European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 29, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes . Sunday May 29.1994rostenkowski reportedly to fight Chicago a t rep Dari Rostenkowski has rejected a plea bargain and plans to fight charges that he misused government funds the Chicago Sun times reported saturday Rostenkowski informed prosecutors thursday of his decision and barring any last minute changes will be charged tuesday the newspaper said citing unnamed sources. Rostenkowski chairman of the House ways and Means committee is under investigation by the . Attorneys office Over his use of office and Campaign accounts. The Illinois Democrat could be indicted raising speculation that he might resign from Congress. He has de in the stars and stripes 10 years ago May 29,1984 a a computer malfunction on the great air race ride caused a Chain reaction crash at a Georgia amusement Park trapping 68 screaming people for up to 3vfe-. Hours some in planes suspended. 70 feet above the ground. 20 years ago May 29,1974 a Leon Jaworski the watergate prosecutor said he had evidence that the White House ordered the irs to audit or harass political enemies including former democratic party chairman Lawrence f. Of Brien. 30 years ago May 29, j964 a president Johnson ordered top . Military and diplomatic officials to Honolulu to review the Southeast asian situation in the Wake of the death of India s prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. 40 years ago May 29,1954 a sen. John f. Kennedy d-mass., said that president Eisenhower might ask Congress within the next few weeks to authorize direct . Military intervention in the War in Indochina 50 year Sago May 29,1944 a the air offensive reverberated with pre invasion Bun Der As Allied fleets mounted their biggest nonstop attacks during 40 weekend hours in which 5 tons of bombs per minute pounded Adolf Hitler s Atlantic Wail. World War ii 50 years ago today May 29 1 a 9 v 4 ��?�4 the German submarine u-549 sinks the . Escort Carrier Block Island and a destroyer in the Atlantic before being hunted Down and sunk. In Western Italy . And British troops from the Anzio beachhead capture Camp Leone and Carrocetto. American and japanese tanks Duel on Biak Island off the Northwestern coast of new Guinea engaging in the first armoured Battle of the Pacific War. Source 2194 Days of War w. H. Smith publishers inc. The world almanac of world War ii Bison books corp., 1901 Nied any wrongdoing since the inv stiga Tion into his financial affairs became pub lie two years ago. Prosecutors plan to ask a Federal grand jury in Washington d.c., to return an indictment accusing Rostenkowski of defrauding the government of hundreds of thousands of dollars Over a period of two decades the paper said. The indictment is expected to focus on four allegations according to the Sun times a. V a. A a a a a that Rostenkowski illegally got Cash from the House Post office by disguising transactions As stamp purchases. A that he converted government leased vehicles  personal ownership. A that he employed up to 18 Quot ghost employees on his Federal payroll. A that he improperly used taxpayer Money to buy gifts for friends from the House office Supply service. No negotiations Are scheduled Over the. Memorial Day weekend but Rostenkowski could still change his mind and accept the plea bargain by the tuesday deadline the Sun times reported. In their final plea bargain offer prosecutors demanded that Rostenkowski plead guilty to a felony serve a Short prison sentence resign from Congress immediately and make restitution. . Attorney Eric h. Holderman or. And a spokesman for Rostenkowski declined to comment on the status of the offer Friday. Rostenkowski a lawyer Robert s. Bennett has maintained the congressman a innocence. Meanwhile in Kenosha wis., records show that Rostenkowski is delinquent on a $3,300 Bill for property taxes on a Lake Shore Home but officials say they Are convinced its a simple mistake Kenosha county treasurer Frieda Jacobson said Friday that no drastic action was planned to collect the Money and that Rostenkowski usually pays his taxes a accurately and on  a . Promoting through China by the new York times. New York a Secretary of state Warren Christopher on Friday cast president Clinton a decision to renew China s preferred Trade status As part of a stepped up policy of engagement throughout Asia. In a speech to the Asia society Christopher said Clinton a decision thursday to engage China rather than punish it was part of a strategy to build stability in Asia and share that continents Prosperity. A the presidents decision reflects a comprehensive . Strategy of engagement and leadership in the Asia Pacific a Christopher said. A it encourages chinese cooperation in building a new regional and International order based upon peace and Security a he said extending China a Trade privileges was part of a policy of engagement in Asia