European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 21, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 c the stars and stripes thursday november 21,1991n. Korea reportedly backs nuclear ban Seoul South Korea apr after months of pressure from the United states and other nations North Korea agreed in principle wednesday to keep nuclear weapons off the divided Peninsula sources said. If confirmed this change in the communist governments stance could remove what . Officials have called the biggest threat to Security in Asia North koreans nuclear weapons program. The Surprise development came during a visit by defense Secretary Dick Cheney. Without acknowledging that it had such armaments the North agreed with South Korea to Call for the elimination of nuclear chemical and biological weapons said the sources who Are highly placed in the Seoul government. The National news Agency Yon Hap carried a similar report on an agreement but then quoted South korean negotiator Lee Dong Bok As denying that the North made any agreements. Lee was not available for comment. The agreement reportedly came at a Border meeting wednesday Between officials drafting an Accord for the dec. 10-� 13 talks Between the nations prime ministers. The change could mean North Korea will allow inspection of its nuclear facilities another demand by major Powers. One source cautioned that it was premature to believe the North would accept inspections soon but saw the agreement As hopeful. North Korea agreed to the wording for the draft agreement a on the Assumption that All . Nuclear weapons would be withdrawn a the sources told the associated press by Telephone. The nations of Northeast Asia have become alarmed Over evidence indicating that North Korea is close to being Able to produce nuclear weapons. A senior . Official said wednesday that Washington now believes North koreans nuclear development a is further along than first believed. The official who requested anonymity said a they continue to make progmc�?~5�?T continue to move closer to building a  the official declined to elaborate. Cheney flew by army helicopter wednesday to the Rodriguez Range a firing Range 24 Miles South of the Border to watch training by 2nd inf div troops. A Cheney a party could see North korean territory in the distance beyond the rugged mountainous terrain of the demilitarized zone separating the  rally for Havel students hold up a poster of czechoslovak president Voclav Havel during a demonstration in Prague. Several thousand people rallied on tuesday to support Havel who is seeking added Powers including the right to Rule by de Cree in the event that parliament is dissolved. Havel has been struggling to mediate differences Between the czech and slovak republics Over a formula for distributing authority among themselves and the Federal government the impasse has strengthened Calls in. Slovakia for sovereignty or even Independence. Strong quake rattles Region. Of Swiss Alps Zurich Switzerland apr Switzerland a second strongest earthquake this Century damaged buildings in the Alpine Southeastern Canton of Grau Brinden on wednesday but caused no injuries officials said. Tremors were Felt in neighbouring areas of the italian Alps and around Basel 125 Miles Northwest of the quakers reported epicentre in the Eastern Swiss Alps. The quake measured 5.5 on the Richter scale the Swiss Federal seismological service said in Zurich. It struck shortly before 3 . And was followed by weaker tremors. Residents in several towns in Grau Brinden reported cracks in House Walls and chimneys police said. Authorities did not immediately provide an Overall damage estimate. A first there was a thump then the House Shook pretty strongly a said Felicitas Moser of Guldain a town near the epicentre. A my neighbors said pictures fell off the Wall and glasses tipped Over in the  cracks several Yards Long and nearly 1 Inch wide appeared in mul Dainz a recently restored Catholic Church she said. Some areas lost their electricity for 20 minutes because the quake triggered an automatic shutoff in the Power Grid. It was the strongest Swiss earthquake since one believed to have measured 8.0 on the Richter scale in 1946, said Andre Blanchard of the seismological service. The Richter scale is a gauge of the Energy released by an earthquake As measured by the ground motion recorded on a  treasure reportedly found in Germany Moscow apr treasures from the famed Amber room of a czarist Palace have been found in a soviet military base in Eastern Germany a newspaper reported tuesday. The room was one of the great masterpieces of pre revolutionary russian artisans along with Faberge eggs and the czars jewels. It consists of Large Wall panels and other furnishings made from the rare Honey coloured resin. During world War ii the treasures were stripped by German soldiers from the famous chamber in Catherine a Palace at Tsa Skoye selo a Village outside St. Petersburg. In its report Rab Ochaya Tribuna did not identify the base where it said the treasures were discovered or How they got there. It said the entire Cache could be Worth $150 million. Also found were several Gold icon frames stolen from the russian City of Novgorod the newspaper reported. It said that soviet military intelligence Learned of the whereabouts of the stolen artefacts months ago but that documents disclosing the news never reached soviet president Mikhail s. Gorbachev or Boris n. Yeltsin president of the russian federation. Last month soviet culture minister Nikolai Gubenko announced he was forming a commission to determine How and when the country will return German artworks hauled off at the end of world War ii. Soviet copter crash kills 17 Gubenko also repeated his wish that both governments should work together to Exchange National treasures taken by both sides during the War. Since 1952, the soviet Union has returned More than 1 million items to Germany Gubenko said. The items include paintings drawings graphics Stamps coins and Antiques he said. Germany has reciprocated by giving Back Only eight icons two of which came out of private collections he said. Moscow up a a helicopter carrying 17 senior officials from Azerbaijan Kazakhstan Russia and the soviet military crashed into a Mountain in the troubled Magorno Karabash Region wednesday killing All aboard the soviet news Agency Tass said. Tass said the helicopter Pilot apparently became disoriented in thick Clouds or fog and slammed into the Mountainside near the Village of Karaken in the mostly armenian Region inside Azerbaijan. There was no indication the crash was connected to the fighting Between armenians and azerbaijanis Over the Region. Among the 17 passengers killed were two soviet generals several senior government and Law enforcement officials from Azerbaijan two soviet members of parliament the Deputy Interior minister from Kazakhstan a representative of the russian government and a reporter and cameraman from azerbaijani television Tass said. Russia and Kazakhstan have observers in Magorno Karabash As part of an Effort to mediate an end to the fighting Over the Region. Swiss women to Fly warplanes Bern Switzerland apr women pilots will be allowed to Fly non combat missions in the Swiss air Force starting next year the government announced wednesday. Members of the All Volunteer women a military service will be Able to become warplane pilots provided they meet and pass the same flying tests As men the defense ministry said. The Force the Swiss women a army a is barred from combat duty. It currently numbers about 2,200 and has Long had trouble interesting enough women to meet its recruitment  regular militia army comprises 625,000 Fen. The women a army was founded in 1940 when Switzerland was a Neutral Island in world War ii Europe a though women waited 31 More years for the right to vote