European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 10, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 the stars and stripes world thursday february 10,1994 Hong Kong a Hong Kong takes its favorite Holiday m one big gulp. This hectic High tech round the clock society ground to a halt wednesday night for the Start of the chinese new year and it won t get going again for four full Days. T the Stock Market shut and the tailors went Home newspapers closed for two Days and Domino s pizza suspended delivery until saturday. With family reunions gift giving Clearing of debts prayers for Good Fortune and fireworks that will Light up Hong Konc s Harbor Friday night chinese new year is like All the United states favorite holidays rolled into one it has echoes of thanksgiving the family Mea Christmas the gifts and decorative Trees new year s resolutions easter Spring cleaning and the fourth of july fireworks. The tradition of food family and an extra Long to put on dog weekend is repeated elsewhere in the chinese world in a burst of joyous upheaval. In China tens of millions have taken to trains buses and ferries to make their Way Home for the hol iday that rings in the year of the dog. Taiwan s main Highway is so crowded that Only vehicles carrying at least four people Are let through. In Hong Kong rail tickets to China sold out a month ago to people who had camped overnight at the reservation office. I a hon8 Kong busily preparing for chinese Rule in1997, Many will be praying for a break from the Acri Mony that plagued Britain and China in 1993 Over the Colony s political future. The opening highlight of the Holiday was a Brief appearance on chinese television by Deng Xiaoping the first in a year by China s 89-year-old elder states Man. Greeting friends in. Shanghai he walked slowly supported by two daughters. His face seemed thin Ner and his remarks were not broadcast. In Hong Kong the approach of the Holiday is Sig naked in Subtle ways. The Price of a haircut suddenly doubles. Long lines form at the Bank for the wads of freshly printed Bills that will make up gifts of a see or Lucky Money. The cinemas Are flooded with new Hong Kong made comedies and thrillers. Old women March out of the markets with slaughtered pigs Slung Over their shoulders. Dwarf Tangerine Trees appear in building lobbies festooned with Bright Orange fruit. The City seems to Blush As red paper globes ban ners and salutations go up in shop windows subway stations and government offices. Since this 4,692nd year in the Calendar is the year of the dog canine themes weigh heavily in the find Ings of fortuneteller. Go u n c i i rules a a i n St u. S t to o is nor it i a 1-. In Bogota Colombia a . Troops Are in Colombia illegally a government Council on the Constitution Rule tuesday night. The Council of state said president Cesar Gaviria Trujillo had violated the Constitution by inviting american soldiers without its authorization and without seeking permission from the Senate. About 130 american soldiers mostly combat engineers from fort Rucker ala., Are on what has been billed As a he bid sanitarian Mission in Juan Chaco on Colombia s Pacific coast. The Mission to build a school and clinic and improve a Road has drawn suspicion because the troops Are in a Region where drug traffickers and guerrillas operate. V Council president Amado Gutierrez announced the panel s findings on National radio and said its report would be forwarded to the attorney general s office and to a congressional investigating com Mission. The Council of state is the highest authority on issues of government administration but has no Power to take action on violations. What action the congressional commission or the attorney Gener Al might take if any was not immediately Clear. The presence of the american soldiers violates the spirit of the Constitution and National sovereignty Gutierrez said. . Embassy spokesman Bob dance said the embassy had no immediate com ment Many colombians View the presence of the troops As some sort of Covert opera Tion against drug traffickers. Just 75 Miles East of Juan Chaco is Cali the Home City of the world s largest cocaine trafficking Cartel. About 100 other american soldiers rein other regions of Colombia building a military base maintaining a .-built radar system and training Colombia troops the defense ministry said last month. Slovakia joins new offered by nato it bei8�um a Slovakia signed up Fornato s new partnership with Eastern Europe on tuesday becoming the seventh former soviet bloc nation to do so. Prime minister Vladimir Mesiar said the partnership for peace would be something that prevents Europe from splitting in two. Like other Eastern european leaders who have signed up Mesiar said he saw it As a step toward full nato membership. But unlike others he expressed no disappointment at being unable to join immediately. He told reporters that Slovakia understands the necessity of this transition  t president Clinton and other leaders of the 16-Natioh North at Antic treaty organization approved the partnership plan last month. Dong 1? Tey agreed to draw their former Adver a Warsaw pact closer but without Grant White Walls the allies have refused requests for membership for do a eating new divisions in Europe and isolating tinn mat Nan resident Boris a Yeltsin has Caud i a t8amsf expand no the Alliance  to take part in the part officials say it has not yet More than an object of curiosity. Local officials have Given permission for it to be used for True White wed dings until easter weekend the first weekend in april. � enrolled in the partnership it Huang. Poland and Estonia have exp porn a bul-8aria 3nd the czech Are expected to sign on in the coming weeks.__3,800 ancient greek coins found off Israel Jerusalem a archaeologists have discovered nearly 4,000 ancient greek coins in Waters off Israel and a re searcher says it was the largest underwater collection Ever found near the Holyland. Israel television said the Worth about $200 each. The coins might have been earmarked coins were As payment for troops More than 2,000 years ago said Donald Zvi Ariel a Coin expert with Israel s antiquities authority the items were recovered 660 feet off the port of Haifa in 50 feet of water Dur ing an operation to locate ancient ship wrecks. We found a pair of coins stuck to Gether said archaeologist Yaakov Shar Vit. The moment we discovered them like that we understood that we had hit upon a treasure. We went Over the sit Many times and found  they uncovered a 46-Pound clump of about 1,800 Silver coins and then collected More than 2,000 other coins scattered under the Sand an antiquities authority statement said. The coins were All struck at a mint in Paphos on the Island of Cyprus during the Rule of Ptolemy i from 180 to 145b.c., Ariel said. He speculated that it could have been the payroll for Ptolemy s troops Garri soned m the Levant or taxes that Vassal Kings were paying to Ptolemy