European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 19, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday july 19, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 9 cubans Fidel Castro Waves to journalists As he arrives in Guadalajara on  stands out at conference of 21 nations Guadalajara Mexico apr Fidel Castro the Black sheep of the latin american family is the focal Point the first iberian american Summit which has brought together the leaders of Spain Portugal and 19 new world nations. The. Leaders have come to Mexico a second largest City to talk about forging closer economic and cultural ties. A number of key leaders were expected to Tell Castro that the Price of admission to the regional family requires some move toward democracy and a Western style Economy. The cuban president presiding Over a collapsing communist Economy desperately needs new partners to replace the defunct soviet bloc that had accounted for 70 percent of his country a foreign Trade. Only about 3 percent of cubans Trade is with latin nations. Cuba does not have diplomatic relations with eight of the 21 Summit nations a Colombia Chile Al Salvador Guatemala Honduras Paraguay Costa Rica and the dominican Republic a and was suspended from the organization of american states in 1962. But Colombia and Chile announced wednesday night that they were establishing consular and commercial relations first Steps toward restoring full diplomatic ties with Cuba. A we want to do everything we can to reincorporated Cuba into the life of latin America a president Carlos Andres Perez of Venezuela one of the regions most influential leaders said As he and Castro prepared to meet privately. Gao urges Low production of b-2 until problems fixed Washington apr the Pentagon should slow production of the b-2 stealth bomber until manufacturing and testing problems have been ironed out congressional investigators said wednesday. Nancy Kingsbury the general accounting offices director of air Force issues said the congressional watchdog Agency has a questions about whether this program is at the Point where an increasing production schedule is  if production is continued it should be limited to the a lowest level needed to maintain production operations until testing is Complete probably in August 1996, she told the House armed services committee. The Gao a conclusions were immediately attacked by supporters of the radar evading strategic bomber designed to replace the aging b-52 at a Cost of $860 million per plane far and away the most expensive aircraft in history. The administration wants 75 of the b-2s. A not Only has the Gao failed to Back up their conclusions they have apparently failed to ask some of the most pertinent questions a said rep. William l. Dickinson r-ala., the panels ranking gop member. Dickinson noted that the gators recommendation for buying 10 aircraft a two a year a until testing is completed in five years is 30 fewer than the number sought by the Bush administration in the same time Frame. He claimed that the Gao a recommendation would add $6 billion to $8 billion to the administrations Overall Cost for the b-2 because manufacturers could not take advantage of economies of scale. Those Are conditions that encourage mass production of a commodity by lowering its unit Cost As greater quantities Are produced. Kingsbury detailed the Cost of the b-2, production of which has been under Way for a decade. So far Congress has appropriated $30.8 billion for the program but Only three test aircraft and two no flying airframes have been delivered. The b-2 is currently estimated to Cost $64.8 billion for 75 deployable aircraft. Specifically Kingsbury said b-2 contractors Are not meeting their manufacturing goals and they continue to experience a significant problems a including defects and difficulties with subcontractors. The b-2, which is being manufactured by Northrop corp., has experienced a variety of problems because it is a revolutionary plane using new materials Kingsbury said. Moreover she said the flight test program is Way behind schedule. Since the first b-2 test night two years ago test aircraft Are being delivered late and incomplete. To Date there have been Only 240 test flight hours a half the flight hours planned at the Start of the program. Additionally completion of the test program has slipped from 1993 to August 1996. Rep. Patricia Schroeder d-colo., called Kingsbury a testimony sobering. She said lawmakers should take a maybe a Little More time to Ponder the Issue. Currently at Issue is the $3.2 billion the Bush administration wants for four planes in the 1992 budget. The House voted earlier this year to severely reduce that amount. The Senate armed services committee has sided with the administration but chairman Sam Nunn d-ga., has predicted an