European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 9, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 c the stars and stripes wednesday Uci Oder a in a american freed by Iran returns to Home wednesday october 9,1991 Aiken . Apr a telecommunications Engineer jailed in Iran for five years on spying charges returned Home monday night. Jon Pattis 54, saluted reporters when he got off the plane at in Augusta ga., a few Miles from his Hometown of Aiken. Asked How it Felt to be Home he said  he quickly embraced his Mother Catherine and his sister Ellen who were waiting in a car parked nearby. After talking with a state department official Pattis went to his mothers Aiken Home. His sister said he would not Grant any interviews. A a he a Home. That a it. There a nothing to discuss a said Ellen Pattis 45. She said she woke up earlier monday to the news that her brother was coming Home. A i just almost went through the roof a she said earlier. A a we re overjoyed. We re very very Happy. He sounded fantastic. It was a great Way to Wake up in the  Jon Pattis called his sister and 79-year-old Mother on monday to Tell them he had been released. A have you Ever seen Ait entire family jump up and Down at the same time we Are especially grateful to the iranians for his release a Ellen Pattis said. Her brother worked for Cosmos engineers of be Thesda md., at Iran a main satellite ground station at Assad bad 200 Miles Southeast of Tehran. He was arrested after the station was bombed by iraqi jets during the Iran Iraq War in 1986. Iranians blamed Pattis and suspected he was a spy. He was quoted in a 1986 television interview As saying he had been supplying the Central intelligence Agency with information since 1969 on Iran a Economy military and Oil and telecommunications Industry. In 1987, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. The state department denied in 1986 that Pattis had been working for the . Government. His aunt said there a no truth to the allegations. A i done to think there a anything to that whatsoever a said Ann Verene who lives next door to the patties. A i think somebody wrote what he said and he read  Jon Pattis graduated from Aiken High school in 1955 and from the University of South Carolina in 1959 with a degree in electrical engineering. His loth Grade biology teacher remembers him As being Independent quiet and a  a i would not have suspected of him of being involved in what they have accused him of being involved in a said Mary Law Barlow now retired. Ellen Pattis was ecstatic but guarded in her conversation about the Campaign she waged to get her brother released. A a there a my Mother to consider a she said. A i do not want to stress her out any  Jon Pattis walks to a waiting car monday in  oks moves to relieve credit crunch Washington a president Bush approved Steps tuesday to help alleviate the nations tight credit conditions and Speed economic recovery by making it easier for Small businesses to get Bank Loans. Bush in a written statement said his action would a relieve the credit  he said his proposals were developed by the Treasury department working with Bank regulators. While Bush described the proposals As a a very comprehensive program a an outline of the measures being taken showed that in Many cases they made Only minor changes to a program first unveiled last March. One of the biggest changes would Institute a new appeals process for Bankers who think that Federal regulators Are being too Tough on them. They would be Able to Appeal the decisions of Bank examiners directly to senior officials at the regulator agencies without going through Normal channels. These new appeals would be kept confidential in an attempt to answer complaints of Bankers who say they Are reluctant to Appeal decisions currently for fear of angering the examiners they have to Deal with on a regular basis. Another change would increase the amount of preferred Stock that Banks can count As part of the capital they must hold based on the size of their outstanding Loans. Many Banks find it easier to raise preferred rather than common Stock and they had lobbied for this change. By expanding the amount of preferred Stock that can be counted As capital the administration Hopes to expand the lending capacity for Many Banks. Other changes in the package seek to limit the costs of appraisals for Small businesses and Home owners to promote ways of ensuring that Bankers and Bank examiners understand the liberalized guidelines and to develop new guidelines for appraising the value of real estate in depressed markets. Bush at a picture taking ceremony said a a it a not going to cure the whole thing but we re trying to do everything an administration can to assist an Economy that we think is moving out of a recession. Aside from tuesdays action Bush said he had directed his economic advisers to a examine additional measures that might be taken not Only to relieve the credit crunch but also to Advance our Agenda for Job creation and  Bush released his