European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 24, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Will Lilii Quot Iii Lii in Ite i the St amp Rlando gripes authorized unofficial publication for the . Armed forces the Istanbul experience a stripes Magazine i a v a it Quot a a a vol. 49, no. 40 thursday May 24, 1990 defective . Nuclear shells in Europe could have exploded by r. Jeffrey Smith Washington Post Washington a the United states has discovered defective nuclear artillery shells that could have accidentally exploded while stored in Europe according to senior . Officials and weapons scientists. The government has also started urgent studies into the designs of two other atomic warheads whose safety is suspect they added. In the most serious incident the government discovered a defect in the w-79 Short Range artillery Shell after it had been deployed in Europe in 1988. Urgent orders were issued not to move the warheads and repair teams rushed to disable several Hundred of the shells Early last year the officials said. The artillery shells designed for the army a eight Inch howitzer Are deployed in West Germany Italy and the Netherlands and in . Stockpiles. They Are being modified so they will detonate Only after being fired in Battle the officials said. In a separate incident the joint chiefs see shells on Back Page nato reduces size number of its exercises by David Tarrant Brussels Bureau Brussels Belgium a nato has decided on a new three year training and exercise schedule that significantly cuts the size and number of military exercises in Europe. Officials have also decided that they Are prepared to begin to lower the readiness and availability of forces for Battle. The decision stems from assessments that a diminished threat from the Warsaw pact and the soviet Union gives nato a much longer time to prepare for an attack. The decisions were released by Alliance defense ministers wednesday after a two Day meeting. Beginning in january 1991, changes will affect 47 percent of the More than 100 exercises controlled by the supreme Allied commander Europe said a spokesman at shape Headquarters in Mons Belgium. The changes resulted from a study initiated in August 1988 by Gen. John r. Galvin natos top military commander in Europe. The study looked at How to achieve a balance Between exercises involving live training and those involving computer simulation or Headquarters procedures the spokesman said. The new schedule Calls for cancelling 10 exercises see nato on Back Page my. Ill Mph hmm and the cupboards were Bare soviet shoppers in Moscow search for goods among nearly empty shelves in a local department store. Consumers were Rushing to Purchase items now in anticipation of a new economic Reform plan that is expected to be unveiled this week and would drastically raise prices. See Story on Page 9. Charge that Ike ordered pow abuse stirs juror by David Tarrant Brussels Bureau Mons Belgium a historians Are clashing Over a grisly postscript to world War ii How Many German prisoners died from starvation and abuse at the hands of . Soldiers most agree that nazi prisoners were starved beaten and denied drinking water by their american guards at internment Camps along the Rhine River. A Canadian author charges that As Many As a million pos starved in . And French Camps. But a leading expert on Dwight d. Eisenhower believes the figure is fewer than 100,000. A other losses by James Bacque says Gen. Eisenhower ordered the starvation deaths As a deliberate act of revenge for the germans having doggedly prolonged the War. The Book the subject of repeated reports in the european Media has cast a Shadow Over this years Celebration of Eisenhower a 100th birthday and the 45th anniversary of the Allied Victory in Europe. Bacque charges that Eisenhower was enraged that the germans refused to give up. At about the same time in the Spring of 1945, the ghastly discovery of the extent of the holocaust was made. At that Point Bacque says Eisenhower ordered the starvation of captured germans. A directive issued by Eisenhower a command on May 1, 1945, or dered the status of the captured troops changed from a prisoner of War to a disarmed enemy  the category was created to exempt prisoners from the protections of the Geneva convention the International agreement that governs the care of pos. Under the convention prisoners must be fed at the same level As base Camp troops. . Historian Stephen e. Ambrose who has written eight books and numerous articles on Eisenhower said Bac ques Book is a a Gross  by Ambrose a estimate Between 50,000 and 100,000 died from starvation thirst and disease in the Camps. Ambrose agreed that Eisenhower changed the status of the pos to re Duce their rations but he contests that the move was designed to systematically starve the germans. Rather the change was ordered because of severe food shortages caused by bad estimates on the number of prisoners and refugees the allies would have to feed after the War he said. Eisenhower a command had planned on having to feed about 3 million Chr Macht troops but the number eventually reached 5 million. Estimates of 3.5 million refugees also proved to be about 2 million too Low. And much of the food available in North America for the War Effort was targeted for shipment to the Pacific where the allies planned a see pow on Page 3