European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 14, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes . Thursday july 14, 1994clinton pledges Aid to flood victims Albany a. At president Clinton took a helicopter tour of severely flooded regions of Southwest Georgia wednesday and. Announced More than �60 million in Federal Aid to help victims in three states. Clinton called the floods a Quot personal agony for tens of thousands and pledged the Federal governments help. A your commitment is to stay in this for the Long run a the president said. Accompanied by the Federal emergency management Agency a director James Lee Wilt and members of Congress from Georgia Clinton spent 25 minutes touring the area South of Albany in his Marine orto helicopter he said a people Are pouring their hearts out working together a but would not realize the devastation until later. Clinton said fewer than 10 percent of the victims have flood insurance. He announced the Aid package after meeting with the governors of Georgia Florida and Alabama. The bulk of the a funds will go to Georgia heaviest hit by the Rains and flooding. Included is �11.6 million for debris removal and to provide water food and shelter $12.5 million to Aid in rebuilding of Federal Aid highways $38 million in temporary Loans to rehabilitate housing quickly and $4 million to provide clean up and repair jobs for dislocated workers. Also crop disaster Loans like those in last years midwestern floods would be included if Congress approves. A we. Have really put an emphasis in this administration on How to handle emergencies right a the president said. Clinton walked to the cockpit of his presidential Jet air Force one on his Way to the stricken area peering out at the flood covered area around Albany. A look at that a exclaimed the president. His plane passed Over acres of land submerged tinder Brown water the color of a Carnet a hair jacket. In some areas Only rooftops showed through in others just tree tops. Later he visited a Federal Relief Center a it off a resident hoists himself up on the second floor Balcony railing to look inside his flooded Home tuesday in Cambridge a. A set up in an. Albany Public school and then flew South to Bainbridge one of the hardest hit areas. He also planned to go to Northern Florida to Survey damage from the air before heading Back to Washington. The president flew to the area after returning tuesday night from an eight Day trip to Europe. In Georgia officials estimate damages could easily exceed �100 million. Heavy rainfall from the stalled remnants of tropical. Storm Alberto caused the widespread flooding in Georgia Alabama and Florida driving thousands for Dot their  causing millions of dollars in. Damage to property and crops. Twenty eight people were killed in Georgia rep. Sanford Bishop d-ga., said 28 of the 35 counties in his congressional District remain partly underwater. He added that it is still too Early to say How much is needed from the Federal government. A this is. The single most serious natural disaster in the history of the state of Georgia a he said on air Force one. Boy did t die in vain new Orleans a Days before he died in a drive by shooting 9-year-old James Darby asked president Clinton to a Stop the killing in the  Quot i think somebody might kill me a the boy wrote in a letter. A ,. This week Clinton wrote Back to acknowledge James death and to reassure his classmates who also sent letters to the White House that the boy did no to die in vain. A i assure each of you that in a determined to answer James plea with Tough and smart solutions to the crime problem in America a Clinton wrote. James and his classmates wrote to Clinton As part of a project organized by the Louisiana state University medical school. The violence and children intervention project is studying the effects of violence on the City a Young people. Since january there have been 241 murders in new Orleans. Researchers asked pupils at several City schools How Safe they Felt at Home in the classroom and while playing outside. The children were then asked to write to Clinton about their concerns. Project leaders Joy Osofsky and Marva Lewis mailed the children a letters to the White House along with news of James death. Jqmes letter was written april 29. On May 8, he was walking Home from a mothers Day picnic with a crowd of friends and relatives when a car pulled alongside them. A Man leaned out with a Sho Gurt and pulled the trigger. A .1 the blast sent the crowd scrambling for cover. James shot in the head died instantly. Two teen agers have been arrested in the killing. Police believe the shooting was prompted by a fight involving one of the suspects his sister and James cousins. Janice Payne James Mother said she Hopes the presidents words will be followed by meaningful action. A i Hope he does something like he says he will a Payne said. A it makes me feel like they Are taking it  a. But she said nothing Clinton does will alleviate her pain. A i wish the letter could have been answered before his murder and maybe he  have been killed a she said a i wish the president. Could have answered his last  sex Sailor s damage suit Over Gas tests Anderson so. A the government did not have to warn military personnel used in world War ii Mustard Gas experiments about the Long term dangers a Federal judge ruled tuesday As he rejected a former sailors claim James of Lewis., wanted the government to pay for lung and skin illnesses. He said they resulted from exposure to the Blister causing Gas during chemical warfare experiments at the naval research Laboratory a half Century ago. The 67-year-old decorated Navy Veteran said officials should have warned him after his 1963 discharge about the Lon term effects Quot of the Gas so he could avoid aggravating his illnesses. A a a government experts at the trial in june said Lewis problems stemmed from cigarette smoking and too much Sun. Navy chemist Homer Carhart who helped coordinate the experiments testified that military officials so feared possible use of chemical weapons in world War ii that they ordered Mustard Gas tests on people instead of animals to Speed research results. . District judge g. Ross Anderson jr., who decided the Case without a jury said that when such tests involve Active duty military personnel warning programs Are not mandatory and involve Public policy considerations. Therefore the government is shielded from such lawsuits he said. Lewis said he was exposed to the Gas in 1943, when he was fresh out of Boot Camp. He said Navy officers sought volunteers to test a tropical clothing and offered them �100 Cash and an extra weeks vacation. He said he sat in a Gas chamber for three hour Long sessions to test protective clothing for chemical warfare. Lewis said he was forced to sign a secrecy oath. He said he kept his secret until june 1991, but told his wife and son about the tests after seeing to and newspaper reports. Case Over sex Boyfriend s Turtle snaps shut Coraopolis a. A a woman who accused her former Boyfriend of chasing her with a snapping Turtle withdrew the charges tuesday. Carol Cieslak decided not to go ahead with the assault Case against Dennis Amber because the Media interest a has made her life hell a District Justice Shirley Trkula said. Amber 44, did plead guilty Quot to Public a drunkenness and was fined $347. Cieslak said Amber brought the Turtle to her House june 19 and tried to get it to bite her As they argued about their recent breakup. Snapping turtles have no Teeth but their jaws Are Strong enough to rip a persons Finger off