European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 2, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday april 2, 1992 the stars and stripes c Page 5check scandal taken seriously by polled voters by the los Angeles times Washington a americans in overwhelming numbers believe the House Bank overdraft scandal is a serious breach of ethics but half would wait for an explanation from lawmakers involved before deciding whether to vote against them a los Angeles times poll shows according to the poll about 31 percent of americans would definitely or probably oppose re election of House members implicated in the controversy while 50 percent would wait to hear More from their representatives before reaching a decision. Sixteen percent would not vote against their representatives on this Issue. Two out of 10 of those polled said they would definitely vote against a House member who had overdrafts. The results show that the effect on those involved will depend heavily on How Many checks they wrote. The National Telephone Survey of 1,521 adults was taken Between Friday and sunday. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage Points. In the stars and stripes10 year Sago april 2,1982 a the Senate armed services committee approved a $180.2 billion weapons program but blocked interim deployment of the first 40 my missiles. 20years ago april 2,1972 a thousands of North vietnamese and Viet Cong troops drove past South Vietnam a Northern line of defences below the demilitarized zone.30 year Sago april 2,1962 a the United states began providing Large numbers of a new Light automatic Rifle known As the Armani the to South Vietnam although some experts doubted that the Small Bullet it fired would be effective in combat.40 years ago april 2,1952 a soviet Premier Josef Stalin cabled 50 . Editors touring Europe and the Middle East. He said that War was no closer than it was two or three years ago and that the moment was opportune for German unification. Worl d War ii 50 Lars ago today 2 april1 a 9 a 4 2 British troops defending prime in Burma Are forced to Retreat to avoid being encircled by the japanese. President Roosevelt sends British prime minister Winston Churchill a message saying his envoys will arrive soon with an important message he does t offer specifics but it is the . Plan for opening a second front in Europe. In the soviet Union the deep mud of the Spring thaw brings fighting to a virtual standstill. More flaws revealed in House Post office Thomas s. Foley a file Washington apr a Surprise audit of the troubled House Post office last week found an unlocked vault stacked with $100 Money orders and also found employees ill equipped to handle Stamps and Cash. The preliminary findings of the general accounting office audit also said there were Money shortages. Mismanagement at the House mail facility has become a major embarrassment for the House democratic leadership along with bad checks written at the chamber a former Bank. Three former Post office employees have pleaded guilty to embezzlement. A fourth who has admitted Selling drugs is awaiting trial on an embezzlement charge. There have been published allegations of illegal Loans using postal funds and separate investigations Are under Way by a Federal grand jury and the House administration committee. The auditors according to a staff members notes from a briefing on the findings found that errors were common in daily sales reports and that there were Money shortages at stamp counters. The notes said the unlocked vault with keys in the lock had stacks of $100 Money orders that May have totalled As much As $75,000. The Surprise audit was ordered by House clerk Donnald k. Anderson who was asked by speaker Thomas s. Foley to take control of the Post office pending the naming of a new postmaster. Late in the Day Foley d-wash., swore in Michael j. Shinay As a replacement for Robert v. Rota who resigned under fire last month. Foley in a statement tuesday said the audit was conducted to provide Shinay with a a Clear and timely sense of the financial operations of the Post  the House Post office which operates branches at five locations in the Capitol Complex is a contract Agency of the . Postal service. European allies weighing plan to share More of defense costs source 2194 Days of War w. H. Smith a publishers inc. World almanac Book of world War ii Bison books corp1981 by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington nato officials Are considering a . Proposal to share almost $300 million in annual costs now borne by the United states to support the wartime reinforcement of Europe with stateside troops a government official told Congress on wednesday. H. Allen Holmes state department ambassador at Large for Burden sharing said the proposal covers operations and maintenance funding for a variety of functions that would be critical for supporting troops who would be rushed to Europe in a crisis. Holmes travelled to Capitol Hill to give the House armed services committees military facilities panel a status report on . Efforts to get its allies to shoulder More of the Mutual defense Burden. The missions that would be collectively paid for out of nato funds under the . Proposal include Sites used for storing pre positioned ground and naval equipment stateside based Reserve facilities attached to european command units a co located bases that the United states shares with other nato nations and Petroleum storage costs. Holmes said that As . Force Levels in Europe drop by half the capability to reinforce the remaining troops with units based at Home in peacetime is More important than Ever. A we Felt it was logical to ask the Alliance to collectively pay for that a he said. A your allies recognize that the . Reinforcement capability makes a unique and vital contribution to european  the alliances defense planning committee has referred the proposal to its infrastructure subcommittee which is due to report Back by the end of april. A the proposal has generally gotten a favourable reception a Holmes said. A we anticipate that the dec will ultimately agree that these costs Are eligible for collective  Holmes said that the initiative is just one example of the Way the United states is aggressively pursuing new defense Cost sharing arrangements in Light of the changing political environment worldwide. Perhaps the most visible Success stories in that regard Are the current agreements Between the United states and its two principal allies in the Pacific a Japan and South Korea. The current agreement with Japan will have that nation picking up almost 75 percent of the costs of stationing . Forces there excluding salaries for . Military and civilian personnel. Japan already pays almost All military construction costs and leases for land used by . Forces. By 1996, Japan will assume responsibility for funding All . Facilities there As Well As All salaries and benefits for japanese local National employees Holmes said. This year Japan a total Host nation support contribution came to $3.3 billion he said. In South Korea a new agreement completed last summer Calls for that nation to assume one third of . Stationing costs by 1995, which May total More than $300 million by that time. In the Middle East the United states has hammered out agreements with Bahrain Kuwait and Oman involving pre positioning of equipment Access to Host country facilities and combined training exercises. Similar agreements Are being negotiated with saudi Arabia Qatar and the United Arab emirates Holmes said. The United states is also discussing Cost sharing issues with various individual nato allies As part of a comprehensive review of the current bilateral agreements said. A was with Japan and Korea we will be focusing on stationing costs to include local labor Cost sharing funds for utilities and other support costs a he said. But Holmes cautioned against unrealistic expectations for those negotiations at a time when every nato nation is reshaping defense policies and budgets to meet new circumstances. He added that some nato allies Are also assuming new financial burdens to assist former Warsaw pact adversaries and Speed the withdrawal of soviet forces from Eastern Europe. Despite Holmes relatively upbeat report some lawmakers clearly feel the allies can and should do even More. For example rep. Patricia Schroeder d-colo., who chairs the House armed services committees military facilities panel asked Holmes whether there is any Chance of getting Japan to take on All or part of the 25 percent in stationing costs that will continue to be shouldered by the United states. But Holmes said that portion of the costs includes spending for such activities As military training exercises in the Pacific Region which May not be specifically linked to the defense of Japan alone. Ltd a we think those kinds of things should properly be funded by the United states a he said. A we expect our friends and allies to contribute to the maintenance of our defense agreements a he said a but we should remember that the United states enters into these agreements because they serve . Security interests. We done to want to think of ourselves As  sentenced to death for slaying Miami apr a judge wednesday sentenced to death a woman convicted of torturing and killing her 3-year-old son who became known As a baby  Dade circuit judge David Tobin followed the jury a recommendation in sentencing her. Ana Cardona asked Tobin for mercy tuesday claiming she was innocent. A a in be never abused or mistreated my children a she said. A even though humanity sees me As a monster i am not a monster nor am i the murderer of my  she was convicted last week in the death of Lazaro Figueroa nicknamed baby lollipops because of the to shirt he was wearing when his beaten body was found