European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 7, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Farewell to arms with the end of the cold War a chill wind 1996 1��? 1988 blows through the global arms Industry. Governments buy. Fewer weapons mergers Are thinning out arms makers and workers Are being Laid off. $1000 billions 1989 900 world military spending 1990 800 adjusted to 1988 dollars j $838.3 billion 700 \ -c600 big Sellers leading exporters of conventional weapons soviet Union my United states he France $12.2 $11.7 1989 b 1990 1988 prices in billions of dollars and Exchange rates. \ a. V 500 a big buyers leading importers of conventional weapons India a a 3 $3.8 $1.5 Japan a 53.2 saudi Arabia Afghanistan 53 Iraq a by Tajii c $2.6 $2.2 $1.1 Zzz Al $1.2 $0.6 Bleak times for the arms Industry by Doug Mellgren the associated press a czechoslovak Plant that manufactured rocket launchers now turns out Fork lift trucks Sweden a main defense conglomerate plans to Lay off at least 24 percent of its workers. Argentina has abandoned a missile project. The end of the cold War is shrinking the global arms Industry. Governments Are cancelling orders weapons manufacturers Are merging and hundreds of thousands of workers Are losing their jobs. Military budgets have declined for four straight years after decades of growth but swedish researchers say they still totalled $950 billion in 1990, an increase of 70 percent in 25 years. Trade in conventional arms fell 35 percent in 1990 to $21.7 billion according to the Stockholm International peace research Institute the soviet Union and the United states which account Lor 60 percent of total military spending reduced purchases by about 10 percent and 6 percent respectively. A u s government Survey said the Gulf War even though it was a showcase for smart weapons a will not reverse the downturn in defense business olt the late 1980s or even significantly mitigate  Herbert Wulf of the swedish Institute said the United Stales soviet Union and Western Europe May spend 5 percent less on weapons this year and total world spending could drop by 15 percent to 30 percent by 1995 in its 1991 annual report the Stockholm Institute said the Quot vast u s arms Industry. Is rapidly approaching a situation that will Lead to fundamental structural changes and a further reduction in size a Czechoslovakia an Arsenal of the old soviet bloc declared Atter its democratic revolution in 1989 that it would quit the arms business which had provided 25 percent to 50 percent of its hard currency. New civilian products like the Fork lift trucks found few customers and up to 80,000 jobs were at stake however so the government approved Selling tanks to Syria and rocket launchers to Iran. Japan s comparatively Low military expenditures Rose steadily from $20.6 billion in 1981 to $30.5 billion in 1990readers�?T action Lin putting a Damper on that special moment it As a military spouse eight months pregnant with our second child i am sick and tired of the policies at our local military Hospital regarding prenatal labor and delivery care. My husband and i were very excited when it was time Tor the ultrasound testing for this pregnancy. However we were disappointed in the procedure. Not Only did they refuse to provide us with a videotape of the test As was done with our first child two years ago at a civilian Hospital in Californi abut they would t even give us one photo Tor our scrapbook. Desperate to have the special Day on record we asked it we could use our camcorder to tape the testing being done. We knew it  turn out very Well but figured it would be better than nothing. They told us that there were strict Hospital policies against doing such a thing. Why does our Hospital have these regulations7 secondly my Girlfriend told me that she went into labor with her last child in the Middle of the night All of the closer entrances to the building were locked so she was forced to go through the emergency room to get to labor and delivery at this Hospital the walk from the e r to labor and delivery has to be at least a Quarter of a mile her husband requested a wheelchair Tor her at the e r and was told that she would have to walk because the Only wheelchair they had was supposed to stay there in Case they needed it at a Normal Hospital you get thrown into a wheelchair As soon As you arrive no matter How minor your injury also because of the ultrasound experience we were source Stockholm International peace research Institute and will continue increasing in the next three years the Institute said. Quot arms exports to the third world have been declining and Are Likely to continue to decline further in the near future. Since third world countries have falling currency reserves Quot the report said. Disarmament treaties and demands for regional controls also Are affecting the weapons Trade. Middle Eastern Oil states made 61 percent of the $164 billion in purchases from the 10 largest arms manufacturers in 1985-89. Saudi Arabia was the biggest weapons importer in 1990, with a total of $2.5 billion. About 100,000 of Western Europe a 1.5 million defense curious about the policies regarding cameras and camcorders in the labor and delivery rooms. We were told that it was up to the doctor doing the delivery and that there cannot be an extra relative Friend in the room to do the filming a it must be the one person who a in there already usually the husband father. We re not interested in taping the actual delivery but would like Quot before a and Quot after Quot and would like my husband to be in the photos film not behind the cameras its not every Day that you give birth to a new life. We want to be Able to look Back at the Day and remember How Happy we both were to have this new addition to our family. Why does this Hospital make this so hard on us Carrie Hazelwood Wiesbaden Germany be col. Uwe w. Fohlmeister director of Hospital services Wiesbaden air Force regional medical Canter replies the Miracle of childbirth is one of most uplifting experiences a Parent can go through. Our Job As medical professionals is to make the process As easy comfortable and uncomplicated for the parents As possible tests such As ultrasound Are performed to assist the physician in making medically sound decisions our ultrasound machines were not designed for videotaping nor had photographic a snapshot Quot capability at that Lime our new ultrasound machine does have videotape capability and we Are ordering an attachment to take Polaroid snapshots for parents if they desire to have them. Our emergency 100m policy is Clear women in Laboi Are put in a wheelchair and taken to the labor and map to. De in Caple workers have lost their jobs since 1987 and at least 300.000 More could be out of work by 1995. According to the swedish Institute the soviet Union s military defense labor Force of 4.25 million shrank by 500.000 in 1990. The soviets the leading arms exporters have retrained 300,000 workers but a program to convert 422 factories to civilian production by 1995 is a far from smooth and efficient a the report said. China the no. 3 arms exporter also is converting military capacity to civilian production but major state corporations continue exporting arms. Several u s arms makers plan to Lay off a total of 74.000 people the Institute said. Delivery suites i can t imagine Why your Friend was denied a wheelchair i regret that this incident May have taken place and have discussed it with the emergency room staff. The department of obstetrics and gynaecology and the nursing staff of the labor and delivery unit fully encourage maternity patients to have a support person present during labor and delivery. That person s Rote is to support the Labouring Mother. For obvious reasons this support person tends to be the expectant father. We find however that More than one support person is distracting to the Mother in labor and interrupts her concentration at critical times during delivery. Also our labor and delivery rooms Are Small making it difficult to have More than one support person at the bedside. Alter the delivery the support person May take photos of the initial drying foot rating and wrapping of the Newborn. We Are sorry you feel you had such a difficult experience at the medical Center. In the future Contact the chief of obstetrics it col William Hamilton at ets 339-7262 the director of ambulatory services it col Marsha Matthews at 339-7337, or myself at 339-7345 to write us readers action line is the readers Quot court of last resort striving to answer some of the questions about Hie overseas in a military environment or questions about policies and guidelines when other avenues for answers Are not readily available. If you have a question and Don t know where to turn Tor the answer write to readers action line co the stars and stripes Apo 09211-4211. All letters must be signed and preference Wilt be Given to those seeking information of general interest to our readers Page 16 a the stars and stripes saturday. September 7, 1991