European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 20, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday March 20, 1990 the stars and stripes a Page 5house travellers covered Globe in official duties Washington apr one fifth of the House and Many aides travelled abroad during the last Quarter of 1989, visiting at least 60 locations at a Cost of some million travel records show. In congressional travellers covered every part of the Clobe from Argentina to new zealand from the emerging democracies of Eastern Europe to South Korea from Egypt to the Gambia. Two aides travelled to Antarctica. The trips Are seen by members and staff members As vital to Congress role in approving foreign Aid financing overseas military facilities keeping . Embassies in proper condition monitoring elections assessing the War on drugs and writing Laws on Trade banking and Many other issues. House foreign travel reports show that at least 87 members including two non voting delegates went on foreign trips from oct. I to dec. 31 last year. There Are 435 House members and five non voting delegates. Well Over 100 staffers some travelling with members went abroad too but the exact number will not be known until overdue reports Are filed. The Cost of visiting at least 60 locations was at least $971,000, but the still unreported trips Are Likely to push the total past $ 1 million. Many members flew in first class commercial seats while larger delegations used a Fleet of military jets maintained at Andrews fab md., for Federal executives and members of Congress. One House trip organized by rep. Patricia Schroeder d-colo., last november and december was a frenzy of travel that covered Morocco Egypt Jordan Oman Bahrain and Portugal in 11 Days. The delegation met a King a Sultan and a president. They ate Pigeon saw the egyptian pyramids and cruised the Nile. But those pleasures were mingled with hours of embassy briefings meetings with foreign officials banquets and Breakneck dashes to the Airport. Schroeder who organized the trip As chairwoman of the armed services subcommittee on military installations said 18-hour Days were the Norm on her trip. There were Quot no Golf clubs. No tanning clinics. The food was very Good but 1 done to think we Ever sat Down to a dinner that was less than three hours although Schroeder freely discussed the Perks along with the workload of her trip lawmakers generally react defensively about travel. Rep. Mervin Dymally a Calif who took three trips from october to december that landed him in Africa Europe South America and Asia responded to an inquiry about his travel by preparing a report justifying his Mission. Dymally chairman of the House foreign affairs subcommittee on International operations said he was studying a diplomatic Security anti terrorism construction of new buildings acquisition of Sites and the controversy surrounding the Moscow embassy a which was found to be filled with listening devices. Aides Are Quick to Point out the Darker Side of foreign travel. A i hate to Fly on those military planes a one staffer complained. A a they re mostly converted refuelling planes. There arc no windows. All the bags Are up top and the whole belly is a big Gas tank. You can to regulate the heat. It s so miserable 1 turned Down a round the world boys fight to survive elicits outpouring of support new York apr his chances of animals posters and baseball Caps survive remain it. A a a Rembrandt so a lady and a gentleman in Blacks and a the storm on the sea of Galilee Quot among stolen work. A hundreds of millions in Art stolen from Boston museum Boston apr thieves disguised As policemen talked their Way into an Art museum Early sunday and stole 11 paintings including major works by Rembrandt Degas Manet and Vermeer. The value of the missing works which also included an ancient chinese Beaker was a in the hundreds of millions of dollars a said Karen Haas curator of the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum. But the value of the paintings cannot be accurately determined because they have not been on the Market for nearly a Century she said. In any Case Art experts said such Well known works could not be sold on the open Market. A it is the biggest old master theft in this country by far a said Constance Lowenthal executive director of the International foundation for Art research which tracks stolen artworks. A the Gardner museum is a treasure House. Everything in it is exceedingly valuable and first rate and Paul Cavanagh special Fri agent in Boston called the theft Quot a professional Job. It was not discovered until the cleaning people showed up to do their rounds around eight this around 1 . Sunday the thieves apparently convinced museum guards they were police officers and tied them with tape before making their Way to the museums dutch room Cavanagh said. The guards were not Hurt he said. William Robinson curator of drawings for Harvard University a Fogg Art museum called the objects that were stolen a major Peter Sutton curator of european paintings at Boston s museum of Fine arts said it was possible the works had been stolen on commission for the private collection of a wealthy Art collector. A you hear legends of deranged Sutton said. Quot but mostly i think it s the stuff of spy Corey Cronin a museum spokesman said the works were part of the museum s permanent collection dating from the last Century. Cronin said the museum had a a state of the arts Security system and employed two Security guards. The works taken were a a the concert Quot by Jan Vermeer. A a a lady and a gentleman in Quot the storm on the sea of and a self portrait by Rembrandt. A a landscape with an by Govaert Flinck. Another 17th-Century dutchman who was a Pupil and imitator of Rembrandt. A a la sortie do Quot cortege Aux environs de a three mounted Quot program for an artistic Soiree Quot and another less Complete work by the same name by Edgar Degas. A by edouard Manet. A a chinese Bronze Beaker dating from the Shang dynasty. 1,200-1,100 . Robinson said the Rembrandt self portrait and a the storm on the sea of the artist s Only Seascape were especially important. The theft of the painting by Vermeer was also a major loss he said because Only about 35 of his works Are known to exist. New York apr his chances of survival remain 50-50, but thousands of people arc backing 12-year-old bum victim David Opont 100 percent As he fights Back rom a nightmarish attack by a bully who Uechi Lum up and set him afire. .tj10 Brooklyn boys struggle for life has elicited an outpouring of sympathy and Good wishes from around the country most of it i rom people he a never met. The Hospital where David underwent of skin grafts in the past week has re lived More than 300 Calls including get Well messages from Ronald and a fancy ca8an� vice president Dan v Esse Jackson and new ,.ajor David Dinkins. Jackson visited the boy thursday. A of or the March 7 attack More fico a. Cards and letters arrived in a sin-8 Day along with an assortment of stuffed animals posters and baseball Caps. A fund set up to cover David a medical expenses received Between 15,000 and 20,000 donations in five Days said Opont family lawyer Michael Prieto who is overseeing the contributions. About two dozen local clergy Are holding a we Klong prayer Vigil at new York Hospital Cornell medical Center where David was listed in critical but stable condition sunday. Police say David a attacker a 13-Ycar-old whose name is being withheld because of his age admitted torching the youth after tying him to a railing inside an abandoned garage. David originally told relatives he was torched because he refused to smoke crack. He wound up with second and third degree Burns Over 55 percent of his body. Sands of time in the stars and stripes 40 years ago today. March 20, 1950 a the family of air Force 1st it. Andrew e. Madsen whose widow was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his murder decided to pursue custody of the couples two children through the courts. 30 years ago today. March 20, 1960 a the soviet government accepted president Eisenhower s plan for a partial nuclear test ban treaty on condition that the United slates and Britain pledge to join the soviet Union in refraining indefinitely from conducting Small underground tests. 20 years ago today. March 20, 1970 a West German Chancellor Willy Brandt met in three separate sessions with East German Premier Willi slope in a first step toward charting a new course in divided Germany. 10 years ago today. March 20, 1980�? Ronald Reagan Defeated rep. John Anderson of Illinois in the Illinois Republican primary election and president Carter trounced sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts in the democratic voting giving the front runners a sweep in the state
