European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 15, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday june 15, 1990 the stars and stripes a a Page 3 last one out has to Wash the blackboards amps Ken George 0.3 percent Rise reported in May wholesale costs Washington apr wholesale prices Rose a moderate 0.3 percent in May As a fourth consecutive drop in Energy prices helped offset a Rise in food costs the government said thursday. Energy costs fell 1 percent last month while food costs increased 0.6 percent according to the labor departments producer Price Index for finished goods one Stop Short of retail. Thursdays report was roughly in line with economists projections. It was the fourth straight moderate report since a severe cold snap sent prices spiralling 1.9 percent in january a 15-year record. For the first five months of the year inflation at the wholesale level was running at a 4 percent annual rate Down from 4.8 percent for All of 1989, the government said. The labor department revised the data for the first two months of 1990, saying wholesale prices soared 1.9 percent in january rather than 1.8 percent. February prices fell 0.1 percent rather than holding steady. Wholesale prices also fell slightly in March and april. In May Energy prices dropped 1 percent after having fallen by even larger amounts the previous three months. Gasoline prices were Down 2.1 percent and fuel Oil fell 6.2 percent. Natural Gas increased 0.9 percent. Food Overall was up 0.6 percent after having declined by that amount the previous two months. The Price of fruits dropped 8.4 percent vegetables fell 3.9 percent and eggs 21.8 percent. But that Wasny to enough to offset increases in the costs of other foods such As the 7.7 percent increase in pasta 4.9 percent increase in pork and 8.8 percent Rise in fish. Excluding the volatile food and Energy sectors prices Rose a mild 0.2 percent the identical increase of the previous month. Automobile prices Rose 0.3 percent in May after falling the previous two months. Women a and children a clothing costs were up while menus costs fell slightly. The Price of tobacco was up 3 percent while the Cost of household flatware appliances and Home electronic equipment fell. Students at Derheim elementary school in West after a Buzzer at 11 10 . Brought a Welcome end Germany Bolt out a door to the school thursday to the �?T89-�?T90 school year. Destruction of chemical weapons delayed by Janet Howells Tierney Washington Bureau Washington a problems with equipment and worker training have again delayed the Start of operations at the Johnston atoll chemical destruction Plant. But the delay should not hold up the removal of 100,000 artillery shells filled with Sarin and vex stored at Clausen army depot West Germany Between july and september officials said thursday. A there is no reason at this time to conclude that schedules will not be followed a said Jim Boyle Usa eur spokesman. The stockpile cannot be moved until the Plant begins destroying the chemical weapons stored on the Pacific Island officials have said. A the schedule has been slipping since March a said Marilyn Tischbin of the army a chemical demilitarization office at Aberdeen proving ground my. A unforeseen problems have caused the  a malfunctioning discharge conveyor and other minor mechanical problems will be easily fixed Tischbin said. But the repairs will take time. Another delay has been caused by the need to certify All 1,230 employees whose three month rotation schedules have slowed their training she said. The rotations were set up because of the islands Remote location about 700 Miles Southwest of Hawaii. Tischbin said that by the end of june the furnaces at the Johnston atoll chemical agent disposal system will begin burning chemical weapons. In april officials had expected the facility to Start operation by mid May. The army a final environmental Impact statement released earlier this month said destruction of the islands current chemical stocks will take three to four years. Five percent of the nations chemical weapons inventory is awaiting disposal on Johnston Island. After these weapons Are destroyed the weapons from Europe will take an additional 3 Xhu months. The environmental Protection Agency cooperated with the army in preparing the final Impact statement. The Epa had objected to the army a initial report because it did not give sufficient information about the Impact the european stockpiles would have on the Island. The final report contains detailed information about the effect the additional weapons will have on the inhabitants land and wildlife on the Island. Tischbin said the Epa has until july 9 to file any further comments. During this Summers operation the weapons will be carried by truck and train from Clausen to the North sea port at no Denham West Germany. Two ships will transport the stockpile to 12 Miles offshore Johnston Island sometime before the end of december the army report said. The ships will be escorted by a naval vessel and unloading is expected to take about two weeks the report said. Meanwhile the general accounting office said that the army expects to miss an april 1997 deadline for destroying the chemical weapons the associated press reported. However the Bush administration said the target Date for the program is Well ahead of the schedule set in the Accord signed by president Bush and soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev during their . Summit which ended june 3, a reported. The Gao said that the disposal program has encountered such obstacles As environmental limitations and stateside Community opposition. The investigative  of Congress also found that the projected Cost of destroying the weapons has doubled since a preliminary report estimated the Cost at $ 1.7 billion to $3.4 billion. A since current construction equipment and personnel requirements have continued to Rise total program costs will increase even More a the report said wednesday. The army said it had not reviewed the Gao report and had no immediate comment a reported contributing to this report Peggy Davidson in Kaiserslautern West Germany Warsaw pact to change its role to political Berlin apr defense ministers from the seven Warsaw pact nations agreed on thursday to change the role of the soviet led Alliance from a military to a political function. Defense ministers from the nations signed a protocol the exact wording of which was not disclosed that alters the role of the Alliance said East German defense minister Rainer Eppelmann. He said All the defense ministers agreed that the a Eaty must be changed to reflect the changes in the Bast bloc where All the former soviet satellites to vai7-tng degrees have ousted former hard line communist regimes. The agreement was signed in Strausberg just outside East Berlin by the defense ministers from East Germany the soviet Union Romania Czechoslovakia Poland Bulgaria and Hungary. The agreement does not Deal with the role of a United Germany in the superpower alliances and reflects the previously stated position of All members that the superpower alliances must change their military postures. The key questions surrounding a United Germany a strategic role Are to be dealt with on june 22, when the four world War ii allies a the United states soviet Union France and Britain a and the two Germany meet in East Berlin to discuss German unification. East Germany is the bulwark of the soviet military Alliance and West Germany is the key component of nato. The two German states Are to merge their economies on july 2, and the creation of a unified Germany is Likely next year. The United states and West Germany Are Adamant that a United Germany be a member of nato and have suggested that the Western Alliance could also alter its role from a military function to a political one. Soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev is opposed to full nato membership for a United Germany saying it could be a member of both alliances or that a new european Security system should be created