statement after meeting with Treasury Secretary Nicholas Bray. A my pitch will be the same Good Banks should make Good Loans. But they be got to determine that a Bush said. Some business officials summoned to the White House on monday said they Hadnot seen a recovery in their industries participants reported. John a. Georges chairman of International paper said after the meeting that profits Are Way Down in his own Industry. A in addition to meeting with the Cor Ltd pirate officials Bush huddled with his Cabinet on monday to discuss the economic Outlook. Dane a. Miller president of biome inc., said after the a hour session a i think the Bottom line is the signals Arentt All Clear in the Economy and we re Best watching and waiting and being  the session also was attended by a d. Wayne Calloway chairman of Pepsico. A Edwin l. Artzt chairman of Procter amp Gamble. A Robert l. Crandall chairman of american airlines. A Frank a. Shrontz chairman of the Boeing co. A John f. Akers chairman of International business machines corp. A Robert m. Giordano economist with Goldman Sachs and co. A Brewster Atwater chairman of general Mills. A David d. Glass president of  claims beliefs forced him to take Money for preaching Montgomery Ala. Apr Alabama gov. Guy Hunt says his primitive Baptist beliefs left him no Choice but to accept $10,000 in a love offerings from churches he visited on trips using state owned aircraft. He contends prosecution would violate his right to Freedom of religion. His lawyers made the argument in court papers filed on the eve of a Federal court hearing tuesday in which the attorneys hoped to head off criminal charges against the governor who also claimed immunity from Alabama a ethics Law. The Alabama ethics commission ruled sept. 20 that there was probable cause to believe Hunt broke the Law by taking donations while on the preaching trips. The Case was referred to state attorney general Jimmy Evans who was about to take the matter to a grand jury when Hunt sued in Federal court to Stop him. On monday attorneys for the ethics panel and for Evans asked . District judge w. Harold Albritton to throw out Hunts lawsuit. Military construction Bill of d Washington apr the House on tuesday approved a $8.56 billion military construction Bill that withholds Money for a nato air base in Italy the administration contends is needed for an f-16 fighter Wing. The legislation a Compromise worked out last week by House and Senate negotiators was adopted on a voice vote. The Senate has not voted on final passage. The Bill provides $4.2 billion for construction of military facilities at bases in the United states and abroad $3.6 billion for housing construction for military families and $758 million to prepare certain . Bases for closure. The spending total is $120 million More than was Ovidea in last years budget and $55 million less than resident Bush requested for fiscal 1992, which began oct. 1. The Money includes $225 million As a . Contrib f Tion to the North Atlantic treaty organization fund used for jointly financed projects such As building military bases roads or Bridges. The Bill specifically bars spending any of the . Contribution for construction of the proposed f-16 air base at Croton Italy. The administration says the base intended to accommodate the 401st tactical fighter Wing being withdrawn from Spain is vital to nato defense in the Mediterranean. Congress has prohibited spending on the Croton project in each of the last few years mainly As a political response to the Pentagon a plans for closing Domestic military bases. The Bill provides $29.5 million for continued construction of facilities to House up to 30 b-2 stealth bombers at Whiteman air Force base in Missouri. That a $20 million less than requested by the administration. Drug firm to Appeal award Over birth defects a this unprecedented request by a sitting governor for Federal intervention into matters of state criminal Law enforcement is ill conceived and indeed illegitimate a Evans said. Corpus chr1sti, Texas apr a jury awarded $33.8 million to a couple whose child suffered birth defects linked to an anti nausea drug millions of women took during pregnancy before it was pulled off the Market in 1983. The firm that manufactured the drug says it will Appeal. Ernest and Marilyn Havner were awarded $30 million in punitive damages and $3.8 million in compensatory damages last week in a lawsuit Over the drug Ben pectin which Marilyn Havner took while she was pregnant in 1982. Bende tin caused some children to be born with deformed limbs said the couples lawyer Barry j. Nace. The drugs maker said scientific evidence shows that Bende tin does not cause birth defects. Merrell Dow pharmaceuticals which made Bende tin said it pulled the drug off the Market in 1983 because of the costs of lawsuits. The pharmaceutical company will Appeal spokesman David Thompson said monday. Merrell Dow has prevailed in 33 of 35 Bende tin lawsuits he said. More than 30 million women used the drug Between 1957 and 1983