European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 26, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 a a a the stars and stripes thursday april 26,1990 scottish Island ruled Safe Gruinart Scotland apr the tiny scottish Island of Gruinart has officially been declared Safe 49 years after government researchers infected it with deadly anthrax in a secret world War ii germ warfare Experiment. The . Undersecretary of state for defense procurement Michael Neubert watched officials tuesday remove the last of the defense ministry a warning signs from the Island and formally declared it Safe for civilian use. The government took Over the Island 400 Yards off the Northwest coast of Mainland Scotland in 1941. Gruinart is 1.5 Miles Long and 900 Yards across at its widest Point. It is set amid spectacular Highland scenery and has been uninhabited since 1881. Wartime researchers spent two years there testing bombs containing anthrax bacteria believing nazi Germany was doing similar work. Sheep grazing on the Island during the experiments were killed by anthrax. The British experiments were declared a Success but neither Side resorted to germ warfare and Britain never mass produced anthrax bombs. But British government papers declassified in 1981 revealed that results of the Gruinart tests were passed to the United states which did Start making the bombs. The Island meanwhile was contaminated with the deadly spores and closed to All civilians. Anthrax spores can exist in the soil for decades and survive extremes of heat and cold. The spores Are deadly to humans sheep and some other animals. If they enter the body through a Cut they produce pustules and fever. If digested they produce ulcers and gangrene of the spleen and death usually results within a few Days. If breathed into the lungs they produce pneumonia and Haemorrhages. For four decades successive British governments did Little about Gruinart except Post warning signs Reading a the ground is contaminated with anthrax and dangerous. Landing is  but in 1979, the defense ministry started cleanup experiments. Tests showed that Only 10 acres of the islands 520 acres were contaminated. In 1986 a company with experience in soil sterilization began decontaminating the 10 acres with a solution of sea water and formaldehyde. Forty sheep were then ferried to the Island to test the decontamination program. An Independent scientific commit after 49 years tee advised the ministry that if they survived the Island could be returned to civilian use. The sheep thrived and the ministry is Nam �?~f3 he 500,000-Pcj 3�815,000 cleanup program had been a Success. The ministry will officially return the Island on May 1 to its owner Peter Dumphie 83, a retired army colonel. Dumphie will pay the ministry 500 pounds $815 for Gruinart. This is the same Price the government of the Day paid when it finally got around to fulfilling the Legal obligations of buying the Island by compulsory Purchase from his aunt who then owned it in 1947. But 500 pounds then was Worth about $2,500. The Legal agreement at the time said Gruinart eventually had to be returned at the same Price the government paid for it. Mamoru Mohri and his wife Akiko hold up a Model of a space shuttle during a press conference in Tokyo.1 St japanese astronaut chosen to ride on . Space shuttle Tokyo apr the first japanese astronaut to Board a . Space shuttle is a former assistant professor of nuclear engineering the National space development Agency announced tuesday. Mamoru Mohri 42, was selected for the Mission set for june 1991, from among three final candidates Nada officials said. The three were chosen from 533 applicants in 1985. Since then Mohri and the two other finalists a Takao Doi 35, a researcher at nasal a Lewis research Center in Ohio and Chiaki Naito 37, a cardio surgeon a have undergone training in Japan and the United states. Mohri will be the first japanese astronaut to ride on a . Space shuttle. An eight member screening committee set up in february and led by Nada vice president Kenji Sunakawa conducted a series of meetings to evaluate each of the japanese candidates on the basis of health ability to operate the experimental equipment and English language ability the officials said. A i waited a Long time to be chosen for the leading role in this next stage of Riding on the space shuttle a Mohri said in a televised news conference. A i still intend to pursue further  Mohri and the two other japanese candidates will leave for the United states on april 29 to participate in a year of Nasa training. Doi and Naito a woman will undergo the training As ground support Crew members. The Atlantic shuttle is scheduled to be launched june 17, 1991, with six . Astronauts joining  plans e. Germany program Bonn West Germany up a the demand for coca cola in East Germany has prompted the company to authorize a $ 140 million capital investment program to begin bottling and distributing the drink in East Germany a coca cola company report issued tuesday said. Marion Schwarz a spokeswoman for the american soft drink company a West German operation said the company Hopes to begin the program by Midsummer with plans to open bottling plants in the East German cities of Berlin Dresden Halle Stendal Wismar and Weimar. A technicians Are already on site working out the kinks a Schwarz said. A we Hope to create As Many jobs As possible a she said when asked How Many jobs will be created by the new project. Schwarz said More than 2 million cases of coca cola shipped to East Germany from existing european facilities were sold to East German cola drinkers since february. West German sales of cans and Small bottles totalled 12.5 million since february she added. World today suspected drug related hit leaves 5 dead 7 Hurt Caserta Italy apr in what appeared to be a drug related mob hit masked gunmen killed five people and wounded seven As they opened fire inside a Coffee bar and at occupants of a car parked outside authorities said. Tuesdays Slaughter was carried out in the style of the Camorrah a crime Syndicate that is a rough equivalent of the sicilian mafia said investigating magistrate Paolo Albano. He said it appeared the killings were part of Battles Over the flourishing illegal drug Trade in the area. The attack occurred in the Early hours in the Hamlet of Pesco Pago about 20 Miles North of Naples. The dead included two tanzanians one iranian and one italian. Police said they could not immediately identify the other dead. Doctors operating on one of the wounded a 23-year-old tanzanian found 10 bags filled with heroin in his stomach the italian news Agency Ansa  Trade minister asks firms to import More Tokyo up a the powerful minister of Trade urged japanese companies wednesday to import More goods and take advantage of a new $ 1 billion tax incentive program designed to reduce Japan a Trade surplus. Minister of International Trade and Industry Kabul Muto told the executives of 163 major japanese firms he needs their help to reduce Japan a $70 billion annual world Trade surplus which has caused much friction Between Japan and its trading partners. Japan a surplus with the United states fell $2 billion to $49 billion last year. On april 1, Japan introduced a tax credit for companies which increase purchases of imports by 10 percent. The government also Cut tariffs on 1,000 items As part of its import expansion program announced in december. Companies will earn a tax credit Worth 5 percent of the value of their increased imports effectively reducing the Price of the imports by 5 percent. Officials estimate the program will Cost the government $ 1 billion in lost tax  sets new record with �?T89 car production Tokyo up a fuelled by brisk Domestic demand Japan a production of motor vehicles including min vehicles hit a new High in fiscal 1989, ended March 31, setting a record for the second straight year the Japan automobile manufacturers association reported monday. The association said production totalled 12,953,790 units up 1 percent Over the previous record set in fiscal 1988. Exports decreased about 6 percent to an estimated 5.82 million units the association said. It said Domestic sales surged 10.4 percent to 7,450,712 units