European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 11, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 a a a the stars and stripes wednesday april 11,1990 the French ferry Reine Mathilde is towed into the Harbor at Portsmouth England after a fire broke out in the engine room. Ferry fires source remains mystery Lys Ekil Sweden apr police picked through bumped out Cabins of the ferry scandinavian Star on tuesday looking for More victims and for the origin of the weekend fire that killed up to 200 people on a trip from Norway to Denmark. Investigators working on the theory of arson said they found no evidence yet of the spark that ignited the 20-year-old danish ship carrying More than 500 passengers and Crew in the North sea Early saturday. Police had not inspected All parts of the ship and were painstakingly moving through the Hulk searching for clues said Roar onto District police chief in lyse Kil on Sweden a Southwest coast. A we Are not going Over the whole ship to count bodies a he said by Telephone. A the work is slow. We Are going Over one part at a time and finishing that before we move on to the  norwegian police tuesday took charge of the investigation of the fire which occurred Midway through the overnight voyage from Oslo to Frederiks Havn Denmark. The ships owner has said the Blaze was deliberately set because it was one of two fires that broke out on separate decks. Two other ferry fires occurred monday off the european coast. A Blaze on the Irish sea car ferry nor Rona with 297 aboard killed one Man and injured 32, and the ships Irish owner suspected arson. The French ferry Reine Mathilde had an engine room fire while off Britain a Isle of Wight and one of 675 aboard died of a heart attack. The cause was under investigation. Police searching the scandinavian Star have found 140 victims but estimates of the casualty toll ranged up to 200 after Many children were discovered among the dead. Children under 7 Are not registered on passenger lists. Onto said 109 victims were brought ashore. They were being taken to Oslo for identification. Officers shaken by what they had seen said they found families who died in their Cabins with their arms around each other and parents who threw themselves Over their children in a desperate Effort to protect them from the poisonous smoke and unendurable heat. News photographers allowed into lounge areas of the 10,500-ton vessel recorded a devastated scene of Black twisted Metal in which nothing combustible remained. A commission of High level officials from Norway Sweden and Denmark was due to Start work tuesday in Oslo and a maritime inquiry was to open wednesday in Copenhagen Denmark. The disaster revived warnings by scandinavian sailors against what they called the proliferation of ships flying flags of convenience in nordic Waters which come under less strict safety controls. Congress still supports Garmisch project by Steve Taylor Munich Bureau Garmisch West Germany a a project designed to replace five aging hotels in Garmisch with one major Complex still has congressional support according to an official with the army a Community and family support Center. Col. Lewis Turner Deputy commander of the Agency that oversees the armed forces recreation Center in West Germany said impending troop reductions May cause adjustments to arc opera tips and plans but he thinks the hotel will be built in Southern Bavaria. The 450-room hotel originally scheduled to open in 1992, will probably open in 1993 because of a department of defense construction freeze through april officials said. Congress approved $65 million for the project in 1988. Since then no members of Congress have discussed diverting funds or cancelling the project. Turner said. A we can to get Well without it a said Turner who was in Garmisch recently for a club managers training seminar. Turner said the new hotel will a cure inefficiencies in the arc system in Southern Bavaria. The inefficiencies grow out of the old buildings which Are expensive to maintain he said. A your Garmisch hotels were built before world War ii and were never designed to be hotels a said James Mccrindle arc executive director in West Germany. A consolidating five hotels in Garmisch into one Complex along with various recreation programs will reduce the taxpayers Burden in maintaining and repairing the old  one of those five hotels in Garmisch has been closed As part of the first phase in the five phase construction program. The Sheridan hotel was demolished to make room for the new hotel. The project completed its second phase in december which was the construction of a 248-vehicle underground parking garage. The third phase to begin this year is the construction of a sports Complex which will include Tennis courts an indoor Pool min Golf a track and a gymnasium. The final two phases consist of construction of the hotel and landscaping. The other four hotels in Garmisch will be closed and turned Over to Usa eur for disposition once the Complex is Complete Mccrindle said. Navy cancels award for top Sailor in Europe i a wow a 0.o\ to. V. A a a. _ a London a amps a the Navy in Europe has done an about face on its Sailor of the year honors taking away the award it had Given to a Petty officer stationed at inca Makri Greece. On Friday Petty officer 1st class Arnaldo Centeno or. Was named the commands top Sailor by adm. Jonathan t. Howe the services european commander. That Honor was withdrawn without explanation monday. A spokesman at the commands London Headquarters said a new Sailor would be named for the award this week. The command had no further comment. In a release issued before the award was rescinded Centeno was credited with single hand edly transforming the personnel support detachment at Nea Makri into a a Sharp Well disciplined  Centeno 38, was to have represented the command in Competition for the Navy a Sailor of the year award in Washington next month. He also was in line for free trips to London and Paris and a vacation at Disney world. Runners up in Europe were Petty officer 1st class George r. Heider at Rota Spain Petty officer 1st class Kenneth r. Charles at Raf Mildenhall England and Petty officer 2nd class Brett s. Martin at Naples Italy. News updates aids cases soara.ssen4aju< in so than doubled. The world health organization has said Zaire listed 11,732 cases by Jan 31, up from 4,636 at the end of 1988 the Ivory coast listed 3.647 Cash against 1,010 last october. Most other african countries did not file new reports during the month and 11 have not sent in urn dates for More than a year. The com go s latest report dates dec 9 1987 when it listed 1,250 cases. A a Zaire thus replaced Brazil As the country with the second highest total trailing Only the United states . Cases which still account for slightly More than half the global number totalled 124.182 on March 31, up from 121,645 at the end of  favored Brussels Belgium apr the most recent european Community poll shows a big majority of dec citizens in favor of German unification Aid to East Europe and soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev. According to the poll from 80 to 84 percent of the spaniards. Greeks portuguese Irish French and italians polled favored German unification an even bigger percentage than West germans themselves. The dec average was 78 percent. Least in favor were Danes and Luxembourger. An average of 78 percent of All europeans led by the dutch. West germans and portuguese polled favored Aid to East Europe. Aid to Poland also got support from 78 percent of the people questioned. Closer economic cooperation with Poland and Hungary was supported by 75 percent. As to Gorbachev 80 percent of the europeans polled had a favourable opinion of him. Most favourable were the dutch Danes and  suspended Bucharest Romania apr the trial of Nicolae Andrita Ceausescu brother of the deposed romanian dictator has been suspended until april 26 after the defendant denied shooting seven people and giving orders to kill protesters during the december revolution. The panel of three military judges ordered the suspension after both prosecution and defense asked for time to investigate new forensic evidence made available since court proceedings opened last week. The dictators 66-year-old brother who was commander of Academy training for the dreaded Securi Tate secret police is charged with inciting genocide and aggravated or multiple murder. He faces a maximum tipi life Ife sentence if  Alert Munich West Germany the army and air Force Exchange service i has issued a product Alert for 13-m stuffed bears styles 5001 and 5uu, made by to inc. The bears have Small red plastic hearts attached to either the Tail or i. That can be easily pulled off and c pose a choking Hazard to children. Officials said the hearts could be removed and thrown away to preve Hazard. Cafes Europe spokesman Mas sgt. Dayton Strickland said the Purina