European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 19, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Takes fils 1942-1992 vol. 51, no. 2 500 50 years of service Eal sunday april 19,1992 d 8693 a christians jews observe rites around world from wire reports Vatican City Pope John Paul ii carried a wooden Cross in a cold rain through the crumbling ruins of ancient Rome to mourn the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The 71-year-old head of the roman Catholic Church led the dramatic a Way of the Cross ceremony in the eternal City on Good Friday a a Day of mourning that turns to Joy on easter sunday with the Observance of the resurrection. The ceremony was the highlight of Good Friday celebrations for the worlds 900 million catholics. The event was televised around the world including a for the first time a in Moscow. In Israel the religious affairs ministry estimated that 40,000 christians Are in Jerusalem for holy week events this year More than three times the total last year. The tourism ministry said the same number of foreign visitors Are in Israel to observe passover. The Low attendance last year was blamed on the palestinian uprising and the War with Iraq which ended that february. In Rome a crowd of up to 10,000, Many holding candles braved the 43-degree temperature and drizzle to watch the a Way of the Cross ceremony from under a sea of umbrellas. The Pope carried the lightweight 6-foot wooden Cross at the head of a Small procession of priests and Church officials. See rites on Page 2 easter ceremonies have somber look across . By the associated press christians across the United states marked their most somber Holiday this weekend with passion plays pilgrimages and other acts of Devotion while jews took part in passover gatherings celebrating their centuries ago March to Freedom. In new Mexico thousands of christians marched to Santuario de Chimayo in the tiny Village of Chimayo 30 Miles North of Santa be where some believe the soil contains Healing Powers. A god sacrificed his life for us so we should give a Little sacrifice Back a said Dianna Garcia who walked 13 Miles. In Saginaw mich., people strapped themselves to crosses for a re enactment of Christ a crucifixion. A from my participation in this i have Learned to love life More a said Alfredo see easter on Page 2 Pope John Paul ii holds a Cross during the a Way of the Cross ceremony on  vets Given uniform ultimatum Washington a an army directive to some persian Gulf War veterans to turn in their desert camouflage uniforms or pay $46 a set for them has one lawmaker fuming. A in a word its dumb a rep. Ike Skelton d-mo., said in a letter Friday to army Secretary Michael . Stone. A these men and women went Over there and did a first class Job and now they want to take the shirt off their  the army initially wanted to let army National guard veterans keep one pair of pants and a shirt As a a symbolic gesture for their service in the War and for use in Homecoming parades said army spokesman Scott Smullen. However it was determined that the army could not do that without a change in Federal Law Smullen said. As a result he said guard veterans have been Given until june 30 to return the uniforms or pay $46 a set for them. Skelton disagreed saying the army a can do that by decree or just do nothing and let guard members and reservists keep the uniforms. He said it could Cost the army More to collect clean and store the uniforms than allow troops to keep them. A fall this is going to do is anger a lot of Nice people who served their country a Skelton said. Pupils in Panama unethically prepared for test Union says 4 by Chuck Vinch Washington Bureau Washington a a teachers Union has charged that the regional administration of the military overseas school system in Panama has encouraged a a unethical preparation of pupils to boost scores on standardized tests. Brian Mcgee president of the education association of Panama suggested in an april 2 letter to Congress that the department of defense dependents schools Region officials have been a unethically preparing students Ana that this is being done with the knowledge of the director of Dodds or. John  Mcgee a allegations Stem from recent incidents in which at least five teachers at Balboa High school in Panama copied All or part of the comprehensive test of Basic skills which they had obtained from a school test administrator and used them to prepare pupils for Stremple from recent incidents the mid March test. The test is designed by the educational publishing company Mcgraw Hill to help schools and parents determine How Well their pupils Are learning compared to pupils of similar age in other . Schools. It has no nearing upon academic records. Apparently the teachers at Balboa mistakenly assumed they had been Given a copy of an obsolete version of the test when in fact it was the current version Mcgee said in a phone interview. Dodds officials deny Mcgee a allegations and say they Are looking into them in Panama. Panama schools administrators have already notified parents that results from the recent test at Balboa High school have been invalidated according to a school newsletter dated april 2. A we will do an internal review to see what has happened and to see whether we have adequate controls and Security for those tests a said Bart Lagomarsino the school systems Deputy director. He denied that Dodds encourages teaching directly to the test. Lagomarsino said that although administrators want pupils to achieve High test scores the school system opposes teaching to specific questions on a test. A if a test is supposed to measure what students Are see pupils on Page 3