European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 08, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday february 8, 1990 the stars and stripes Page 5 Bush watches War game hails Gorbachev fort Irwin. Calif. Not president Bush stood on a Bleak my Java desert Ridge tuesday to watch american soldiers fight soviet tanks in a mock world War Iii Battle and to Hail president Mikhail s. Gorbachev for proposing an end to the communist party s constitutional monopoly on Power in the soviet Union. Despite the political upheaval in Eastern Europe. Bush said this was not a time to let Down our guard against a worldwide  i can speak for All americans when i say we Are pleased to see chairman Gorbachev s proposal to expand Steps toward pluralism in the soviet Union Bush said Over a radio link to the 2.689 soldiers who stopped their War for five minutes to listen to the commander in chief. It s especially encouraging to Sec anything which might bring the Day of True democracy a bit closer for the soviet  he said. But he cautioned. It is important not to let these encouraging changes. Military Lull us into a sense of  god bless our  Bush said to conclude his remarks. Thank you colonel and now Back to  Bush arrived at the command Post on Hill 781 just in time to see soviet tanks of the fictitious 197th Kras Novian Molori cd Rifle regiment smash through the defensive lines of the real life 3rd brigade of the 9th inf div from fort Lewis. Bush went Down the Hill part of the sprawling fort Irwin army base Midway Between Las vegas and los Angeles to talk to some of the american  he wore a camouflage jacket above his Blue pin Stripe trousers Street shoes and binoculars around his neck. He did not try out any of the weaponry. Bush who is devoting this week to an Effort to prove Why the United states needs to maintain its nuclear deterrent against the soviet Union flew to fort Irwin for the first Stop on a trip that will also include a visit to the strategic air come. A major speech on military policy and a Lour of a Laboratory working on the Star wars anti missile shield. The purpose is to head off lawmakers who argue that the receding soviet military threat justifies More than the 2 percent Cut. After accounting for inflation thai Bush is offering in military spending. The 3rd brigade training tuesday at fort Irwin is a president Bush talks with an unidentified Soldier during a break in the mock Battle at fort Irwin Calif. Light motorized infantry brigade just the kind of highly Mobile unit on which Bush and the Pentagon want to concentrate As they begin the reshaping of the . Military. But fort Irwin. Site of the army s National training Center concentrates primarily on the sort of operation that the military leadership concedes is increasingly unlikely a land War against the soviet Union. The 197th Kra Novian which almost always wins its War games since it is based at fort Irwin and highly trained in its desert terrain charged from the whale and the Furlong two Low ridges in the Mojave desert behind a barrage of simulated artillery fire and Chemi Cal warheads and made Quick work of the less experienced Light brigade. On a Hill above it. Col. Michael Ryan who de signed the Day s War games dealt Good Nat redly with the same questions of strategy that Are perplexing his commanders in Washington. Although the training at fort Irwin is clearly in tended to simulate a War against soviet troops Ryan took care to Point out that soviet equipment and tac tics is used by 30 nations around the  when a reporter asked if he would have offered that caveat six months ago Ryan grinned and said. You All arc asking a lot of questions you would t have asked six months  Cost to mail a letter May jump a Nickel in 91 Washington a it looks As if it la Cost a Nickel More to mail a letter next year. The increase which would be the first since 1988 and the largest Ever will be before the postal service Board of governors when it meets March 6. If things follow their Normal course rates would go up in february 1991 ii months after the process begins. There have been proposals to raise the first class Rale to Between 28 and 32 cents for the first ounce but postmaster general Anthony m. Frank sees 30 cents As the most Likely. And he does t expect the raise to play Well. Noting that a five cent increase would be a 20 percent raise substantially above the 14 percent he projected that consumer prices will have risen from 1988 to 1991, Frank said recently that he was committed to paying Back to the american peo ple that six percent difference. To do that he has pledged to keep future increases below the inflation rate and said tuesday that we May very Well be Able to hold increases in rates after the 1991 and  to one More increase in the bal Ance of this  that he told the postal service Board would be no Small  assuming the postal service Board be gins the process of raising rates for All classes of mail the Independent postal rate c commission will then ask for com ment that should produce tons of re ports and appeals from various interest groups and hold lengthy hearings before making its recommendation. It will then be up to the postal service Board to put the new rate into effect. In la once since the rate commission was created in 1971 has it proposed a lower increase than the Board had asked for. In that Case the Board overruled the recommendation and did what it had proposed. While Public attention focuses on the Cost of sending a first class letter the real Battles occur Over second and third class charges. Advertising firms charities and publish ers of magazines and newspapers inundate the rate commission with pleas to hold Down their portions of the Overall Rale hike. Although the postal service managed to Post a $404 million surplus in the last three months of 1989. The Agency expects a re Cord $1.6 billion deficit for the fiscal year that will end sept. 30. The outcome of con tract negotiations this summer could make the deficit even worse. Frank addressing postal costs in re Marks last month noted that the postal service was required in the last two years to contribute $800 million to deficit reduction even though we Don t use a Penny of tax Money and that health Benefit costs arc out of control a problem we share with the private sector Trank s com ments came in a Jan. 25 speech to the eco nomic club of Indianapolis. House b/7/ would make it i i 1easier to Register to vote Washington a the House passed legislation tuesday making it easier for americans to Register to vote by establishing automatic registration for people obtaining Drivers licenses and procedures to Register by mail. Originally sculpted As a bipartisan Mea sure a dispute erupted last week after the Bush administration objected that the legislation would increase the risk of voter fraud and prove expensive for states to implement. But majority democrats were joined by 61 of the House s 175 republicans and the measure was approved 289-132. Minutes earlier the chamber Defeated on a 291-129 vote a Republican leadership alternative offered by rep. Pat Roberts r kan., making the new procedures voluntary and providing $ 120 million to help Stales boost their voter registration efforts. The measure must still be considered by the Senate. The objections of president Bush and Bob Michael the House gop Leader from Illinois even failed to Sway Republican col leagues. With voter turnout sagging to 50 percent in presidential elections several gop lawmakers argued that the Bottom line effect of the measure would be a Good one More voter participation. Sensing a politically appealing Issue democrats turned up the heat sending their leaders out throughout the Day to con Trast the White House s opposition with the political reforms sweeping Eastern Europe. Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years feb. 8. 1950 the Navy disclosed the development of the first successful air to air rocket dubbed the mighty mouse an explosive projectile powerful enough to destroy a Large bomber such As the b-36 with one hit. 30 years ago today. Feb. 8, i960 vice president Richard m. Nixon said . Security was the key Issue that would override any Domestic issues in the i960 presidential Campaign. 20 years ago today feb. 8, 1970 president Nixon pledged his administration to total mobilization in the Battle against pollution starting with a $10 billion program to bring pure water Back to the  ? 0 years ago today feb. 8, 1980 rep. Richard Kelly of Florida the Only Republican implicated in the Arab scam bribery scandal admitted publicly that he took $25,000 from Fri undercover agents. But he said he had been conducting his own investigation