European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 28, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 b the stars and stripes saturday december 28, 1991rain-soaked Texas inspected by Bush Beeville Texas apr president Bush inspected flood ravaged areas of his adopted Home state Friday and lamented a a great personal tragedy As he arrived Here for a three Day Hunting vacation. A Day after declaring five Texas counties a disaster area the president got a look at the Region from his presidential Jet. Bush took a Small Jet to Texas because Chase naval air station could not accommodate air Force one. Bush told a Small welcoming crowd that he had seen some of the damage from his plane. Overcast skies apparently prevented him from seeing More. A i know that this disaster has been a source of great personal tragedy to Many Here in Texas a particularly bitter calamity during this Holiday season a he said. A and to those who have lost loved ones As a result of this catastrophe Barbara and i Send our deepest  Bush approved Federal disaster Aid thursday for five Texas counties hit hardest by the flooding. Grant Peterson associate director of the Federal emergency management Agency who travelled with Bush Friday said that eight More counties May be declared disaster areas by today. Floods caused by record breaking rainfall Over the past week have killed at least 15 people across Texas swamped Farmland drowned scores of livestock and caused millions in damage. Thousands of families have been displaced. More rain had been forecast for most of the state Friday. On thursday 1,800 residents of Wharton who live near the Colorado River were urged to flee. But Only 85 had arrived at a shelter by Early Friday and Many said they wanted to stay in their Homes As Long As they could. The president said he hoped that declaring the counties a disaster area would help Speed Federal Aid to individuals and businesses. The declarations make those damaged by the storm available for Low Cost Federal Loans housing Grants and other assistance. On the eve of his trip to Texas the president said he planned to use the time to Ponder ways to Spur the nations listless Economy and said he was nearing a decision on the growth package hell present in his state of the Union address on Jan. 28. Bush will remain in Southeast Texas through sunday morning Quail Hunting on a ranch owned by his longtime Friend millionaire businessman will Farish. The president a former oilman who lived in Houston has gone to Beeville for a Post Christmas vacation for Many years although he skipped last year during the crisis in the persian Gulf. Bush told a White House news conference thursday that Confidence is far lower than it was in the 1981-82 recession when a conditions in some areas were a Heck of a lot worse. I Haven to really been Able to sort out exactly Why there has been this degree of  after returning to Washington from Beeville on sunday Bush leaves again on monday on a 12-Day trip to Japan Korea Singapore and Australia. Bush defended his decision to take no Union leaders on the trip. He will be joined by the chief executives of the big three Auto makers and 15 other corporate leaders. A i think it is the people that Are actually running these various businesses who Are in the Best position to discuss it in that level a Bush said. Stung by criticism that he is spending too much time on foreign policy Bush has been characterizing the Pacific trip in recent Days As a Trade Mission to find new markets for . Goods. Dana Steinheimer leaps to Shore in the rain plagued Wharton Texas area. The Eye catching raft doubles As Steinheimer a Home and As a set for a theater  to save big . Insurer los Angeles a a judge s approval of a French investor group s $3.55 billion Purchase of executive life insurance co. Of California clears the Way for what officials called the largest insurance company Rescue in . History. Superior court judge Kurt j. Lewin on thursday approved the bid by Altus finance and Mutuc Lle Assurance pcs Art Sunale do France. Executive life with 372,0 it policyholders was brought Down primarily by huge junk Bond investments. It was seized april 11 by state regulators. Since May bids have been made by eight investment groups including the National organization of life and health guaranty associations. But that group with draw its bid in Tavor of the Trench Otter. The state department of insurance said Altus finance will pay $3.25 billion Tor the bulk of the company s junk Bond portfolio and Motuelle Assurance will infuse an additional $300 million. Investors will rename the company Aurora National life insurance. State insurance guaranty associations will contribute nearly $2 billion which will allow More than 95 percent of policyholders to receive 100 percent of their contract values up to $100,000 per person. Explicit photos found in Holiday gifts Boston apr some children and parents opening toy packages this Holiday season reported finding sexually explicit photographs inside. A it kind of ruined the whole Day a Deborah Bibeau of Cambridge said. Bibeau was preparing to assemble an accessory for her 10-year-old daughters Barbie doll present when a Small photograph showing a Man and woman engaged in Oral sex fell from the Box. Writing on the Back of the photograph described a sex act Between the Barbie character and a Man she said. A similar discovery was also made wednesday in Attleboro a town near Rhode Island. Meg Camara said her 6-year-old daughter ripped open a package containing a Barbie companion doll and found photos showing two women having sex. A she said a Why did Santa bring me naked ladies a How do you explain that to a 6-year-old?�?T�?T Camara said. Martin Meehan assistant District attorney said a 5-Ycar-old girl in Lynnfield also pulled a pornographic photo from a Barbie Christmas gift. A it is sick stuff a he said. In november Middlesex District attorney Thomas Reilly reported that pornographic materials had been found in dozens of toy packages in Boston area stores and investigators said it was possible the latest finds were connected to the earlier ones. Robert re Osman 55, of Lexington was arrested last month in the earlier Case. He was charged with disseminating pornographic material to minors for allegedly putting pictures and literature into packages containing Barbie Midge and . Joe toys at a Watertown retail store. The Barbie doll series is made by Mattel a toy maker based in Al Segundo Calif. Company officials  be reached for comment thursday. An answering machine at company Headquarters said the offices were closed for the holidays. Merriam Webster wins $4 million in suit new York up1 Merriam Webster inc. Won a $4 million judgment thursday in its trademark infringement suit against rival publisher random House inc. Merriam Webster filed suit this year charging random House with unfair Competition and trademark infringement. The suit contended random houses recently published Quot websters College dictionary was so similar a in title and appearance a to Merriam websters Best Selling reference work Webster s ninth new collegiate dictionary that it confused Consumers and Cut into Merri am Webster s sales like the Long established Merriam Webster Dici Ionar. The new random House edition had a red cover used a similar typeface for the title and had the name a Webster so emblazoned in White along the spine. A . District court jury in october awarded Merriam Webster $1.77 million in compensatory damages and $50 1,000 in punitive damages saying random House acted a maliciously or in Wanton disregard of the rights of  but . District judge Lawrence m. Mckenna had taken the award under advisement. On thursday. Mckenna confirmed and doubled the compensatory damages to $3.5 million and let stand the additional $500,000 award for punitive dam Ages. Mckenna also awarded costs a estimated at $100,000 a to Merriam Webster. The judge issued a nationwide injunction against random houses competing dictionary last month and ordered the publisher to change the look. Mckenna specified what Type size should be used in the title of the revised random House dictionary and the order of the words to appear on the Book jacket. Merriam Webster a unit of Chicago based encyclopedia Britannica inc., a sold 43 million copies of its Quot Webster collegiate Quot dictionary series in the Pas 90 years. Quot