Uphill fight in trying to get the full Senate to approve the Money. President Bush has threatened to veto any defense Bill that does not include the Money he wants for the b-2 bomber and for the strategic defense initiative. Hitler plot to Kidnap Pope is disclosed in envoy s letter Rome apr Hitler wanted to Kidnap Pope Pius Xii according to a letter from Germany a wartime envoy to Italy. The letter has been published in a Catholic Magazine. The letter by Rudolf Rahn is the most recent of several accounts indicating the German Leader either ordered or at least considered taking Vatican officials hostage and seizing Vatican treasures. The letter written in 1972 by the former ambassador was supplied to the Magazine 30 Giorni by the Rev. Robert Graham a Jesuit and Rome based historian who for decades has been looking into the Vatican German relations during world War ii. 30 Giorni ran the letter in its july Issue. A a a in a 79. I thought id better unload this stuff before i pop off a Graham said wednesday in a Telephone interview from California where he was vacationing. A i gave them my  Graham said he asked Rahn about contentions that Hitler wanted to spirit away the Pope. A a it a True that the general Karl Wolff head of the is in occupied Romea Little after my arrival in Rome in september 1943, informed me of his conversation with Hitler about the plan for an abduction of the Pope a Rahn wrote Back. A we agreed that carrying out such a plan would have had tremendous consequences and that it had to be impeded at All costs a the letter said. A thus i decided to use the first Chance that was offered me to speak to Hitler to dissuade him. After the discussion Rahn said he was Given a note indicating that a it was the desire of the Fuhrer that nothing be undertaken against the person of the Pope the integrity of his entourage and the inviolability of the Vatican  years ago Wolff contended that Hitler told him to occupy the Vatican put into safekeeping Vatican archives and treasures and Transfer Pius Xii to the North for eventual Transfer to Germany or Liechtenstein. Graham said he wrote Wolff for evidence to substantiate his claim but a the never answered me. I have the sneaky feeling. His account was much too dramatic to be True. Graham said he has no proof Hitler wanted the Pope spirited out of Rome. A the Vatican certainly was worried that Hitler would pull a a mad gesture a Graham said contending that Hitler wrongly thought the Pope had a engineered italian dictator Benito Mussolini a  but a a in be gone As far As i can with research said Graham who was charged by Pope Paul i to do research and who has had Access to Vatican  House admits multimillion Dollar boo boo Washington a White House budget director Richard Darman acknowledged to Congress on wednesday that the administration made a calculation error that resulted in a $113.9 billion overestimate of tax revenues Over the next five years. A was far As we understand we made a mistake a Darman told the Senate budget committee. A there it is lets face it and move on Down the  president Bush a budget in february assumed the government would collect $6.34 trillion in taxes Over the next five years. But when the White houses office of management and budget released its midyear review monday that figure was reduced by $132.9 billion. The midyear review said that $113.9 billion of the $132.9 billion reduction was because of a technical  a Darman explained for the first time wednesday that the term referred to a mathematical goof. He said Treasury officials calculated the government would collect taxes on Alimony pension income and royalties at a rate of 20 percent when the Correct figure is 10 percent. The revised projection of tax collections Means the Federal deficit which was already expected to hit record Levels will be even higher during the period. Darmand a explanation Drew Little sympathy from budget chairman Jim Sasser a Tenn. Sasser noted that last Falls politically painful five year deficit reduction agreement raised taxes by $137 billion Over the five years a almost equal to error Darman says was made. A if we re going to have these gnomes in the basement of Treasur it losing billions of dollars. I feel All those Days and weeks out at Andrews air Force base were for naught a Sasser said. He referred to last years budget Summit talks which were held at the air base in Maryland. Other senators seemed less surprised. A i predict there Are going to be More of these so called shocking revelations a said sen. J. James Exon a neb. The midyear review said the deficit in fiscal 1991 a which runs through sept. 30 a will be $282.2 billion $35.9 billion less than was expected in february but still a record. And next years Gap will be $348.3 billion a $67.4 billion More than was anticipated in february