European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 3, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 b the stars and stripes tuesday september 3, 1991 at a glance Kusch Kouril warms up with team members before a practice session on the uneven bars. Its All part of big time gymnastics. See Story on pages 14-15. Final summer getaway americans flocked to beaches and mountains held backyard Cook outs and even watched pigs race 3s they squeezed in one last weekend of summer fun during the labor Day Holiday. A Page 4 a die in protest in Maine an estimated 1,500 demonstrators staged a symbolic a die in on the Road near president Bush s vacation Home to protest what one called his Quot murderous deliberative negligence Quot on aids. A Page 6 libertarians March on society digests new ideas in three phases says libertarian party member Jon Kalb. First they Are ridiculed then debated and finally accepted. The libertarians believe they have gotten past the ridicule phase. A Page 7 Venus a alive the Magellan spacecraft has sent Back convincing evidence that Venus like Earth is still geologically alive. A Page 9 Penny pinching pays when Craig Benson and Robert Levine started their computer business they used a garage for their office bought secondhand furniture and avoided unnecessary expenses. The Cost cutting paid off for Cable tron systems inc., now considered one of the hottest growth companies in the country. A Page 17 Index Abby Ann Landers. 19 comics. 19-21 commentary. 13 letters. .12 Money matters a .17 sports. 22-28 to listings. 27 weather. 11 Baltic from Page 1 eluding comments from the Golf course. A yes 1 caught no wish on the River today Quot he acknowledged. Bush said he was sending officials from . Department of agriculture to the Baltic nations to assess what medical and food assistance should be extended during the difficult economic months to come. Bush said it was premature to discuss How much Aid might be sent but added a we Are limited in what we can  he noted that the United states is also committed financially to Eastern Europe a a a it a also very important that Czechoslovakia and Poland and Hungary  More than 30 nations have recognized the Baltic nations since last month s failed hard liner coup in the soviet Union. Bush said he had spoken to the presidents of the Baltic stated and told them their Independence would be recognized monday. He said history would Little note that the United states a took 48 hours More than Iceland Quot to recognize Baltic Independence. He said he refused to be a stampeded into something we knew we were going to do in the first  the United states and other Western nations never recognized the forcible incorporation of the Baltic into the soviet Empire in 1940. Bush like eight presidents before him signed annual captive nation proclamations demanding their Freedom. Bush said lie Felt that Gorbachev had made a Quot Good statement Quot Over the weekend in acknowledging the right of soviet republics to choose their own form of government. Gorbachev was working with officials from 10 of the 15 soviet republics monday in re forming the soviet system to shift fundamental government authority to the republics and away from the Kremlin. Bush was asked if he planned to recognize Independence for any other republics a Moldavia and Georgia have started Well Down the path and along with the Baltic were among 10 republics to declare for Independence. A a we be got to know first what kind of relationships these republics want to have with the  Bush said adding that it has always been Clear that the Baltic states were different. That High monday s announcement on the Baltic was inevitable it was seen As an important step by Baltic officials. Bush said that there will be separate . Diplomatic missions to each of the states. �?o1 am sure it will mean the end of and the greatest possible Protection against any possible new aggression Quot by soviet officials lithuanian president vytautas Landsbergis said in anticipation of . Recognition. Lithuania Latvia and Estonia were just three of the republics that Josef Stalin a soviet Union grabbed after the Deal with nazi Germany. Bush made his decision to recognize the Baltic last tuesday during a meeting off Fatm new ambassador to Moscow Robert Strauss and other foreign policy advisers an administration official said. The president sent a Cable to Gorbachev that night advising him of the decision and saying he hoped the soviet Union would Grant Independence to the Baltic. The message was that a time is running out and the United states would act on its own Friday if the soviet Union had not taken any action. On Friday a member of Gorbachev a personal staff called the White House and asked for More time the official said. The administration agreed to wait. Leaders from Page 1 live strike to strip Power from the Congress and parts of the Central government. They then immediately recessed the session and turned off the microphones denying hard liners any Opportunity to address the body. The Congress is still dominated by communist party which was suspended and had its assets seized in the Wake of the failed August coup. Gorbachev took forceful control of the afternoon session. A i am not going to listen to any demonstrations or demonstrative shouts a Gorbachev said. A we wont Deal with any disruptive  he was joined on the podium at the Palace of congresses by russian federation president Boris n. Yeltsin and the two took