European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 6, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes . Sunday december 6,1992british also searched their Clinton files by Michael Isikoff the Washington Post Washington a about the same time state department officials were searching through Bill Clinton a passport files the British government was conducting its own search through confidential files in London for material on the democratic presidential candidate a British government spokesman said Friday. Officials at the British Home office searched through immigration and naturalization files in Early october to determine if Clinton while he was a student at Oxford University had sought or inquired about obtaining British citizenship to avoid the draft during the Vietnam War said Graham Blakeway head of the news division of the Home office. The Home office search occurred while the Clinton Campaign was receiving reports that members of parliament from Britain a ruling conservative party had been approached by Republican party operatives about reviewing British files to find damaging material on Clinton former Clinton Campaign official Betsey Wright said Friday. But Wright said that her reports were second hand and third hand and until Friday she had no idea that such a search Ever took place. A a search was made it was comprehensive a said Blakeway in a Telephone interview Friday adding that no material on Clinton was found. Blakeway repeatedly called the search a a routine and a straightforward a saying it was done in response to numerous press injuries. But Blakeway also acknowledged that Home office policy strictly forbids discussion of any individual citizenship cases and that no information could have been released without Clinton a permission. Britain has no equivalent of the american Freedom of information act and British government agencies usually Are extremely reluctant to release information that is not already on the Public record. Nevertheless Blakeway said the Home office decided to conduct the search out of a sheer  once the search was completed he said the press office gave off the record press a a guidance to journalists that if they wrote that Clinton had Ever applied for British citizenship a it would be  the guidance was intended to prevent a strict a no comments response from being misinterpreted he said. The British government action adds a possible new wrinkle to the controversy Over the actions by senior state department political appointees in directing an exhaustive pre election search through Clinton a passport files in an Effort to find damaging material on the democratic presidential nominee in the closing weeks of the Campaign. State department officials initially defended the search on the grounds that it was conducted in response to Freedom of information requests from news organizations but later acknowledged that the requests were improperly expedited and that the department s responses were politically motivated and unprecedented in scope. A report late last month by Sherman m. Funk state department inspector general confirmed that Elizabeth m. Tamposi former assistant Secretary of state for consular affairs a who was fired Over the Clinton passport search a also called the . Embassy in London and directed that consular files there be searched for information relating to Clinton dating from 1968 to 1970, while he was at Oxford. Asked Friday about the Home office search Britain a ambassador to the United states Robin Renwick said a the British embassy has not been involved in any Way in anything to do with questions about Clinton a passport. Clinton ready to take action on Jan. 20 pc Sidcot a acct Clinton attends a Christmas Parade in Little Rock ark., on Friday. Washington a president elect Clinton could Start reversing Republican policies and making Good on his Campaign promises As Early As inauguration Day. Transition lawyers Are preparing a stack of executive orders that will be waiting for Clinton when he a sworn in on Jan. 20. A the wants to be Able to take action from the Day he takes office a said Bruce Reed Deputy transition director for Domestic policy. A the Point is to break the gridlock right off the Bat to show that he Wasny to kidding when he talked about  president Bush did not have executive orders drafted in Advance nor did president Reagan who came into office with ideas that differed greatly from those of his democratic predecessor. A i done to know Why Reagan did no to do it a Reed said. He said Clinton is in a hurry a to undo some of the damage that a built up Over the last 12  Clinton has already said he wants to cancel executive orders that ban the following homosexuals in the military research using fetal tissue and abortion counselling at federally funded birth control clinics. Another order would Stop the automatic return of haitian refugees to their Homeland. Transition teams Are drafting orders that would Cut the Federal bureaucracy limit Perks of executive employees and convert some cars in the Federal Fleet to natural Gas. During the presidential Campaign Clinton pledged to reduce Federal employment by 100,000 and require agencies to reduce administrative costs by 3 percent annually. He also wants to impose lobbying restrictions on his appointees. The policy teams Are exploring whether executive orders can play a role in reaching those goals Reed said. Clinton Isnit expected to sign All the orders at once. For example he has signalled plans to move slowly when it comes to requiring the military to accept homosexuals. Meanwhile Clinton spent Friday in the governors mansion in Little Rock ark., mixing meetings on Somalia and transition business. Adm. David e. Jeremiah assistant chairman of the joint chiefs of staff briefed Clinton on the Somalia military action along with Cia and state department officials. Clinton spokesman George Stephano Poulos said Clinton was a on the verge of making several Cabinet appointments. But Steph Nopoulos said defense Secretary and Secretary of state would not necessarily be in the first group  struggle Over House panels contests for 3 key committee chairs anticipated Washington apr the chairmanships of three House committees Are in question As the chamber a majority democrats begin picking their leaders in the new Congress. The two year tenure of the chairman of the House select intelligence committee rep. Dave Mccurdy d-okla., May be ending. A top democratic official speaking on the condition of anonymity said House speaker Thomas Foley d-wash., had not decided whether to reappoint Mccurdy. Rep. Lane Evans a Young Liberal Democrat from Illinois will try to wrest the chairmanship of the House veterans affairs committee from 72-year-old rep. . Montgomery. Two democratic aides speaking on the condition of anonymity _ said they believed Mont Gomery a Mississippi Democrat will keep his Post. Veteran rep. William Natcher d-ky., is expected to replace the ailing rep. Jamie Whitten d-miss., As chairman of the House appropriations committee next week the two democratic officials said. Montgomery Mccurdy who last year considered challenging Foley for the speakers Job has been said to be under consideration by president elect Clinton for the Job of Secretary of defense. The intelligence panel chairman is appointed by the speaker. The Wall Street journal reported Friday that Mccurdy could lose the chairmanship. Asked about that report one Democrat said a nothing is locked in  Mccurdy a press Secretary Cindy Cain said her Boss has told Foley he wants to remain As committee Leader. Foley is not expected to act until he is re elected speaker by the full House Jan. 5. The veterans affairs and appropriations jobs Are expected to be decided tuesday when the houses 258 democrats meet to vote on committee chairmanships. Natcher who like Whitten is 83, has been acting chairman of the panel since earlier this year. The committee controls the spending of half the $1.5 trillion Federal budget. Younger members of the appropriations panel had been considering challenging Natcher for the Job but now appear unlikely to do so. Despite a year marked by upheaval and demands for change within the House Evans Effort to depose Montgomery will probably be the Only rank Anco file Challenge against a committee chairman. The generational Battle pits the 41-year-old Evans a Marine from 1969 to 1971 who did not serve in Vietnam against Montgomery a Veteran of world War ii and the korean War. Montgomery has headed the veterans panel since 1981, and been a member of the committee for 24 of his 26 years in Congress. Laws he has written have enriched education benefits for veterans and elevated the former veterans administration to the Cabinet level department of veterans affairs. Evans who has been on the veterans committee for his entire 10-year House career has clashed with Montgomery before. He led a fight against Montgomery to compensate Vietnam veterans for exposure to the defoliant agent Orange a Battle Evans finally won in 1990. A 3 there s a belief that there needs to be new leadership with a new administration coming in a said Steve Vetzner Evans press Secretary. Nonetheless the three major veterans organizations Are supporting Montgomery the veterans of foreign ars the american legion and disabled american veterans. Evans is backed by the much smaller Vietnam veterans of America. A most of the current committee members. Will vouch for our Strong record of accomplishment for this country s veterans during my tenure a Montgomery said in a written statement