European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 21, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday August 21,1989 the stars and stripes Pago 5 Navy cargo ship at Center of storm Waits at Virginia pier for Call that May never come by George c. Wilson the Washington past Norfolk. A. From a distance the ship at the heart of a $ i billion argument in Congress and a policy debate within the Bush administration looks plenty big enough for the part. The Navy cargo vessel Denebola is 946 feet Long just a Little Shorter than an aircraft Carrier and has a High deck that stands out against the flatness of the Tidewater. It wails at a pier Here month after month for a Call to Send it racing toward a War. If War broke out in Europe the army would cram tons of tanks helicopters and ammunition into the cavernous holds of the Denebola and order capt. C. R. Burton to push his 55,000-ton ship across the Atlantic at 33 knots. The Navy bought the Denebola and seven sister ships of the sl-7 class from commercial opera tors who found them too expensive to operate when the Price of Oil shot up. Today with soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev s political and economic reforms making real peace seem More Likely to break out than real War in Europe the Denebola and sister ships waiting for Calls to Mili tary duty resemble stately ladies All dressed up with no place to go. But rep. John i. Murtha d-pa., chairman of the House defense appropriations subcommittee and his allies do not Sec the ships that Way at All. They argue that now is the time to buy More of them. With . Troops coming out of Europe and America s Nat partners letting Down their guard goes their argument if hostilities suddenly threaten the United Stales must have High Speed cargo ships to Rush tanks and other heavy gear to strengthen the thinned front line of com Bat forces. In an attempt to Force this rationale on president Bush the subcommittee took the unusual step of add ing $ i billion for sea lift to the Pentagon s fiscal 1990 appropriations Bill even though the House armed services committee had not authorized the action. The full House went along with the $1 billion addition and the Senate will address the Issue when it resumes its session after labor Day. The House passed measure Calls for spending $1 billion on four fast cargo ships like the Denebola an two fast tankers. The House appropriations commit tee report also urged the Navy to request Money to build at least three fast sea lift ships  Burton. 40 years a merchant Sailor and hardly an unbiased source welcomed the action but vice adm. Paul d. Butcher commander of the military Scal Ift come. Questioned whether this is the Best Way to resuscitate the nation s ailing merchant Marine. "1 Don t understand the thinking in Washington said Burton who threw his hands up in frustration during an interview on his ship which can be operated by a Crew of 24 compared to the 5,000-Man Crew of an aircraft Carrier. How much is that Pentagon budget $300 billion you mean to Tell me they can t spend one half of i percent of that $300 billion to save our merchant Marine you can t count on other nations to let us use their ships. We May not be Able 19 pull it off the next time he said in regard to Patching together a cargo Fleet Early in a War to Supply fighting forces. But in a separate interview Butcher said that while he shares Burton s frustration it was his opinion that buying More Dan ebola was the wrong Way to spend the a billion the House has earmarked for sea lift. Declaring that the soviet military threat is diminish ing while the economic threat to the United states is increasing Butcher said he was More worried about economic warfare than military warfare. Citing the growing economic Competition from Japan and the integrated Market known As the euro Pean Community scheduled to go into operation on Jan. 1. 1993, Butcher said what happens to us if Japan or european nations suddenly refuse to trans port our exports and imports in their ships we just Don t have enough ships of our own to Lake  Butcher said the number of merchant ships flying the . Flag that could be used to Supply fighting forces in wartime or break an economic boy Coll in peacetime has dropped from 5,000 during world War ii. To 900 during the Vic Nam War to 422 Loday to the Prospect of "200 or less by 2000 unless we do some thing today he said Only 4 per cent of . Export and import cargo is carried in . Flag ships. We be just got to revitalise our merchant  rather than spend $1 billion to buy four Dan Colas which Burn too much fuel to be operated economically by commercial shipping companies. Butcher asked Why not use that is billion to build ships that arc practical in peace Lime but could be taken Over in War Lime he said requiring the defense department to ship a Percy Niagu of its cargo in american Flag merchant ships would help revitalize the shipping Industry. Other Federal incentives Are under consideration As part of the Bush administration s crafting of a National maritime Strain by. Asked if he feared that a Lack of . Merchant ships might encourage the soviet Union or another nation to organize an economic Boycott against shipping u. S. Goods similar to the Arab Oil Boycott in 1973. Butcher replied thai s a dynamite  recent congressional hearings on the Pentagon s $305 billion budget suggested that when it comes to the merchant Marine and the question of getting Amer ican Beans and bullets from Here to there in a War Many military and political leaders feel As frustrated As docs Burton. We have a maritime situation in a maritime nation that has been badly decimated lamented Marine maj. Gen. Henry c. Stackpole Iii the Atlantic come s planning and policy director before the so talc armed services commit lec. We depend on 50 percent of our shipping for Europe coming from  sen. John Mccain r-ariz., said he is tired of hear ing about the problem bul not inc solution telling military commanders at the witness table we Are either going to have to Stop saying thai this is an Issue of critical importance and Pul our Money where our Mouth is or just accept the situation As it  Street explosion kills 2 steam cascades from a Bole after an explosion ripped open a Manhattan the blast at 20th Street near third Avenue apparently occurred when pipes burst near where Utility workers had Street saturday killing two people in burst. Luring 19 others and forcing the Gracua been working on a steam line a con Tion of hundreds of nearby residents sol dated Edison co. Spokesman said. Syracuse u. To offer Lockerbie scholarships Syracuse . A Syracuse University will select iwo slide nos each year from Lockerbie. Scotland for scholarships to inc school in memory of ihe35 Syracuse students who died in a de Cember plane crash near the Village. The first students to receive the one year full scholarships will arrive at Syra Cuse in the fall Samuel Gorvitz Dean of the College of arts and sciences said Friday. The Lockerbie scholars program will Honor the memory of the 35 Syracuse students and the 11 Lockerbie residents who were among the 270 people killed in the dec. 21 crash of pan am flight 103. Investigators blame a terrorist bomb for the crash of the Boeing 747. Two Lockerbie officials Drew Blake principal of Lockerbie Academy and Ken Mac cod a regional education official in Scotland were in Syracuse for the announcement. Lockerbie Academy has 800 student sages 12 through 18. One of its students was killed when right 103 exploded Over Lockerbie another student lost his family in the tragedy. Students entering their last year at the Academy will be eligible for the scholarship program Blake said. The students will attend Syracuse for one academic year and then return to enter a University in Scotland he said. Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today aug. 21, 1949 in testimony before the House armed services committee Gen. . Arnold said the soviet Union s fear of strategic bombing made the air Force and the atomic bomb a winning  30 years ago today. Aug. 21, 1959 negotiators for the United slates and the Philippines reported in Manila the signing of an agreement calling for the relinquish mint of 17 . Military bases in the country but also the retention of four major installations. 20 years ago today. Aug. 21, 1969 Mississippi authorities reported the death loll from Hurricane Camilla had risen to 240 and estimated several Hundred More might have been killed in the storm. 10 years ago today. Aug. 21,1979the defense ministry said flight Security measures had been Lightc Nydin West German airspace after crashes involving iwo . Air Force Sci fighters in nine Days