European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 2, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                S Page 24 a a the stars and stripes sunday decembers 1990french, British meet in Thune san Gatte France a a French worker and a British worker clasped hands saturday under the English Channel after they chipped open the first passage big enough to walk through in the Tunnel linking their countries. Fellow workers cheered and popped Champagne corks. A god save the Queen Quot French workers cried the British responded with shouts of Quot Vive la France a Midway Between Britain and France 130 feet under the seabed Graham fagg 42, of Dover and Philippe Cozette 37, of Calais joined hands in the 6-foot-High passage. The handshake was a Milestone in the 3-year-old, $16 billion project envisioned for More than two centuries. The passage has been dubbed the a sch unset because itis a Tunnel across a Channel. The two workers chosen by draw from Rke. I rough final foot or so of Chalk with Jack i among the 3,000 Tunnel workers to represent their countries broke through thelam mers. It was the first time workers from both countries were Able to see and talk to each other. They broke into smiles Shook hands embraced and exchanged flags. Cheers broke out on both sides and the French opened Champagne. Quot this is one of the great engineering feats of All time and a Symbol of the of news briefs British worker Graham fagg left and French worker Philippe Cozette Trade flags saturday at the first opening of a walk through passage under the English Channel. Portu ties that will exist throughout the new Europe Quot Britain s new prime minister John major said in London. President Francois Mitterrand saluted Quot the courage and tenacity Quot of the Tunnel workers. The Tunnel will make it possible to travel from Paris to London by High Speed train in 3vi hours. It is scheduled to Onen in 1993. Pen saturdays rendezvous in the service Tunnel the smallest of three tunnels being drilled came a month after the first linkup on oct. 30. Then workers drilled a 2 Inch Hole through the last 100 Yards of Chalk in the service Tunnel. The purpose was to help align the French and English sections., the Tunnel is the biggest engineering project in european history. The Price tag has climbed from an initial estimate of $9.4 billion to $16.7 billion. Nine workers have been killed since construction began in 1987. British authorities said police customs and immigration officers were to be empowered As of saturday to make random checks on workers and visitors emerging from the Tunnel. The tunnels exit becomes a Border Post subject to various Laws aimed at deterring terrorism and drug smuggling. The trip through the Tunnel is expected to take 35 minutes compared with 90 minutes by  sworn in by Queen during Palace ceremony London apr prime minister John major was sworn into office Friday by Queen Elizabeth ii at a privy Council meeting in Buckingham Palace. During the ceremony major and the five new members of his Cabinet kissed the Monarch s hand and were made lifetime members of the privy Council a body of just under 400 Royal councillors. A privy councilor Man or woman is entitled to be called right honorable and remains a member for life. The Council is now very much a ceremonial body superseded by the Cabinet but it was once the Monarch s executive a group of about a dozen people who carried out the ruler s orders major succeeds Margaret Thatcher who stepped Down after failing to defeat a Challenge for the leadership of the conservative  republics demand that soviet troops leave parliaments their first Ever joint session saturday with demands that soviet troops end their Quot occupation Quot and that Western countries recognize their Independence. Quot the occupation of the Baltic states is a 3uestion of european Security Quot estonian presi ent Arnold Ruutel said in a keynote address. The focus of the Daylong meeting was to debate five proposed declarations including one for the removal of soviet troops and an Appeal that the three republics become full members of the con Ference on Security and cooperation in Europe. Quot an Appeal to the parliaments of the world Quot warned that the a continuing threat by the soviet Union to use Force against the territorial integrity and political Independence of Estonia Latvia and Lithuania directly contradicts the soviet unions renewed pledges outlined in the Paris charter and joint declaration Quot signed at the Csc Summit two weeks ago Estonia initially walked at attending the joint parliamentary session called by lithuanian president Vytatus Landsbergis but the Strong keynote speech by the estonian president indicated fundamental agreement on major issues. All three Baltic governments say they will not sign a Union treaty proposed by soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev to preserve the Unity of the 15 soviet republics and the Central authority of the Kremlin Vilnius . A the pm of the three Baltic republics opened t Burt Lancaster hospitalized following reported stroke los Alamitos Calif. Apr Oscar winning actor Burt Lancaster was in serious condition1 but resting comfortably at a Hospital saturday after reportedly suffering a stroke. Lancaster 77, who has starred in More than 60 movies and won an Oscar in 1960 for the title role in Quot Elmer Gantry Quot was taken to los Alamitos medical Center about noon Friday a an associate of the actor who spoke on condition of anonymity said Lancaster suffered a stroke. His condition has since improved slightly the source said. Hospital officials refused to confirm or deny that Lancaster had a stroke. A a a the is listed in serious condition. We have not yet diagnosed a specific problem Quot nursing supervisor Lindy Beck said. Another nursing supervisor Mary Ann to Lancaster i Erik said Lancaster was resting comfortably and that is family was with him. _ Lancaster was visiting a Friend at the nearby John Douglas French Center for alzheimer a disease on Friday when he collapsed into a chair and called for help said Cheryl Hunter a nurse at the Center. J Quot he was heading toward the dining room downstairs and he started wobbling a Little bit and he got to a chair and said a help  me a Quot she said. An ambulance brought the actor to the Hospital 20 Miles Southeast of los Angeles. Lancaster a Best known films include Quot judgment at Nuremberg Quot Quot from Here to eternity a a come Back Little Sheba Quot Quot Birdman of Alcatraz and Quot Atlantic  the it onetime circus acrobat also co produced the 1955 film Quot Marty a which won that years Academy award for Best picture. His More recent movies include Quot Field of dreams Quot Quot local hero Quot and Quot rocket Gibraltar Quot. He was to co Star with Jane Fonda in the 1988 film Quot old Gringo a but was dropped from the production when insurers concerned about his health refused to cover him. Lancaster married Susan Scherer a television produce in september it Waslis third marriage. From Pago 1 dad on sunday or monday depending on the outcome of further meetings being sought with iraqi officials. Baghdad protests which Independent observers said involved tens of thousands of iraqis came after state run television Friday night broadcast a Call to iraqis to take to the streets. N the protests coincided with iraqis martyrs Day com so Roati quote a a it estimated 100,000 iraqis killed in the i98q-88 War against Iran. Some More americans have been rounded up and added to the ranks of the Quot human shield Quot Saddam has assembled to protect strategic installations from attack since the aug. 2 invasion of Kuwait. J Saddam seized Kuwait in a dispute Over Oil land and but the . And British compounds have since evacuated. Bush a offer seemed to take some of the wind out of congressional hearings demanded by democrats who fear the Bush administration is Rushing to War instead of giving the embargo More time to Hurt Saddam whose army and Money and he has deployed an estimated 450,000 troops m Southern Iraq and Kuwait after claiming to Annex Kuwait the Baghdad government announced aug. 24 that All embassies in Kuwait City should close. With electricity and water Cut off ail tack before the Jan. 15 deadline making unnecessary an emergency session of Congress before years end. In other developments a iraqi authorities have hanged seven iraqis in Kuwait for burglary and dealing in stolen jewelery Baghdad a state run Awo Huriya daily reported saturday. The report did not refer to widespread reports of atrocities by iraqi soldiers in Kuwait. Pakistan has decided to Send about 10,000 More troops to saudi Arabia a foreign ministry spokesman said saturday. Pakistan had earlier promised to Send to the desert kingdom but so tar Only 2,000 have been deployed 1 ,. ,. A soviet foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze saw Friday that Moow would not hesitate to use Mih taty Force to protect its 3,300 nationals held in  soviets previously have refused to Send troops to the regions Quot