European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 22, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday september 22, 1989 the stars and stripes Page 3 Windshield Viper a 5-foot-Long poisonous Snake Peers from the steering wheel of Josafa Bispo de Lima s cat tuesday in Sao Paulo Brazil. De Lima says that since he started leaving the Snake inside no one has tried to steal the radio or i Levison set he has in the car. Healthy growth of Economy confirmed in quarterly report Washington a the . Economy grew Al a healthy annual rate of 2.5 percent from april through june slightly slower than previously believed the government said thursday. In its final look at Overall economic activity in the Spring the Commerce department said growth in the Gross National product was 0.2 percentage Point lower than it estimated a month ago. The Small downward revision did nothing to change the View that the Economy was performing remarkably Well during the Spring bolstered by a rebound in con Sumer spending Strong business investment and continued double digit growth in . Exports. Many economists believe that growth will slow Dur ing the second half of the year. However the momentum provided by the second Quarter erased fears that the country was in danger of toppling into a recession. The Gnu revision also bore Good news for the fed eral Reserve Board s goal of restraining inflation. A Price Index tied to the Gnu Rose at an annual rate of s percent from april through june a bit lower than the estimate a month ago. The Overall growth rate of 2.5 percent represented a modest downward revision from a 2.7 percent rate estimated a month ago. However both estimates were Well above the initial government projection which had put Gnu growth at an anaemic 1.7 percent rate in the second Quarter. Before the first Gnu estimate was revised there was widespread concern that a yearlong Effort by the fed to Dampen inflationary pressures was going to push the country into a recession. The Gnu is the nation s total output of goods and services and its broadest measure of economic health. In a companion report the government said after tax profits of . Corporations fell 7.2 percent in the second Quarter an even bigger drop than the 5.4 per cent after tax profit estimated a month ago. The fed reported on wednesday that the Economy started the second half of the year with its growth mixed ranging from slow to modest from Region to Region. Other recent government reports also indicate More sluggish growth in the months ahead. I basically Sec us muddling along without falling into a recession said Samuel d. Kahan. Chief financial economist for Kleinwort Benson government Securi ties inc. In Chicago. There la be a Little weakness Here a Little there but nothing really to collapse us one Way or the  he said. Nevertheless the peacetime record of economic expansion appears Likely to reach its seventh year in no vember. On an annual basis the Economy grew Al a 3.1 per cent annual rate during the first six months of the year. The administration is predicting Gnu growth of 2.9 percent for All of 1989. In contrast to past Overly optimistic economic fore casts by the Reagan administration the Bush Outlook is generally viewed As Well within grasp. Indeed the Gnu will Only need to expand at an annual Rale of 2.3 percent in the second half to reach that goal. The Rea sons for the modest revision in the second Quarter Gnu were slightly smaller Levels of government an consumer spending than estimated a month ago. But even with the revisions consumer spending which accounts for two thirds of All economic activity Rose Al a solid annual rate of 1.9 percent. Other areas of strength came from a big 8.6 percent increase in business spending on investment and a 13.1 percent Rise in american exports the third consecutive Quarter in which exports have climbed at a double digit rate. Pravda apologizes for article on Yeltsin Moscow a the communist party newspaper pravda made a rare pub Lic apology thursday for printing an article that accused political Maverick Boris n Yeltsin of indulging in a boozing and buy ing spree during his . Tour. It said the reporter who wrote the Story had t seen the purported Binge himself but relied instead on a . Newspaper re port and hearsay. On monday pravda reprinted an article published by the italian newspaper la re Publica that said Yeltsin had departed the United states leaving a Wake of catastrophic prophecies insane expenses inter views and above All the perfume of Jack Daniel s Black Label whiskey. A flushed and angry Yeltsin called the charges garbage within minutes of re Luming to Moscow monday night. The so Viet legislator accused pravda of seeking revenge for the fact americans received us with  the communist party daily thursday said it had instructed its Washington correspondent v. Linnik to Contact the la re Publica reporter who wrote the original article Vittorio Zucconi. And Check its accuracy. Asked whether he stood by the authenticity of everything he wrote about . Yeltsin in his article Zucconi said he had based it on secondary sources on a Story that appeared in the Washington Post on Cpl. 13 headlined with Drunken embraces towards the capitalists and the Tes Timony of soviet emigres who heard talk of Yeltsin s conduct in Baltimore pravda said. The pravda editorial Board then offered its apologies to Yeltsin but seemed to do it grudgingly. But pravda s apology came at the Bot Tom of Page 7. Of eco that fell in med believed to be from israeli space launching London a a reported ballistic missile plunge into the Mediterranean last week was More Likely the failed second stage of an israeli satellite launch according to Jane s defence weekly. The soviet news Agency Tass reported that Israel launched a ballistic missile with an 800-mile Range into the Mediterranean Between Libya and Greece a week ago. Israeli officials neither confirmed nor denied the launch. In its latest Issue available thursday Jane s said it seems unlikely Israel would have chanced such along Range firing into the Mediterranean because of the heavy shipping in the area and because of greek is lands close to the maximum Range in the general direction of the reported  Jane a a journal of military affairs said it Learned that the launch of an israeli rocket carrying a satellite was planned for about the same time As the incident reported by Tass. Israel launched its first satellite a year ago. Jane s said Israel has conducted at least three test firings into the Mediterranean of a series of ground to ground missiles but Only to ranges of up to 510  said longer Range testings arc believed to have taken place in South Africa. 2 die in explosion of Kc-135 Tanker Fairbanks Alaska a an Alaska air National guard Tanker aircraft exploded and burned at Eilson fab killing two people the air Force said. The five others aboard received minor injuries. Sgt. Gene Ladoucer said the Kc-135 plane apparently was taxiing to its parking space when the explosion occurred about 3 . On wednesday. The fire which destroyed the plane was reported extinguished within two hours. Two firefighters from base 26 Miles Southeast of Fairbanks were also treated for minor injuries officials said. The cause of the explosion was not immediately known. An air Force safely Board will investigate the blast Ladoucer said. Five of the seven people aboard were Crew Mem Bers and the two others were military passengers Ladoucer said. Names were withheld. The plane used for Midnight refuelling was return ing from a routine training Mission sgt. Walt Johnson said. He said he did not know How much fuel was  Boeing built aircraft 134 feet Long and with a a windowless fuselage was part of the 168th air refuel ing so at Eilson. Times a Changin a Man holds a giant Wristwatch Over his Bac while he checks the Lime on Europe s biggest clock in Ccray Saini Christophe France near Paris. Both clocks of course will have to returned Back an hour this sunday when Daylight saving time ends