker s arguments were very moving and very persuasive. Sup port for the speaker remains very very Strong indeed among Many democrats " asked whether he d be More comfortable with Wright or Foley speaking for his party Whitehead replied at this particular time i would fee much More comfortable if it was Tom Foley and i would think that any Democrat who would be honest and candid would say thai Dorund m. Roth Wirs i Cal Al