European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 30, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 the stars and stripes wednesday August 30,1989 news updates Farmers demonstrate Belgrade Yugoslavia a about 5,000 Farmers from the breadbasket province of Vojvod Ina on monday rallied in front of the Federal parliament to demand higher Selling prices for their produce. The Farmers Are angry about the government s attempts to control runaway inflation by forcing food prices  monday s rally in a driving rain Farmers demanded that state controlled food prices cover the Cost of production. It is cows which should be milked not peasants said one sign. After paying taxes the peasant has Only his underpants read another. Farmers in Yugoslavia s largest Republic of Serbia of which Volvo Dina is a part objected to a recent government decision to flood the Market with cheap flour wheat sugar and other foods from Federal stockpiles to try to halt constant Price rises on those items. War games wind up Baan Khao sap Thailand american and thai troops launched from warships offshore assaulted a Beach tuesday on the Gulf of Thailand to Climax six weeks of War  thousand local villagers watched As troops and tanks landed before Sunrise from amphibious Craft. Helicopters clattered Over head providing simulated support. A statement said 4,000 . Marines and naval personnel from both countries joined in the exercise code named thalmay thai 89, which included Maneu vers on land after the Landing. The statement said the exercise was intended to strengthen combat effectiveness and cooperation be tween the two countries. 22 hindus killed Amritsar India a masked sikh gunmen raided a Pas Senger train in Punjab state and killed at least 22 hindu passengers a senior police official said tuesday. At least 30 others were wounded in the attack on the Surat arh to Bhat Inda train late sunday said . Gill director general of police in the Northern state. Nato soldiers gun barrel could Bend expert claims by Dave . Bureau nato soldiers armed with 5.56mm Light machine guns could discover in the heat of Battle that their gun barrels Bend according to the editor of the latest Edi Tion of Jane s infantry weapons. In the foreword to the 850-Page Book published wednesday Ian v. Hogg criticized the Alliance s Choice made almost a decade ago of the 5.56mm machine gun. The decision is the biggest bloody mistake an army Ever made he told the stars and stripes. Hogg a former teacher at the British Royal military College of science who has served As editor of the authoritative reference work since 1983, believes a new gun barrel should be found for the weapons. The barrels Are used on such weapons As the m249 squad automatic weapon a Light machine gun that can fire up to 1,000 rounds per minute. The gun issued by four nato armies including the United states Hogg said. Six nato countries Belgium Italy West Germany Spain Britain and the United states use 5.56mm machine guns. Hogg who served for 27 years As an artillerymen in the British army said the designs of the barrels make them prone to Wear after about 5,000 rounds have been fired through them. He said an infantryman can go through that Many bul lets in an afternoon. A machine gun in a Lively defensive Battle can dispose of 5,000 rounds within a Day quite easily Hogg wrote. If the weapon has a Quick change barrel and a couple of spare barrels this becomes less  Hogg said the problem with the barrels starts when they heal up in use and Bend causing the gun to lose accuracy. The rifling or the twist in the barrel that spins the bullets As they leave the barrel May be the source of the prob lems Hogg said. He thinks the answer could be in changing the rifling pattern or in using new barrel materials such As ceramics. There Are no similar problems in larger Caliper machine guns. Hogg said gun designers and manufacturers Are not sure Why the problems occur with this Caliper. The . Army has not experienced any serious problems with barrel Warp ing in the 5.56mm m249 squad Auto Matic weapon said an official with the army armament munitions and Chemi Cal come in Rock Island 111. The official who asked not to be identified said the army has documented Only two incidents of barrel warping in the weapon. Both occurred at the end of training exercises when troops linked up 1,000 to 1,500 rounds of ammo and held the trigger Down. That s really abuse of the weapon the official said. You do that with any weapon and the barrel will melt. That s just a Law of  in infantry units he said the troops who haul squad automatic weapons Are Given 600 rounds As their Basic Load and the doctrine in the Field manuals is that soldiers should fire five to eight round bursts or up to 80 rounds per minute. In that Type of sequence no one will have problems he said. He disputed Hogg s assertion that a Soldier in modern combat which is built around tank warfare might shoot up 5,000 rounds in an afternoon. Situations like that May have occurred in the korean War when . Troops were faced with Waves and Waves of chinese he said. But we really did t see that Type of combat in world War ii. And in Vietnam where we had the Jungle environment you were Lucky to even see a target he said the army leadership is consid ering a plan to provide soldiers with second barrel for the squad automatic weapon As part of their Basic Load. The Marine corps already does so. The army gives m-60 gunners a Sec Ond barrel and the official said training in changing barrels quickly is