European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 16, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Drugs scarier than War notion says Washington a the american peo ple Are More worried about drugs than anything else and Ivor tougher Laws and periodic drag testing for people from All walks of life according to a Gallup poll released at the White  Are so disturbed about the dreg situation that 75 percent of All teen agers and nearly half of adults Are ready to Volunteer to help in drag Preven Tion programs education and treatment said Georgeh. Gallup co chairman of the Gallop organization As the study was released monday a record number of americans die the drug Cri Sis As the nation s top problem replacing the gun Sand butter issues of International tensions and eco nomic worries he said at a news conference also attended by William Bennett the National drug control , who in a few weeks will release the administration s strategy to combat the drug crisis said the poll shows that the american people have Given a very Clear sense of direction to  the poll taken in june and july 27 percent of the adults questioned selected drugs and drug abuses the most important problem Taring the country. Eight percent put poverty homelessness and hunger at the top 7 percent the Economy in general and 6 percent each for the Federal budget deficit and the environment fear of War the category listed the most worrisome by 27 percent of adults in 1985 and 23 percent in 1987, was listed first by Only 4 percent in the . Next came crime inflation other economic prob lems and a decline in morals each with 3 percent then abortion unemployment the Trade deficit an dissatisfaction with government at 2 percent and Quality of education 1 percent other problems or no opinion were died by the rest of the  abuse was listed by 32 percent of teen agers As the most important problem fading the country ahead of fear of War 14 percent economic issues 13 percent environment and pollution 7 percent Politi Cal issues 6 percent and aids 5 percent authorized unofficial publication for the . Armed forces vol.48, no. 121 wednesday August 16, 1 in Orrin d 8693 a miss congressman Dies in plane crash new Augusta miss. A a freshman con Gressman from Mississippi was found dead monday with his Pilot in the wreckage of a Small plane that crashed in a Forest. The plane carrying Republican Larkin Smith a for Mer sheriff known for Strong Law and order views Dis appeared sunday evening during a 90-mile night from Hattiesburg to Gulfport. He was the second congressman in a week to die Inan air Accident. A fellow Mississippi congressman said ironically his last conversation with Smith was . Rep. Mickey Leland a Texas who was killed in a plane crash aug. 7 in Ethiopia. Rep. . Sonny Montgomery d-miss., said hand Smith talked sunday about the loss of Leland. And i told Larkin that he should be careful in travel ing and performing his  rescuers spotted the wreckage of Smith s cessna177 from the air about 8 . Monday. Searchers had to bulldoze their Way to the wreckage in the thickly wooded Desoto National Forest 14 Miles South of new Augusta authorities said. The plane was All in pieces said Perry count Deputy sheriff Gene my acc. It appeared it entered a big Pine tree. There was no Way anyone could  Smith 45. Was elected to Congress in november from the Mississippi s Gulf coast District the 5th, taking the scat of fellow Republican Trent Lott who ran successfully for the . Senate. Before his Clicc i lion Smith was sheriff of Harrison county and be i fore that police chief of gut port. At the White House i spokesman Marlin Fitzwa itch said president Andi mrs. Bush deeply regret the i news of the death of can i Grussman Larkin Smith. I the president knew Andi supported congressman i Smith during his . Congressman Smith i was just beginning a prom Lising career in the con  nov. Ray Mabus or dered state flags to be flown at half staff saying Smith had dedicated his life to Public  Smith s scat will be filled by special  and his Pilot. Chuck Virling. Left Hattiesburg shortly after 9 . Sunday after Smith had thrown out the first baseball at the Dixie youth world series. John Walker a spokesman for the congressman said the plane went off radar at 9 25 . Skies were reported Clear in the area sunday night but former Hattiesburg mayor Bobby Chain said he flew in just before the crash and there was a thick hazmat 5,000 feet making it easy for a Pilot to lose his see crash on Back Page terrain delays recovery efforts from wire reports efforts continued tuesday to recover the bodies of rep. Mickey Leland and his 15 travelling companions who were killed aug. 7 when their plane struck a Cliff while in route to a sudanese Refuge Ecamp at fug Nido about 58 Miles West of the tiny ethiopian settlement of cure near where the crash occurred. The most difficult problem is the sit itself said air Force maj. Gen. James record commander of the operation. Because of the terrain the wreckage cannot be reached except by Means of lines suspended from helicopters. Four air Force Black Hawk helicopters with 250-foot lines will be used to put men on the site and to retrieve everything from it record said. He said recovery and identification of the bodies could take much of the rest of the week. In perfect weather he said the operation could be completed in one Day but in the usual wind fog and rain it could take at least another two Days. Meanwhile in Houston three City coun Cilmon with Strong tics to Leland Rod Ney Ellis Anthony Hall and Ben Reyes were being discussed As possible successors to the late congressman but observers said his seat could go almost uncontested to his widow Alison if she wants it. In the great Southern tradition it s the wife who would come Forward. If Mickey Leland s wife is in there you re not going Mohave anyone running against her Rice University political science professor Rob Ert Stein said. Mrs. Leland a 30-year-old investment banker is two months pregnant and has a 3-year-old . Bill Clements could schedule the election for Leland scat during the next regular election on nov. 7 or Call a Spe Cial election before then. So far he has not indicated his intentions. Record said insure that because the condition of the bodies is not yet known officials Are not sure How much Lei time will be needed to identify them. He said a 40-Membcr american medical team is standing by in Addis Ababa the ethiopian capital prepared to begin the id Chi fiction  said some details of the Accident May never be known including the weather at the time because there were no wit Nesses. The chief meteorological officer at Addis Ababa Airport the plane s departure Point said he had advised the plane s Pilot to cancel the flight because visibility along the entire flight path was poor. Record said one mystery about the crash is Why the plane s emergency Loca Tion transmitter a device designed to begin operating automatically upon the Impact of a crash failed to transmit. He said such transmitters work for 72 hours after a crash in 85 percent of the  kind of rough weather that had plagued the search delayed the recover operation for several hours monday. Military spokesmen said the four Blackhawk helicopters being used in the recovery efforts had flown Only 50 Miles West Faddis Ababa toward the crash site 210 Miles away before they ran into heavy fog and Low Clouds that forced them to return to  of them finally reached the site about 1 30 . While the other two did not make it to the crash site at All and spent most of the Day at a Remote ethiopian Village. "1 can Tell you we had a lot of apprehension about setting Down there said it. Col. John Taylor commander of one of the helicopters. We were armed men the town was t expecting us. We were in strange country and we did t know if the natives were  maj. Gen. James record