European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 04, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes thursday May 4.1989 lawmakers fearing Giveaway of vital data plan fax fight Washington a some members of con Gress Hope to halt president Bush s plans to co produce a new Jet fighter with Japan saying it would shut Down american industries by giving vital . Technology to the japanese. But key congressional leaders said the votes May not be available to override Bush s expected veto of an congressional Resolution disapproving the agreement for production of the fax fighter an advanced version of the f-16. Bush administration sources said the White House is reasonably convinced that it has sufficient sup port in Congress to prevent passage of the disapproval resolutions in the first place. Rep. Richard Gephardt do. Has said that a two thirds majority probably cannot be mustered in the House to override a veto and Senate majority Leader George Mitchell of Maine said that that was probably the Case in the Senate As Well. It s a Good Deal for us and we re going to do our Best to hold the president s position the Senate re publican Leader Bob Dole of Kansas said after a meet ing at the White House. Dole said he believes there arc at least 34 votes in the Senate to sustain a presidential veto. Meanwhile the general accounting office the chief congressional watchdog Agency has challenged one of the Bush administration s arguments for going ahead with the fax Deal according to the new York  Gao has concluded that the technology the United states is expected to receive from Japan i already Well known to the american aircraft Industry and in some cases is 10 years old the times reported in its wednesday editions. The Gao findings which arc being provided to legislators in classified briefings this week arc expected to be revealed in an unclassified version at a hearing next tuesday of the Senate foreign relations committee. Several senators and House members said they plan an All out attack on the co production agreement. If this Deal is not killed by Congress we Are enter ing into an agreement with a country that has made it a prime Industrial policy to shut Down american industries sen. Alan Dixon d-iii., said. We have signed an agreement with a country whose government and industries keep Domestic prices High so the japanese can sell their products lower in our country he said. In the House rep. Mel Levine d-Calif., said the fax arrangement will Hurt . Competitiveness in aerospace by giving the japanese advanced . Technology on the integration of aerospace systems. 25 sifters at seance fail to lure Houdini from the chains of death Marshall Mich. A sixty three years after his death escape artist Harry Houdini pulled off an other one. He eluded curls by fans of magic to Contact him through a seance conducted by Kreskin an entertainer who says he has special Powers of mental telepathy. Locks jiggled and hands of seance Sillers quivered tuesday bul Neil her Houdini nor his wife Beatrice spoke to the 25 people at the american museum of magic hoping to hear from them.  we really have no evidence that we communicated with the spirit world Kreskin said. But Kreskin said he will try to remedy that by offer ing is million to anyone who can pass a test designed to provide evidence of psychic Phenomena. Museum owner Robert Lund who organized the seance said he had hoped to get through to Houdini by first reaching Houdini s Wile whom Houdini had promised to Contact from the grave. Houdini died oct. 31, 1926, in Detroit after his appendix ruptured. His wife died in 1943. Nine people including a retired judge and an assist ant fire chief sat expectantly amid Houdini mementos photos of Houdini and his wife a will written by mrs. Houdini on the train Back to new York Wilh her husband s body and a Large Iclal milk can from which Houdini escaped during his act. A Large poster of Houdini from 1911 Hung above their Heads. They closed their eyes held hands and turned their Palms up As Kreskin slowly counted to 20 and urged them to think about mrs. Houdini. We re waiting for some sign but that sign can be within us As Well As outside of us he said adding that the sign could be shaking hands or feel ing a Breeze. One woman said her left hand went numb an other woman Felt Cool and a third said she Felt hot. One Man s hand Shook and a padlock on Houdini s Metal can jiggled. Kreskin and Lund had promised no trickery but Harry Houdini sceptics in the audience con landed that the padlock jiggled Only because the wooden platform on which in was placed was Usla blk. Such physical reactions can l be proved and could be the result of suggestion Kreskin said. Darn it. There is no Way on the face of the each of proving spiritual Islic Phenomena he said. Still Lund expressed no disappointment. It was successful in terms of gelling a lot of press attention and people Here whether it was successful in contacting mrs. Houdini i Don t know that we contacted mrs. Houdini Lund said. One thing he is sure of Houdini would have liked in. I think he would have turned to the Laic show Man George m. Cohan and said say i really pulled in off