European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 1, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                X inside stripes the sly Sand Fries authorized unofficial publication for the . Armed forces Good morning vol. 48, no. 318 thursday March 1, 1990 25 daily and sunday d 8693 a budget cuts a Beauty some shows among them a Beauty and the beast will soon disappear from your to screen. Budget cuts Are to blame. For details see Sarah Bot torts television column in stripes Magazine. Plus a Randy Barnetts car  13 g sooner beat no. 1  17 budget hassle could Cut 68.000 service members by Janet Howells Tierney and William j. Bartman staff writers Washington a up to 68,000 service members could be receiving Pink slips As Early As May 1 because a key congressman is blocking a Pentagon re quest to shift budget Money. A a it a really going to be fire and Brimstone a said Pentagon spokesman Pete Williams. The Pentagon wants permission to shift $852 million from other defense accounts into the personnel area to soften the blow of Force reductions. If the department can to move the Money 44,100 to 68,200 service members will have to be Cut before sept. 30, when the fiscal year ends according to Pentagon personnel officials. House armed services committee chairman Les see budget on Back Page Ortega orders halt to All offensives urges contras to disband Managua. Nicaragua apr president Daniel Ortega ordered a unilateral halt to All offensive military operations wednesday and said the .-supported Contra rebels should disband so Nicaragua can peacefully change governments. Late tuesday president elect Violeta Barrios do Chamorro also told the Honduras based rebels to Lay Down their weapons immediately. In a statement issued by his press office. Ortega said the unilateral halt to military activity was aimed at encouraging the contras to demobilize quickly and quietly. Ortega also urged the honduran government to dismantle Contra base Camps near the nicaraguan Border and asked the Bush administration to end All . Aid to the rebels. There were indications meanwhile that the Transfer of Power from Ortega a leftist sandinista to Chamorro a .-backed coalition would be troubled As passions ran Strong about what Nicaragua a future should hold. Despite being trounced at the polls sunday by Chamorro a coalition the sandinista remain the country a largest and most cohesive political Force. They control the military and police and have the allegiance of a Large bureaucracy. As transition talks got under Way see Ortega on Back Page flight of refugees fueling drive for reunification Kohl says Bonn West Germany up a Chancellor Helmut Kohl said wednesday it is not the Bonn government but the flight of thousands of East German refugees to West Germany that is speeding up unification. Deputy government spokesman Dieter Vogel told a news conference that Kohl in a report to his Cabinet on his . Weekend meeting with president Bush denied West Germany is responsible for the Speed with which the division of the country is being overcome. The momentum often compared to that of a runaway train has been criticized in both East and West. Kohl said the West German government has not exerted pressure to end the 45-Ycar Long division of Germany. He said his original reunification plan had called for a a lengthy procedure that involved creating East West German agreements and forming Federal structures. A a pressure is being exerted by the unchanged High number of emigrants a Vogel quoted Kohl As saying. For example from tuesday morning to 4 . Wednesday 2,800 East German emigrants arrived in West Germany Vogel said. So far this year 114,635 have fled their country. Some were unwilling to wait for reunification some were impatient with the slow Pace of economic and social Reform in East Germany others were fearful of the upheaval the Unity might bring. Many wanted a share now in West German Prosperity and were attracted by the subsidies and welfare payments the East German emigrants get. This years East German refugee total is expected to soar Well Over last years total of 344,000. The flood has strained the financial and physical resources of West German communities receiving the refugees. The emigrants have been Given emergency quarters in  Barracks gymnasiums see Kohl on Back Page Atlantis finally lifts off in dazzling night launch the space shuttle Atlantis roars off from Kennedy space Center Fla. Cape canaveral Fla. Apr Atlantis rocketed into the nighttime sky after five postponements and carried a spy satellite into orbit wednesday Riding a dazzling 700-foot column of fire seen for hundreds of Miles. After waiting out Clouds and rain the shuttle lifted off at 2 51 ., sending Brilliant Light and a Shock wave across the darkened Seaside space Center. The Craft carrying a five Man Al military Crew on a secret Mission expected to last four Days disappeared into Clouds in just 38 seconds leaving a Brief glow like a shrouded full Moon. Observers As far North As Washington d.c., reported seeing the Light of Atlantis rockets As the Craft followed a route never before taken by a shuttle. National aeronautics and space administration administrator  truly congratulated the launch team noting a it was a Tough one to get off but a great  no comment was heard from Atlantis astronauts. Launch director Bob Sieck said a the Crew was pretty quiet and very  weather threatened a sixth delay of the Mission and the launch a first targeted for last thursday a was in doubt until the final moments. Nasa halted the countdown for about two hours to wait for Clouds and Light rain to move through. The countdown was restarted at nine minutes paused briefly for a final weather Check then ticked smoothly on to lift off. As the rocket ignited Light burst from the launch pad and leaped from Cloud to Cloud As far As the Eye could see. Water surrounding the pad was gilded with Light from the Brilliant Cascade of fire powering Atlantis. The first two scheduled launches were halted by a sick astronaut and see launch on Back Page