European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 01, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 24 the stars and stripes thursday. June 1, 1989 . Eases visa rules for 6 Europe nations by Chuck v1ncii Washington Bureau Washington citizens of six european coun tries soon will no longer need visas to enter the United slates for Short business or pleasure visits a state department official said wednesday. The six countries arc West Germany. Italy France the Netherlands. Sweden and Switzerland spokeswoman Nyda Novodvorsky said. They will join the United kingdom. Japan and Canada As the Only countries whose Citi cons Don t need . Visas she said. Novodvorsky s statement followed announcements by president hush during his european tour that the visa requirement would be removed for Italy and West Germany. The relaxed requirements Are part of a Pilot pro Gram being tested to reduce the manpower and paper work needed to process visitors into the United states through the customs service and the immigration service Novodvorsky said. The new rules will not take effect until the state department works nut details with the foreign govern ments she said. We re hoping to do that within the next few  she said. The Way it looks now. The rules will be that a per son s passport expiration Date can t be less than six months from Date of entry into the United slates the person must have a round trip ticket and the visit must be for no More than  the United kingdom was the first country to be come part of the Pilot program last july followed by Japan in december. Canadian citizens have never needed . Visas. The eight countries were picked because they Are among those with the highest number of visitors to the United states Novodvorsky said. Word that the United states will drop visa require ments for French Citi cons is Welcome news for . Travellers to that country As Well. Novodvorsky said. President hush Divi s into a sea of Palms us he is erected by Well wishers in Khein Muin a crowd. Is i. Emolt Luwis or. Gis from Page 1 and applause when Bush said he had had a successful european trip and then added eat your hearts out. On Friday i la be returning to the Good Ole .a." the presidential plane touched Down at London s Heathrow Airport at 6 30 . Wednesday after a Short flight from West Germany a reported Bush is to meet with British prime minister Marga ret Thatcher thursday morning at no. 10 Downing Street and have lunch with the Royal family at bucking Ham Palace later in the Day. The Frankfurt High school band and the ambassadors a part of the Safe band entertained the crowd while they waited More than two hours for the presi Dent s arrival. Young spectators munched on Popcorn and other treats while waiting. One youngster dancing to the bands music on the hot Asphalt apron where bleachers had been erected said to friends when s president Reagan coming when is president Reagan coming older members of the crowd knew exactly whom they had come to see. Asked about Bush s nato Summit successes capt. Ron act scr of the-55th aeromedical  so said he s All for troop cuts. "1 Don t think the russians will come Over and at tack us Fitzer said. As Long As there is balance i m All for  staff sgt. Robert Bandstra of the 608th consolidated main so Al rams Cin a said it May be time for some Small cuts however the other Side should Cut More. It is important that americans stay regardless of what to Unger germans want. We should stay to provide deterrent Force. It is a Good idea to follow up Mikhail Gorbachev s cutbacks but  earlier wednesday afternoon the president and first lady were guests on a Rhine River cruise. The two hour the French have had a visa requirement for . Cili ens for some time and we be been working to do away with thai but it s always been understood that it would be on a reciprocal basis she said. Now that we be announced our willingness to drop the visa requirement for French visitors to the United states we assume they will do the same for us shortly although they Haven t said anything  the Pilot program mandated by Congress last year is scheduled to run through the summer of 1990, Novodvorsky said. We Don t anticipate problems she said. If All goes smoothly this will just become a permanent policy for those eight countries once the test period  she said there arc no plans to expand the list of countries whose citizens would t need . Visas. If things work with this Pilot program i would assume we d think about doing that but that s Down the  trip began in of Cresel. Where Ute port the 24-year-old local wine festival Queen presented Bush with a huge Goblet of local riesling wine. The president took a drink then handed the Goblet to Chancellor Helmut Kohl. A few Miles North of of Cresel in St. Goals Hauson. Several Hundred people lined the Banks of the River hoping to catch a glimpse of the president As he cruised by on the party  few