George. Do you think you could do As Well " Lund said. Stateside extra checks received but they can t be cashed Little Rock Ark. A some of the slate s poor opened their monthly Benefit checks this week and got a Surprise an extra Check. But they can t Cash in on the Windfall because the extra checks belong to other recipients of the Aid to families with dependent children pro Gram. The program sends out 23,000 checks totalling $4.5 million a month. The problem Likely was caused by a mail sort ing machine at a company that has the contract for sorting mail and stuffing envelopes for the program said Kenny Whitlock who directs the department of human services division that administers the program. If the suction cups of the mail sorting machine come Down on computer holes on the checks the suction picks up not Only the in tended Check but also the one behind it Whit lock said. The problem has surfaced in at least six counties but it May be More widespread said Whitlock. San Jose s population passes san Francisco s Sacramento Calif. A quite a few people know the Way to san Jose. The City once Best known As the prune capital of the world has surpassed san Francisco to become califor Nia s third largest City a state report says. San Jose which lies at the heart of the High tech Silicon Valley Region grew by 10,000 in 1988 to a total population of 738,400, according to the recent report by the state finance depart ment s demographic research unit. San Francisco declined by 4,800 people to a population of 731,700 As of Jan. 1, state officials said. At the beginning of 1988, san Francisco had 736,500 residents 8,200 More than its san fran Cisco Bay rival 40 Miles to the South. Now 6,700 More people live in san Jose. Los Angeles the state s largest City grew 1 percent to 3.4 million while the second largest san Diego increased 2.7 percent to 1.09 million. Reputed mobster found dead in Chicago jail Chicago a a reputed mobster died tuesday shortly after he was found in a jail Shower his head encased in plastic bags and a rope around his neck authorities said. The Shower door at the Federal metropolitan correctional Center was locked from the inside. Gerald Scarpelli s death is being investigated As a suicide said Fri agent Bob Long. Scarpelli 51, was awaiting trial on weapons charges and allegations that he was planning to Rob a jewelry store in Bradley about 35 Miles South of Chicago. Court documents indicate that on the Day after he was arrested last july Scarpelli signed a Handwritten statement admitting participation in four Gangland assassinations. Most of his statements remain sealed but a summary of them filed in Federal court indicate that Scarpelli told the Fri a great Deal about the Workings of the mob. Cheney lifts ban on attending soviet functions Washington a defense Secretary Dick Cheney has quickly rescinded a 9-year-old ban on department of de sense personnel attending soviet functions held in the United slates on May Day and other special occasions. The decision disclosed tuesday by de sense sources and confirmed by the Penta gon s chief spokesman was announced in an april 27 memorandum that was distributed throughout the . Armed forces. The memo said Cheney lifted restrictions on attendance by department of defense personnel at soviet receptions or other functions in the United states to Mark May Day or Victory in Europe  the ban was imposed after the soviet invasion of Afghanistan in de Cember 1979. Dan Howard the Pentagon s chief spokesman said the decision simply reflected the soviet Union s recent withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. A similar restriction on High level state department personnel was lifted in mid february according to administration sources. That was Why . Ambas Sador Jack Matlock viewed the May Day festivities in Moscow on monday fro the official diplomatic review stand the first time that has been done in 10years, the sources said. According to cmdr. Mel Sundin another Pentagon spokesman Active duty and civilian defense officials were specifically barred in Early 1980 from accepting invite Lions to functions on four key soviet Mili tary observances soviet National Day in november armed forces Day in february May Day on May 1 and Victory in Europe Day on May 9. The ban was imposed by the Carter administration just after the invasion and has been rigidly enforced Ever since said a defense official who re Quested anonymity. The first change in that enforcement occurred last november when some re sri Lions were relaxed governing soviet National Day and armed forces Day observances Sundin said. At the time the soviets had agreed under . Auspices to withdraw their troops from Afghanistan. Now that the withdrawal is Complete Cheney has lifted All the restrictions Sundin added. Cheney s decision was disclosed just a few Days after he made headlines by predicting that soviet Leader Mikhail s. Gorbachev s efforts to overhaul the soviet Economy would fail. Gorbachev who got the soviet troops out of Afghanistan is Likely to fail with his restructuring efforts and be replaced by a Leader far More hostile to the West Cheney said in a to interview broadcast last saturday