turns in presiding. A a let a speak frankly a said Sergei Alexeyev chairman of the Constitution oversight committee. A your Union was not simply on the verge of collapse but already in a state of  under the proposal which still must be approved by the 1,900-member Congress Gorbachev and Republic leaders would negotiate a new Union treaty reconstituting the soviet Union. In the interim the country would be run three councils a Council of representatives of Peoples deputies consisting of 20 lawmakers from each participating Republic a Council of leaders from the republics and an inter Republic economic Council consisting of Republic representatives. The backing of Gorbachev and the 10 Republic leaders seemed to give the proposal enough momentum to overcome conservative opposition. Gorbachev and the Republic leaders urged preservation of a single armed Force and pledged Reform of the military and Security agencies such As the Kab and Interior ministry police. They also proposed allowing the republics to apply separately to the United nations to make them subject to International Law. During mondays recess the russian delegation met and approved the proposals by a show of hands. In said it would walk out of the Congress if the body did not accept the proposals. The ukrainian delegation meeting in the Kremlin approved the proposals but the vote was not unanimous lawmakers said. A if this is adopted the old Union simply will no longer exist a said ukrainian Deputy Alla a Kroshinskaya. Naza Bayev said the plan sought a to prevent the uncontrolled dissolution of the Union and coordinate actions for the transition period to a reformed Union. He said the failed coup had brought the country a to the verge of  the Congress a the nation s highest legislative body a was called into what was just its fifth session since its creation two years ago. The 10 republics backing the plan were Russia the Ukraine byelorussian kazakh uzbek Azerbaijan kirghiz Tadzik Armenia and turkmen. Georgia participated in the discussion Naza Bayev said. The plan urged the signing of a treaty to form a Union of Sovereign states with each Republic free to define its own form of participation in the Union and engage in economic Union irrespective of political ties Naza Bayev said. As the Congress adjourned for the first time hard line lawmaker col. Viktor Alksnis ran up to a microphone that was turned off. A this is an attempt at an unconstitutional coup a shouted Alksnis a Leader of the conservative soyuz group of deputies who also urged the lawmakers not to leave. Another Deputy grabbed the powerless microphone and said a Why should 10 people decide for thousands a noted reformers at the Congress immediately supported the statement. A a it a a very important step if the Congress approves it Quot said former foreign minister Eduard Shevardnadze speaking to reporters. Former top Gorbachev adviser Alexander Yakovlev said an interim governing Structure is needed because a a it san extraordinary  reflecting the changes that have swept the soviet Union since the aug. 18-21 coup failed the parliament opened without the customary visage of Vladimir Lenin looking out Over the delegates. A curtain hanging behind the podium said simply a extraordinary Congress of Peoples deputies of the .S.R.�?� the Congress of people s deputies elects from among its ranks the 542-member supreme soviet which passes most of the country a Laws. The Congress is Only partially democratic with some deputies having been chosen by direct election but others chosen by Trade organizations. Guard from Page 1 As the indictment describing the death other son was read by prosecutor Herwig Grossmann defense lawyers argued that ousted East German communist party chief Erich Honecker state Security minister Erich Mielke and other officials of the former regime should be held accountable not guards who canted out Quot shoot to kill Quot orders. Rail Bossi Kuehn past a lawyer said a the wrong people Are in  he argued that those really responsible for Guet Lroy s death Are a the people who made these Laws and who knew what con tempt for human beings there was in  Honecker the former communist party chief is now in the soviet Union and his extradition is being sought. Mielke 84, and reportedly ill. Is in custody and remains under investigation. The guards who Are charged with manslaughter and attempted manslaughter say they Are not guilty because they had no Choice and were following orders. The defendants Mike Schmidt Peter Schmelt Ingo Heinrich and Kuehnast face a maximum of 15 years in prison if convicted. A defense lawyers contend the killings were Legal under East German statutes and thus cannot now be criminalized by a unified Germany. The trial which began monday is the first prosecution of its Type and its outcome May signal How prosecutors will fare in later trials involving abuses of the East German government. About 300 members of the old regime Are under investigation. Some germans say they Are disturbed that underlings rather than the communist Bosses Atje first to stand trial in the darkest chapter of the country a postwar history. A we can t go by the motto a we grab the Little Guys but let the big ones get away a Berlin Justice department chief Jutta Limbach said last week. But for some blindly following commands reminds of another inhuman chapter in German history when nazi commanders ordered underlings to kill jews and other innocent victims in the world War ii holocaust