European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 6, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 a the stars and stripes . 1 sunday december 6,1992 Senate pow hearings end but the uncertainty lingers by Michael Ross los Angeles times Washington a the Senate a special pow committee concluded More than a year of hearings Friday still divided Over the question that has haunted the nation for two decades were americans left behind in Southeast Asia after the Vietnam War after interviewing hundreds of witnesses and examining tens of thousands of pages of classified documents the consensus on the Senate a select committee on pow Mia affairs appeared to be that Only partial answers will Ever be found. The uncertainty was underlined at the final hearing by Ted Schweitzer an american researcher who was first Given Access to some of Hanoi a Long secret archives on prisoners of War. Schweitzer told the committee that most of the evidence about missing americans that had survived the passing of time was in private hands and scattered across Vietnam making it virtually impossible to gather. A there is a Mountain of information All Over Vietnam but it is not part of the official archives and the Central government a cannot order it to be brought to Hanoi a said Schweitzer a Pentagon consultant who has been conducting research for a Book in Vietnam for the past three years. For real Progress to occur he added villagers in Possession of pilots remains and other artefacts a have to be made to feel in their hearts that this is something they ought to do for  Schweitzer added that he did not believe that any americans remained alive and in Captivity in Vietnam today. That assessment was echoed by retired Gen. John Vessey president Bush a special emissary to Vietnam for pow-m1a affairs who said that although the possibility that pos Are still in Captivity cannot be ruled out a it is very very  All of the evidence so far suggests a nothing to indicate that people Are alive. On the contrary. All of the evidence gathered so far Points to death a Vessey said. That grim assessment is not Likely to sit Well with Mia relatives and pow activist groups who have Long believed that at least some of the 2,226 men officially listed As missing in Indochina remain alive and in Captivity today. Only one member of the Senate panel committee vice chairman Robert c. Smith r-n.h., has indicated he shares that belief which is based primarily on reports of possible pow sightings trickling out of Southeast Asia Over the years. But wider divisions remain on the committee Over other key questions. Among them were any pos held Back after the Exchange of prisoners in 1973, How Long might they have survived and did . Administrations do enough to account for them in its final report due Jan. 5, the committee is Likely to agree that scores of men known to have been in Captivity at the end of the War were never accounted for. Moreover some of them could have been alive in 1973, when former president Nixon prematurely declared that All pos had come Home. The committee also appears unanimous in its View that the Pentagon a subsequent efforts to account for the missing men has at least until recently been inept and inadequate at Best. At worst the committee believes the Pentagon was beset by a a mindset to debunk important clues pointing to the possibility that men were left behind. The last Lap a dog drinks from a puddle in the Indian Valley Reservoir near Williams in North Central California As drought conditions persist. The Lake is less than 1 per cent of capacity. Area Farmers depended on the Reservoir for irrigation before the six year drought began. In the background Are the dry spillway Gates of the dam. Girl Hurt in jeep crash awarded $20.5 million Albany . Apr a girl who was left paralysed and brain damaged after she fell from a jeep As it veered into the ditch has been awarded $20.5 million a lawyer said Friday. A Federal jury thursday ruled that the now defunct White automotive corp., which made jeeps soft roofs and doors was responsible for Olivia Slades injuries. Since the Colorado based company is out of business it May be impossible to collect the award Thomas j. Dinovo a lawyer for the family said Friday. Lawyers for White automobile said its insurance would cover Only $6.3 million. Olivia smother was driving the 1976 jeep when she lost control in january 1983 and veered into the ditch said attorney Stephen Coffey who represented the Slades. The passenger door popped open and 3-year-old Olivia fell out even though she was wearing a seat Belt. She was pinned under a tire with her face pushed into the Snow. She suffered brain damage because she  breathe. Olivia of Manchester vt., turns 13-years-old this month but has the mental development of an infant and was left a quadriplegic Coffey said. Defense attorney Alvin o. Sabo argued that jeep if anyone was at fault. He said he would Appeal. Slades family reached a $2.2 million out of court settlement with jeep Coffey said. Jeep was owned by american motors in 1976. It now is owned by Chrysler  top Job to go to lieutenant governor from wire reports Little Rock Ark. A Arkansas lieutenant governor will become governor when Bill Clinton resigns to become president the state supreme court ruled Friday. The ruling was in a lawsuit filed to clarify what the state Constitution says about succession. Democratic it. Gov. Jim Guy Tucker has maintained that the Constitution entitled him to the office a position supported by fridays supreme court ruling. Attorney general Winston Bryant argued that a part of the Constitution May require a special election if a governor has More than a year left in his term upon leaving office. Clinton has said he will resign by Jan. 1. Clinton was elected governor in 1990 and has two years remaining in his  Candle kills girl Williamsburg a. A 5-year-old girl was electrocuted after putting an electric Christmas Candle in her Mouth. Lauren Fontan had been feeling sick and stayed Home from kindergarten thursday. Her Mother Cheryl Keyser left her alone for a few minutes while preparing to run to the drug store. A you can try to explain about these things and protect your kids but they done to always understand the consequences of what they Are doing a Keyser told the Newport news va., daily press a a it a just really ironic. You re deriving so much pleasure from these candles and then this  when she found out what happened Keyser called the local Rescue squad and they arrived four minutes after the Call. After finding the child in cardiac arrest they spent 30 minutes unsuccessfully trying to revive her.5 die in Michigan fire Ferndale Mich. A a couple and their three Young children were killed by a fire that swept through their House a fire official said. Fire chief Gary Lohmeier said four of the bodies were found thursday night near the Homes front and Back entrances and the fifth that of a Young child was found in a Back bedroom. The victims were identified As Bill Yaple 50, his wife Diane 36 their sons Scottie 7, and Kenny 2 and daughter misty 5. Lohmeier said officials were investigating lights on the family a artificial Christmas tree As a possible cause of the  property auctioned Phoenix a impeached gov. Evan Mecham had intended to put out a newspaper but when the venture stalled everything in his offices was auctioned off to cover Back rent. A Mecham who was ousted from office in 1988, salvaged a mahogany desk head had for 35 years paying $125 for the item that Cost $2,500 in 1957. The company that managed the building appraised the equipment and furnishings at $67,000. Buyers snapped up most of it with $4,0ch in bids. On Sale were computers printers telephones office furniture and publishing equipment. One computer that sold new for $25,000 was bought for 580. A fall this stuff is outdated a Mecham said at thursdays auction adding that he Hadnot Given up on his plans to publish a newspaper.3 children found dead St. Petersburg Fla. A three children were found dead Friday in a House on the North Side of St. Petersburg and police say they May have been asphyxiated by some Type of heating problem. Police spokesman Wendell Creager said the three were found in a Back bedroom of the House after police received a Call at 8 53 . The names of the victims were not released but Creager said they appeared to Range in age from 10 to 18. Creager said the deaths appear to have been accidental. It looks like its going to be asphyxiation from faulty heating a he said. He said the children were from a Southeast asian Tammy that lives in the House and interpreters were talking with the family to determine what happened