emphasized. Political columnist Joseph Alsop Dies Washington a Joseph Alsop a political columnist for 37 years died monday at his Georgetown Home Here. He was 78. Alsop s health had been declining for several months said Patricia Alsop wife of his late brother Stewart. His death was attributed to lung cancer anaemia and emphysema mrs. Alsop said. The Alsop Brothers who began As new Deal liberals in the spirit of their Cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt but became More conservative in later years wrote a political column syndicated by the now defunct new York Herald Tribune. Alsop started his career As a newsman at the Herald Tribune after graduating from Harvard University in 1932. Five years later he began writing a political column for the North american newspaper Alliance. He wrote his first books the 168 Days and men around the president in 1938.he wrote several other books including we accuse with brother Stewart. Alsop wrote a column for the Herald Tribune with his brother from 1946 1958, at which time his brother joined the saturday evening Post. Joseph Alsop continued the column alone first for the Washington Post and later for the los Angeles times Syndicate. He also contributed articles for magazines including the new yorker. He retired from daily and weekly writ ing in 1974, the year Stewart died but continued to write books and articles. Alsop whose 17-year marriage to Susan Mary Alsop ended in 1978, had no children. The Avon Conn., native leaves two stepchildren William s. Patten of Cam Den Maine and Anne Mill Ikea of Salt Lake City a brother John Dekoven Alsop of old Lyme Conn. And a sister Corinne Chubb of Chester n j. 3 concert Tours in Europe cancelled Frankfurt West Germany kingdom come has cancelled its euro Pean Lour set for this fall because the band has split up promoters said tues Day. Lead Singer Lenny Wolf will keep the name of the hard Rock group and promoters said they expect him to form a new version of kingdom come. Promoters did not say Why the band broke up. Inner City also has cancelled its tour As has the group Deacon Blue. Canadian officer Dies during training Lahr West Germany a Canadian forces warrant officer died of an apparent heart attack tuesday morning while participating in a unit training March at Canadian forces base Lahr. Warrant officer Edward Peloquin 38, was an artillerymen assigned to the 1st regt Royal Canadian horse arty at Lahr a forces spokesman said. Peloquin is survived by his wife Danielle Roy and his Mother Flora Peloquin of Mont Magny Quebec. July sales of new Homes jumped 14.4% Washington a sales of new Homes shot up 14.4 percent in july the biggest increase in almost three years the government reported tuesday. The Commerce department said new single family Homes were sold at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 739,000 units fast month As the housing Industry continued to Benefit from falling Mort Gage rates. Mortgage rates which hit a Peak of 11.22 percent in March had dropped to 9.81 percent by the end of july giving a boost to a sector of the Economy that had been hard hit by rising rates earlier in the year. The july sales increase was the biggest 1986, ice menu the the h highest Rev cd for sales since Decem Ber 1986, when new Homes were sold at a rate of 784,000 units. The july increase was the third in the past four months following increases of 9.4 percent in april and 6.4 percent in May. Sales in june were revised to an annual rate of 646,000 units the same As the May level. The report on new Home sales Fol Lowed a report last Friday that sales of existing Homes also improved in july rising by 1.2 percent to an annual rate of 3.40 million units the second consecutive month that existing Home sales had risen. The Price of a new Home posted a modest decline in july. The median new Home Price fell 3.7 percent to $118.800. The median is the Point where half the Homes sold for More and half for less. The average Price of a new Home dropped an even sharper 7.8 percent to $143,300. The Boom in sales was  a huge 55.8 percent jump in activity in the Northeast where sales climbed to an an Nual rate of 120,000 units. That marked the biggest monthly increase m that re Gion Smice february 1982, when housing began to rebound from the last recession. Military reopens wan see hotel in Berlin berlins a the hotel at the . Military s wan see recreation area in Berlin has reopened after a three year $5 million renovation. The hotel is intended for department of defense personnel on temporary duty in Berlin. However travellers on leave May stay there on a space available basis. The four Story gothic building erected in 1886, is located on the grounds of the recreation area which includes a swimming Pool boat rental har Bor picnic area and Bike rental shop. The hotel renovation was paid for with so called occupation Cost funds West German Money provided to the american French and British forces to cover some of their operating expenses in Berlin. The hotel features 12 double rooms for $46 and four suites for $52. Breakfast is included Kitchen and laundry facilities Are also provided for hotel guests. The facility includes two meeting rooms with audiovisual capability and a dining room that seats 40. _ toy reservations Are taken at ets 332-6654 monday through thursday from 8 15 . To 4 . And fridays from 8 15a.m. To 2 30 . Travellers on leave May make reservations for the transient bulletin Gjacob ties in Berlin which also include the Hamack and Dahlem guest houses by calling 332-6690