West germans had come just to see the Boatload of dignitaries while others vacationing in the wine Village came Over to find out what had drawn so Many West German Border police and do ens of helicopters. Gun her Lutjeharms of Bremen West Germany waited More than an hour to see the president he said he expects to be the Best Ever. The retired businessman who wore a Brown base Ball Cap with Wyoming printed across the front praised Bush for his proposals to Cut . Combat troops and  was very Good for him to do it like that. Now or. Gorbachev must do something. He the soviet presi Dent always talked and the West always stared like a hypnotized Chicken stares at a Snake. It became time for the West to take initiative and do something  on wednesday morning in Bonn first lady Barbara Bush and Hannelore Kohl wife of the West German Chancellor practice a bit of diplomacy themselves. The first lady presented the German people with an 8-foot wide slab of a giant Redwood tree Cut from the six Rivers National Forest in Northern California. In a Brief ceremony at Rheinauer Park overlooking the Rhine River Bush said she hoped the gift would be seen for years to come As a Symbol of German american  Redwood is intended to Mark Bonn s 2,000th anniversary which is being celebrated this year with the 40lh anniversary of the founding of West Ger Many. The slab was mounted on its Side atop an Oak platform to display its rings with Small brass plaques embedded in the Wood to note important Dales in Bonn s history. Contributing to this Repon state Wittas Jimi a Orts at rein main and and a Csomay Sawyer in St Golf Hausen Wost Gor Nany Bush from Page 1 rope he said. Nowhere is the division of East and West More noticeable than in Berlin where a brutal Wall cuts neighbor from neighbor and brother from brother Bush said. Thai Wall stands As a Monument to the failure of communism. It must come   Berlin be next he said to enthusiastic applause. Hush proposed that Berlin become a Center of com Merce and cooperation instead of confrontation. Bring glasnost to East Berlin he said referring to the soviet policy of openness. Challenging the soviet Union to move quickly to reduce the armed Camp atmosphere in Europe. Bush repeated the measures he proposed at the nato sum Mit for cuts in . And soviet combat troops in Europe and negotiated and Mutual reductions in tanks artillery armoured personnel carriers combat aircraft and helicopters. He told the leaders of the East that they were unleashing a Force they will find difficult to Channel or control the hunger for Liberty of oppressed Peoples who have tasted  Bush reiterated an earlier Call for the soviet Union and its allies to open their skies to reciprocal unarmed surveillance flights to Monitor military activities. He also called for a ban on chemical weapons. Let the soviets know that our goal is not to under mine their legitimate Security interests. Our goal is to convince them step by step that their definition of Security is obsolete that their deepest fears arc in  finally in the spirit of cooperation Between Eastern and Western Europe Bush offered technical training assistance in drafting Laws and regulations and new technologies for tackling environmental problems in Eastern Europe. I invite the environmentalists to visit the West to share knowledge so we can succeed in this great  Bush said that Over the past 40 years nato had helped forge a second Renaissance of Europe pro Viding the Way to heal centuries old rivalries and begin an Era of reconciliation and restoration. The european Community s 1992 single Market plan will institutionalize what has been True for years Borders open to people Commerce and ideas. No Shadow of suspicion no sinister fear is cast Between you he said. Turning to the future Bush said forty years of cold War have tested Western resolve and the strength of our values. Nato s first Mission is now nearly com plete. But if we re to fulfil our european vision the Challenge of the next 40 years will ask no less of us. Together we shall answer that Call. The world has waited Long  speaking before Bush s address Carl Ludwig wag Ner governor of the German stale of Rheinland Pfalz noted the kinship Between his state and America As a result of the Large number of immigrants from the state to the United slates. But Wagner also mentioned the Burden his state bears including Low level military flights and the heavy concentration of troops in an area the size of new Jersey. He expressed Hope the German and Amer ican governments would find a solution to the problem. Introducing Bush West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl stressed the debt his c9untry owes the United states for enabling a free society to flourish after the devastation of world War ii. As for our common understanding of federalism we germans and americans Are probably closer to each other than Many other nations Kohl said