that the administration has pursued in several ways this week exchanging diplomatic missions with Vietnam resuming talks with Japan Over its Trade barriers and announcing High level talks with North Korea to seek to persuade it to halt its nuclear program. Eager to respond to criticisms of the presidents decision Christopher also noted that China a cooperation was important for Washington a Pursuit of one says Secretary of state Warren Christopher speaking Friday in new York defends president Clinton a decision to renew China a preferred Trade status of its chief foreign policy goals pressing North Korea to abandon its nuclear program. Quot. A a a a your relationship with China is important to All americans a he said. A China possesses the worlds largest army a nuclear Arsenal and not insignificantly a veto in the United. Nations Security  defending the presidents decision Christopher said China is too important to be isolated arid too big to be pushed around. He added that with the worlds fastest growing and third largest Economy China represented a lucrative Market for american companies. With the administration facing widespread criticism for putting economics Over human rights concerns Christopher asserted that the United states would continue to keep the heat in Beijing to improve its human rights performance. A a we re not backing away in any Way from pursuing human rights problems a he said asserting that Washington a human rights dialogue with Beijing would intensify. Christophers speech was part of the administrations strategy of damage control after Many lawmakers in Congress and human rights groups have accused Clinton of flip flopping after he had condemned president Bush for coddling China a rulers rather than being Tough with them. Several influential lawmakers have criticized the presidents decision to renew China a favourable Trade status and called his decision to ban imports of chinese weapons and ammunition As too soft. V a on by the los Anactes times Washington a president Clinton concerned by a loss of Public Confidence in his leadership on foreign policy said Friday that he has consulted widely but has rejected recommendations that he replace Secretary of state Warren Christopher and the White House National Saccu Rity adviser Anthony Lake. Administration officials had told the los Angeles times that Clinton was considering a major shake up of his foreign policy team by the end of the year. 4but Clinton in a Telephone interview late Friday said that the Root of the problem is communicating his foreign policy to the american people. And that he said is not the responsibility of Christopher or Lake. The president said that he has talked with a a huge number of people about his foreign policy problems perhaps More than 100, and that he Coula understand How some of those he spoke with might have drawn an inference from the conversations that he planned to change his foreign policy team. Clinton has come under criticism from some leading democrats As Well As republicans for apparent inconsistencies in foreign policy. Most recently he was faulted for his decision after weeks of Sam Public deliberations to renew China a most favored nation Trade status despite the Beijing regimes failure to meet human rights conditions that he had set Forth last year. The president conceded Friday that he had made mistakes in the Way he has articulated his foreign policy and that he needs to do a better Job of that but on most major policy issues he said he believes the administration has been on sound footing. His consultations inside and outside the administration he said were about policy on Bosnia and Herzegovina Haiti and a most recently a on China a Trade privileges with the United states. The interview was hastily arranged by White House Counselor David Gergen who was concerned about comments that other senior administration officials had made. At times Clinton sounded frustrated by what he called the a relentless criticism of his foreign policy. A a in a doing the Best i can with some fairly intractable problems a he said. Two senior administration officials had said earlier that Christopher and like probably would be replaced by the end of this year or Early in 1995. Several other officials in the state department and National Security Council had said that they had no specific knowledge of plans to replace their Bosses but  the expectation was spreading that either Christopher or Lake a or both a would be out of office by the end of the year. A a it a a natural response when you re taking a beating to think about what you can change a one senior official said. A the political people look at the polls and say a hey wed better do something about this. And since you can to discard the policies that you presumably Are serious about you shuffle people around instead a in the interview Friday Clinton said that the nation is a in a period of transition in International relations