European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 4, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday december 4, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 3save the Union Gorbachev pleads Moscow a president Mikhail s. Gorbachev issued a dramatic Appeal tuesday for pres Eiva Tion of the nation warning of possible warfare and a a catastrophe for All Mankind if the soviet Union disintegrates. A without the Union there will be an eternal erosion of our society As a whole a Gorbachev said in a text of the Appeal. He was to read it on National television tuesday night. The statement was distributed to lawmakers across the nation who Are weighing approval of the Union treaty Gorbachev a plan to hold the nation together. The Appeal came the Day after officials in the Ukraine announced that voters in the key Republic had overwhelmingly approved a referendum on Independence. The Ukraine a newly elected president Leonid Kravchuk has said he will not sign the Union treaty. Russian federation president Boris Yeltsin has said that if the Ukraine does not sign his Republic wont sign either. Gorbachev a spokesman Andrei Grachev said the ukrainian vote was a quite  he said sovereignty would give the republics the Opportunity a to take a reasonable and Well thought out decision As for their participation in future  the Appeal represented one of Gorbachev a last ditch attempts to save the Union and what Little remained of his dwindling authority. Grachev said Gorbachev a statement was a not an  a this is just an assessment of the current situation a he said. Legislators must approve the treaty without delay because a time is precious a according to the Appeal. The treaty would limit the Kremlin a role to foreign affairs a strategic five year directly elected National presidency and an Independent judiciary and would let the republics introduce their own currencies. Gorbachev said the disintegration of the soviet Union has gone beyond a any reasonable limits and has become destructive in its  not signing the Union treaty would Lead to a dire consequences a his statement said. A the disintegration will even be fraught with  a this could be a catastrophe for All Mankind Quot Gorbachev said. A the distance Between the republics will grow wider and wider and the economic situation will get worse and  but Gorbachev took pains to Point out that the Union treaty would not mean a return to the old Kremlin style of Central authority. A a in a not speaking about a revival of the old Center. We cannot go Back to that a his statement said. He said he was talking about a new state one in which a we will be partners we will cooperate and help each other. I am for a new co federative democratic Union of  takes Over As a South commander by j. King Cruger Mediterranean Bureau Naples Italy a amps a adm. Jeremy a a Mike Boorda took command tuesday of Allied forces Southern Europe and . Naval forces Europe. Boorda the Only serving american Admiral to come up through the ranks from Seaman succeeds adm. Jonathan t. Howe who has been appointed Deputy National Security adviser to president Bush. Howe flew to Washington to take Over his new duties immediately following tuesdays change of command ceremony at a South Headquarters in Naples. Speaking at the ceremony Gen. John r. Galvin supreme Allied commander Europe said that although a Onato is changing with the changing times we will still face instability and uncertainty for some time to come All along the perimeter of our Alliance but especially Here in the Southern  Galvin said the current transition of the soviet Union might be seen As a metamorphosis. A from this tremendous cocoon we know not what will emerge but we have dedicated ourselves to extending the hand of Friendship to our former adversaries and to helping them by communicating with them and inviting them to our nato Headquarters a Galvin said. Galvin praised the departing leaders command performance and presented Howe with the distinguished service medal. Galvin also presented Trink Howe the admirals wife with the meritorious service award for her efforts to improve the Quality of life for service members in Europe. Boorda 52, comes to Naples from Washington where he was chief of naval operations for manpower personnel and training. He is generally credited with devising a relatively painless Long term draw Down plan making the Navy the Only service that will not have to use involuntary separations to meet reduced personnel Levels Over the next few years. A amps Gary Miller from left Are adm. Jonathan t. Howe Gen. John r. Galvin and adm. Jeremy a a Mike Boorda at the formal change of command ceremony tuesday in Naples  foresees fewer nato Headquarters by j. King Cruger Mediterranean Bureau Naples Italy a nato will have fewer and smaller Headquarters after its current restructuring according to Gen. John r. Galvin the alliances supreme Allied commander. A there will be fewer not something like half but a reduction and in a not really sure yet How far Down a said Galvin at a press conference tuesday. Galvin was in Naples to preside Over a change of command ceremony. Galvin said he is involved in creating new forces in accordance with natos new strategic concept. A we Are not creating forces now for the Fulda Gap or for the Northern German Plain or to fight All at once from the Kola Peninsula to the trans caucasus. We Are looking at forces for Protection of the peace and for crisis management. So the forces will be smaller highly Mobile multinational with a lot of Force in the Reserve but capable of rapid mobilization a Galvin said. A a in a in the process of putting All of that together. At the same time we have to work on the new command Structure which will be a lighter Structure with less number of Headquarters because the forces themselves will be  some Headquarters currently multinational ones might be reduced although they might be kept Active by the Host nations themselves Galvin said. A we will close some land some air and some sea Headquarters a Galvin said. A a. In the Central Region we will probably move what we now have under Allied forces Central Region a Northern army group and Central army group and 2nd Allied tactical air Force and 4th Allied tactical air Force. Those Are four Headquarters. In place of those four Headquarters we will probably move to something like an air cent and a land cent. So you la have accent and under it land cent and air cent a Galvin said. A there May be some other adjust ments to that because we done to yet know How the Baltic approaches will be covered.�?�. Galvin said the Alliance is very interested in the arrival in the Mediterranean of the aircraft Carrier Kuznetsov the newest and most powerful soviet warship. After passing the Dardanelles a Strait joining the sea of Marmara and the Aegean sea the 67,500-ton Carrier entered the Mediterranean monday for the first time. A we will be in close touch with the Carrier As it moves through the Mediterranean. We would see this As a Friendly interest a Galvin said. He said such interest is markedly different from what natos reaction to the Carrier might have been Only a few years ago. Galvin said the reaction then a would probably have been one of consternation. Now it is one of Friendly  increased emphasis by nato on its Southern Region is paying off Galvin said adding that he Hopes that within the next few months the Alliance will get its Long sought standing naval Force in the Mediterranean. Turning to another topic Galvin said it would be a mistake to move the three squadrons of f-16s from the Southern Region after they vacate Torrejon a in Spain. A we must find a Way to keep them Here. It might be a question of using italian bases or bases of other countries in the Southern Region. It might be a question of getting some help from some of the other nato air forces in order that we keep the amount of air Power necessary in the Southern Region. There Are lots of suggestions As to How to do it. The one thing not to do is to take All the aircraft out of the Southern Region. That would create a weakness that we done to want to have even on a temporary  nato planned to build a new Home for the fighters at Croton in Southern Italy but Congress has refused to come up with funds for building the base