European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 1, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Monday april 1, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 7major says armload of degrees useless London up a prime minister John major still smarting from a political Nightmare Over the controversial poll tax has thrown himself into hot water again by recalling his own Humble beginnings and scorning academic qualifications As a wholly  major at 48. The youngest prime minister since 1834, told Granada television in an interview to be broadcast monday that although he regarded his own idleness at school As a pretty silly and a Good education As a absolutely vital a he held some disdain for a harmful so of degrees. A i have never been Over impressed by academic qualifications i must say a said major who repeatedly stresses education is a priority of his administration and an underpinning to his ideological Hopes for a a classless society a by the year 2000. A i know an awful lot of people who have an armful of academic qualifications and if professors looking in. Will forgive me they Are wholly useless most of them. A they have no common sense at All a he  it really has to be a combination of intelligence and common sense if people actually want to achieve things and often common sense is More important a said major the son of a trapeze artist. Majors critics were feasting on his comments. In one poke at the interview1, the financial times described major As a the role Model of Slothful schoolchildren. It said his we Klong easter Holiday was a an indulgence unimaginable under his predecessor a the Iron lady Margaret Thatcher a no wonder Britain is slipping Down the economic and educational league if this is the attitude of the prime minister Quot said Jack Straw education spokesman for the opposition labour party. A Public examinations and qualifications have been a major route to social emancipation and would be a major route to the creation of classless society. To say that qualifications do not matter makes a mockery of the governments educational policy which is qualification led Quot Straw said. A 1 a presumably the prime minister Wall be recommending next week that children run away to the circus if they want to get on Quot a spokesman Tor the Liberal democrats Matthew Taylor told the daily Telegraph. Still major found allies for supporting a balance Between High grades and common sense. Norman Stone professor of modern history at Oxford University told the times newspaper saturday a people go banging on about the importance of High or education but in Many cases it would be better it people went straight to the University of  a academic qualifications Only mean that the particular person is qualified in that particular subject nothing More a the former Westminster school headmaster John Rac told the financial times. Rae who now directs an alcohol abuse organization said a people without qualifications Are olten More capable.�?�8 More killed in South african violence Johannesburg South Africa apr eight bodies were found in unrest plagued Natal province police said sunday. The bodies were found a Day after Black leaders Nelson Mandela and mangos thu but Elezi pledged fresh efforts to halt factional fighting a police report for the previous 24 hours said two people were stabbed to death in separate incidents near port shepstone in Natal on the country a East coast. A a. A a Quot. A a a the South african broadcasting corp. Reported six More bodies were found in the Pagoda District of Natal raising the toll to 25 killed in the violence that erupted in the area thursday. Mandela called for saturdays urgent meeting with but Elezi and cancelled a planned two week trip to four african nations because of the violence. The leaders of the country a two largest Blank opposition groups met for More than five hours in Durban and reiterated i their support for the peace process started in january the two leaders said a meeting with president few. De Klerk might be arranged to discuss the causes of the violence and ways to Stop it. Newspapers said sunday that Black leaders must take responsibility for the ongoing fighting in Black townships. A apartheid can be advanced As a mitigating Factor but apartheid at its worst did not induce Black people to behave with the Barbaric disregard for life which has manifested itself in the township Power struggles of the past year a the sunday times said. Virtual warfare in Natal Between Mandela a african National Congress and by thelezia a inkatha Freedom party has killed More than 5,000 people in the past five years. A the Anc inkatha conflict has tribal and political roots. Most inkatha supporters Are zulus while xhosa and other Blacks make up the bulk of Anc supporters. Both groups oppose apartheid but differ on How to fight it and the policies of a future South Africa ruled by the Black majority. Mandela and but Elezi longtime friends turned political rivals held a peace Summit in january where they called on supporters to Stop fighting each other and set up joint committees to visit the trouble areas. It was their first meeting in 28 years. But the fighting has continued. Scores of people have died in recent weeks in Alexandra Temisa and other Johannesburg area townships. The ongoing clashes have raised doubts about the two leaders ability to control their followers and government and some Blackf leaders have warned the violence could harm proposed negotiations on ending White minority Rule. Rival leaders Nelson Mandela right and mangos thu but Elezi before the talks. Recovered 1545 British warship believe djo have carried super gun London up a archaeologists examining the flagship of Kirg Henry Viii which Sank in 1545 As it sailed to engage a French Fleet and Lay preserved in Silt Sintil it was raised in 1982, have discovered evidence of a powerful a super gun aboard the vessel Margaret Rule the archaeological director of the Trust examining the Mary Rose told the daily Telegraph saturday that two powder Chambers recovered by divers from the sea bed indicate a firepower not previously believed to have been aboard the then Pride of the British Royal Navy _ the Mary Rose 132 feet in length and 43 feet High from keel to top Ster Castle was dispatched from Portsmouth Harbour to engage a French Fleet As Henry Viii watched from the Shore. A sudden Gale caused the newly delivered vessel to keel severely. Guns broke Loose As a result and the ship disappeared in a minute. Of the 700 crewmen on Board Only 40 were said to have survived. A we believe the evidence indicates that when the ship Sank in the solent there was one super gun and perhaps a second on Board Rule said noting one would have been positioned on the Bewcastle and possibly a similar weapon at the Ster  your research indicates each gun must have been Over 161/2 feet Long. And would have been capable of firing considerably further than the half mile or so Range of other wrought Iron Breech loading guns found on the Mary Rose a she said. / the other eight Large main deck guns were less than half that length she said. Guns to accommodate Chambers of  recovered Rule said a would pose severe handling problems for the Mary Rose but she said there was no evidence to suggest that they had caused the vessel to keel Over and sink _ Quot the Hull of the ship raised in october 1982, is under restoration at the Portsmouth Royal naval dockyard. The solidified material of the original Chambers was lifted from the site in 1985, but it was not until last year a when we realized we had something exceptional Quot Rule said. Rule said the discovery of such a Large gun was exciting but not necessarily surprising. A there was a tremendous amount of secrecy and espionage ii those Days just As there is today about new weapons systems a she said. A the balance of firepower at sea was vital to England a survival and w e know extreme pressure was put on ordnance makers to increase the Efficacy of their  troops to Start leaving Poland april 9 Warsaw Poland apr the first Convoy of soviet troops to permanently leave Poland will be seen off with a formal Good Bye april 9 from a town which does not officially exist officials said. _ Quot the soviets grave 50,000 troops in Poland mostly stationed near the Western Border with former East Germany. I a missile brigade will leave in a Convoy from borne us Linwoo the Center of the largest military firing ranges in Poland and therefore officially non existent according to a report thursday by the state news Agency  military bases throughout the so called of Eastern bloc were never marked on civilian maps in an attempt to keep their whereabouts unknown. A a it san extraordinary situation where the soviets have an entire town in a foreign country a a government spokeswoman said adding that the soviets had a school and shops to support a major military Complex