European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 22, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 b the stars and stripes monday july 22,1991australian Calls huge Oil spill catastrophic Perth Australia apr a flaming greek Oil Tanker broke up Early sunday off australians West coast spilling an estimated 2.9 million Gallons of Light crude Oil into the Indian Ocean officials said. The 37 Crew members on the vessel the Kirk were airlifted to safety after the ship caught fire officials said. Capt. Richard Purkiss chairman of the West austra. Lian state Oil pollution combat committee called the spill  a a it a the worst category you can possibly have a a a major major spill Quot Purkiss told reporters. The spill a More than seven Miles Long and almost a mile wide a was about 125 Miles North of Perth and 18 Miles West of the fishing town of Cervantes australians Oil pollution combat unit said. The Tanker had been in route from saudi Arabia to the West australian port of Fremantle when the fire broke out. The ships Bow broke off and its ruptured Forward tanks were spewing Oil into the Ocean. The cause of the fire was not known. Purkiss said that dispersant would be sprayed from the air to try to break Down the Oil and that booms would be set up to prevent the Slick from washing ashore. He said authorities would try to Tow the Kirk More than 500 Miles North to Calmer Waters where Salvage experts would try to Transfer the remaining Oil to another Tanker. The towing could take five Days he said. The Kirk is owned by the greek company Maya mar Marine enterprises. The Exxon Valdez spill of March 24, 1989, dumped 10.9 million Gallons of crude Oil into alaskans Prince William sound. Swiss army changes gear a Swiss Soldier cruises along on the army a new Bike in Luzern Switzerland on Friday. The new Bike replaces the old fashioned Model of 1905 that was said to be indestructible but also was too expensive. The new All Ter rain Bike has seven gears Hydraulic brakes and larger tires. It Sells for 2,000 Swiss francs about $1,350. Switzerland and Finland Are the Only countries in the world with Bike  affair with the car puts Japan in a Jam Nagoya Japan apr its Friday evening in this port and commuters Are stuck in traffic that crawls at a Pace better timed by Calendar than clock. Then after the last few agonizing blocks to the station they re speeding to Tokyo on the a Bullet train a moving about 125 Mph. With a fast and efficient nationwide mass transit system humming alongside a perpetual traffic mess the question arises will the japanese love affair with the automobile Ever end a a it a difficult to say if the Market has reached a saturation Point a Yoshio Kondo of the Japan automobile dealers association said of this years decline in car sales. A some say the Market will continue to  this Small crowded Island nation is hardly in a position to take Many More vehicles. The two Lane highways forming Tokyo a main traffic arteries Are so clogged during Rush hour that executives have been known to hop out of their chauffeur driven cars and walk to work. Some residential streets arc so narrow that vehicles can barely squeeze through even without oncoming traffic. City people tend to head for the Countryside All at once on National holidays. In August 1990, officials recorded what they described As the longest traffic Jam Ever involving about 15,000 vehicles backed up for nearly 85 Miles on a Highway in Western Japan. Motorists serenely Park their cars illegally compounding the congestion. Legal Street parking is woefully inadequate and garages Are prohibitively expensive costing up to twice As much As the loan payment on a car. Tokyo police Are lax in enforcing parking regulations cars and pedestrians weave their Way through clogged streets during a saturday afternoon in downtown Tokyo. And almost 230,000 cars Are parked illegally at any Given moment. Everything about driving is expensive in Japan not just parking. Driving lessons can Cost More than $1,460. Insurance on a new car and mandated inspections add a few More thousand dollars annually and Highway tolls can be nearly As costly As the fare on a Bullet train. Despite the Cost and hassle Japan had nearly 55.2 million registered automobiles in 1990 a nearly one for every two people. Cars Are also a must for the Young Man who wants to Date. They be even got a name for a Boyfriend with wheels a Cash Ikuno or or. Foot a reference to his ability to get  has Farewell visit with gis in Gulf Manama Bahrain a Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf returned to the persian Gulf on sunday for a Farewell visit with american troops before his retirement next month. Schwarzkopf arrived in saudi Arabia after a two Day Stopover in Egypt for a meeting with president Hosni Mubarak one of the leading Arab members of the 33-nation Alliance that Defeated Iraq in the 42-Day Gulf War. While in Cairo Schwarzkopf told re porters his trip was not related to increased tensions in the Region Over iraqis delays in cooperating with the . Inspection of its nuclear facilities. But he said he was ready to command another military strike against Iraq if ordered by president Bush. Schwarzkopf 56, is scheduled to retire aug. 31 after 35 years of service. He moved his . Central come Headquarters which were in saudi Arabia during the War Back to Tampa fla., in april. . Military spokesmen at the joint information Bureau in Dhahran saudi Arabia would confirm Only that Schwarzkopf had arrived in saudi Arabia. They would not provide details on his schedule. A fall we can say is he a Here to visit troops a said capt. Dave Mallard. Most of the troops commanded by Schwarzkopf during the War already have left and been replaced by new forces since the general returned to the United states in april. From a Peak of 540,000 soldiers marines sailors and air Force personnel at the height of the War the . Forces in the Gulf Are Down to about 50,000. The troops still in saudi Arabia primarily Are occupied with packing and shipping thousands of tons of military gear that was sent Over in the buildup to the War. About 3,700 soldiers of the . Army a 11th army Cav regt Are in Kuwait and kuwaiti newspapers said Schwarzkopf would be in the emirate today