European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 21, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday March 21, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 5dow Corning drops breast implants Washington a the Dow Corning corp. Called it quits thursday for the production of silicone gel breast implants a business it pioneered and led for three decades. An estimated 1 million american women have silicone gel implants. But the safety of the devices is under review by the food and drug administration and the Industry has observed a voluntary moratorium since it was sought by the Fra in Early january. While saying it would never again manufacture a silicone gel implant Dow Corning promised to spend $10 million on research into the safety Issue. And it said it would contribute up to $1,200 per patient based on financial need for any woman to have her implants removed if her doctor deems it necessary. Aaron Levine a lawyer representing women suing implant manufacturers said it often costs More than $9,000 to remove the implants. The company whose implant business has never accounted for More than 1 percent of its Revenue already is beset with lawsuits potentially Worth hundreds of million of dollars. The company has $250 million in liability insurance. Dow Corning said it still is not aware of any proof that the gel filled implants Are unsafe. Some critics have blamed the devices for health problems that include cancer and autoimmune disease. A i done to think it will be fair to say that Dow Corning was hounded out a chairman Keith Mckennon said at a news conference. A this is a decision that we have thought through very carefully As we considered the Likely size of the future Market our relatively modest Market share and the even smaller size of this business relative to our other operations. A after considering All of these factors As Well As Many others we have decided that Dow Corning will not resume the production or sales of breast  the business has been at a standstill since Jan. 6, when or. David Kessler the Fra commissioner asked for the moratorium on new installations of implants while his Agency pursues the safety issues. The questions Center on what happens to the body when it comes in Contact with the silicone gel that fills the implants. To one degree or another the implants leak. That could mean anything from a minuscule amount seeping out through the plastic envelope to a rupture in which All of the gel is spilled into the body. An Fra advisory panel last month heard evidence that the silicone causes problems ranging from simple soreness to cancer and autoimmune disease a in which the body a immune system is triggered into attacking its own tissue. In the meantime the Fra panel recommended that the Agency allow continued use of silicone gel breast implants but under tight restrictions. The Fra has said it plans to make a final decision by april 20. Mckennon refused to comment when asked whether he thought the company a liability insurance was enough to cover potential losses from the lawsuits. He said the company would not require women to give up their litigation rights in Exchange for the financing to have implants removed. Dow Corning controls about 30 percent of the National implant Market. Bristol Myers Squibb co. Quit the business last fall and last week Bio pasty inc. Said it would also Stop making gel implants. Dow coming a departure would leave two manufacturers in the Market. The Mentor corp. And Mcghan medical corp., both of Santa Barbara calif., make Saline filled and silicone gel filled implants. In the stars and stripes 10 year Sago March 21,1982 a breaking an 18-month silence mount St. Helens threw Ash and steam 36,000 feet above its Washington state Peak in an eruption that sent hot water running Down its Snow covered flanks and created a danger of flood. 20 years ago March 21,1972 a six people were killed and 146 injured in Northern Ireland when a 100-Pound bomb blew up in front of a protestant newspaper office. The explosion occurred minutes after terrorists falsely warned people to flee a neighbouring Street leading them into the blast area. 30 years ago March 21,1962 a French president Charles de Gaulle announced he would ask the French people to Grant him full Powers to carry out an algerian peace settlement and Lead the territory to Independence. In Algeria a wave of Post truce bloodshed erupted resulting in 87 dead and 104 wounded. 40 years ago March 21,1952 Gen. Dwight d. Eisenhower said he May change his mind about refusing to seek nomination to political office after More than 100,000 Minnesota voters wrote in his name in the Republican preferential primary. World War ii 50 years ago today 21 March 1.9.4 .2 four German divisions surrounded on the Northern soviet front near Demyanek break through encircling soviet troops but soggy ground from the Spring thaw will slow their drive to link up with other German forces. In Burma the British deploy the 1st Burma div. Along the Irrawaddy River but leave a vast area open South of Tou goo which is defended by chinese troops greatest Ever general turns 100 Polk City Fla. Up a Gen. James a. Van Fleet the army general president Harry Truman called a the greatest Ever a celebrated his 100th birthday thursday with some help from soldiers whose grandparents May have served under him. Van Fleet was honoured by the 24th inf div band from fort Stewart ga., and the army a Golden knights Parachute team also dropped in As the Central Florida City played Host to a Celebration of its most famous resident. Confined to a wheelchair because of a weak hip Van Fleet found the Celebration quite a departure from his daily routine in recent years. Van Fleet retired to his Rural 2,000-acre ranch in 1953 and spent the first two years in virtual Solitude initially refusing to have a Telephone installed. Van fleets daughter Dempsie Mcchristian said her father enjoys sitting quietly watching Florida wildlife and his flock of 40 peacocks from his porch. Quite a change from his whirlwind career. One year after graduating from the . Military Academy at West Point n.y., As a second lieutenant in 1915, Van Fleet fought legendary mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa in Elpaso Texas under Gen. John Pershing. World War i developed and in 1918 Van Fleet served in France where he was first wounded. Between world wars Van Fleet returned to Florida becoming a professor of military science and tactics at the University of Florida in 1921. The Ever restless mind put tactics and strategy to a new test As head football coach for the University beginning in 1923. His annual salary was $300. That year using Van fleets a will to win training the gators had a 6-1-2 season followed by 6-2-2 the next year. Van Fleet told sports reporters then that sports and the military had a lot in common. A if you can coach football successfully. Get the most out of your players you should be Able to do the same in the military a Van Fleet said. World War ii brought a return to service and he landed on Utah Beach at Normandy during the june 6, 1944, a Day invasion. The following year he led his troops through Germany to the austrian Alps capturing 105,000 German prisoners. Van Fleet had Little Idle time after world War ii Rushing to Greece by order of Truman. There he helped train greek troops struggling to overcome communist guerrillas. The korean conflict brought Van Fleet his fourth Star and retired army Gen. James a. Van Fleet salutes the crowd during his 100th birthday party thursday in Polk City Fla. Command of the . Eighth army and All . Troops. It was there that the general a Only son James jr., was killed flying a b-26. President Dwight d. Eisenhower later posted Van Fleet to the diplomatic corps naming him ambassador to the far East. Following that assignment Van Fleet tried to retire but president John f. Kennedy re activated him once again this time to Lead a review of the country a National guard and special forces units. A the still gets a lot of letters from soldiers who served with him a said Van fleets son in Law retired maj. Gen. Joseph Mcchristian. A the likes to answer them  Van fleets wife Helen Moore Van Fleet died in 1984 at age 90. She is buried at Arlington National cemetery and the general recently said she is there a waiting for  . Creates whistle blowing by computer source 2194 Days of War w h Smith a pud Visners inc. World almanac Book of world War ii b son acc it Cep Chi by Bob Dart Cox news service Washington in a downloading of Modem morality Federal hackers Are connecting to a computer bulletin Board to anonymously report cases of government waste fraud or other abuses. Since the whistle Blower bulletin Board went on line last month hundreds of confidential messages have been left a with More than 60 leading to ongoing investigations said Bob Gellman of the House government operations subcommittee on information Justice and agriculture. The system allows anyone with a computer and Telephone Modem to Call 202225-5527 and report instances of wrongdoing in government. The bulletin Board brings a whistle blowing into the computer age a said rep. Bob Wise d-w.va., the subcommittee chairman. The system also allows the subcommittee to receive computer files a potentially potent evidence a without giving away the identity of the source. By using passwords and pseudonyms whistle blowers can communicate via computer with congressional staffers throughout an investigation without giving their names and possibly endangering their careers