European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 05, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes . Friday August 5,1994 Breyer sworn in As court Justice Washington a Stephen Breyer was sworn in As the nation s 108th supreme court Justice wednes Day in a private ceremony at chief Justice William Rehnquist s summer Home in Vermont. Breyer s wife Joanna was the Only witness at the swearing in conducted by Rehnquist said court spokeswoman Toni House. Breyer replaces Justice Harry Blackmun whose retirement went into effect when Breyer took the two oaths required by the Constitution and the Federal judiciary act of 1789. A Public swearing in is scheduled for aug. 11 at the White House but House said Breyer decided he wanted to begin work and hire his Taw clerks As soon As possible. He also wanted the chief Justice to administer the oaths House said. The High court also is Likely to hold a Public investiture ceremony for Breyer in its stately courtroom sever Al Days before the fall term opens oct. 3, House said. On wednesday morning the Breyer drove from their Home in the Boston area to Greensboro vt., House said. Breyer is president Clinton s second High court appointee Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined the court last year. Breyer is not the first supreme court Justice to take Breyer Rehnquist at least one of the oaths in private. In 1941, Harlan Fiske Stone was at Rocky Mountain National Park when he took the oaths to become chief Justice after learning by Telegram from the White House that his commission had been approved. Breyer a 55-year-old longtime Federal appellate judge was confirmed by the Senate 87-9 last Friday. Senators from both parties praised him As a Man of High qualifications and integrity As Well As a practical problem solver who addresses issues with a non ideology ical approach. _. His nomination sparked Little controversy. In replacing Blackmun the most Liberal member on the generally conservative court Breyer is expected to find a Home among the moderate justices. During his Senate judiciary committee confirmation hearing he said he considered a woman s right to have an abortion to be settled  he voiced general support for affirmative action and separation of Church and state. But he also indicated he could vote to uphold capital punishment and strict sentences for some criminals. Breyer the judiciary committee s former chief coun Sel became a Federal appellate judge in 1981 and later became chief Justice of the 1st . Circuit court of appeals. He told the committee that he thinks the Law re quires both a heart and  if you Don t have a heart it becomes a sterile set of rules removed from human problems and it won t help he said. If you Don t have a head there s the risk that in try ing to decide a particular person s problem. You cause trouble for a lot of other people making their s lives yet  official Calls for rail safety talks cause being sought of latest Amtrak crash Batavia . A investigators Are looking at track conditions and the possibility of mechanical failure in the latest Amtrak derailment which led the . Transportation Secretary to Cal thursday for a rail safety Summit. About 110 of the 360 people on Board the train were injured when the Chicago bound Lake Shore limited jumped the tracks wednesday morning just outside Batavia 30 Miles East of Buffalo. Amtrak said seven people were seriously injured " and a total of about 30 were hospitalized. Transportation Secretary Federic Opena said from Washington that he plans to Call together officials of the railroads Federal Railroad administration state agencies and others to rededicate our selves to assuring the highest Levels of  Pena mentioned no Summit Date in his comments on lbs television. Amtrak has recorded 88 passenger deaths in its 23-year history. Its worst Accident occurred sept. 22, when a train hurtled off a Bridge into a foggy Bayou i Alabama killing 47 people. A tugboat had struck a Bridge moments before. Pena said that while it May take months to determine the cause of the Accident other recent Amtrak crashes have not Bee the Railroad s fault. It is Safe to ride the trains Pena stressed. National transportation safety boar investigators said they would inspect the wrecked cars thursday. A cargo car apparently was jostled off the tracks at least three Miles East of the site of the Warec Kisaji John Lauber of then Tab. The car s wheels sliced gouges into the wooden Railroad ties he said. Lauber said the Crew of a freight train saw Sparks flying from the Amtrak train wheels and triad to radio a warning. But the Amtrak Crew radioed Back to say they had missed the message. The train s rear half shot off the tracks and Down an embankment before the freight train Crew could repeat its warn ing he said. The Amtrak Crew members underwent tests to determine whether they had been drinking or using drugs but the result were not immediately available. The train derailed on a Straightaway going a mile under the 79-Mpn Speed limit Lauber said. That stretch of track is inspected twice week most recently the Day before the Accident Lauber said. By wednesday night investigators iad found no defects -.-. Tara signal stand rests atop Amtrak passenger train coaches that derailed wednesday morning in Batavia . About 110 people were injured in the Accident. On the train itself that might have cause the wreck he said. There s nothing that leaps out at this Point to explain the derailment Laube said. Conrail which owns the tracks said they would be repaired and operating again by thursday afternoon. Most of the passengers once they realized they weren t Hurt were eager to removing again even if it meant Board ing another train. It can t happen twice in one Day cant said Astrid Stifos Hanssen of nor Way who was heading to a Friend s wed Ding in Michigan. Top director of a map riles groups Washington a a act chapters in two states Are withholding funds from the civil rights group s National office Pend ing an investigation " into a settlement of a sexual harassment an discrimination claim by a former employee. Payment of the settlement using funds from the National association for the advancement of col ored people was authorized by the association s executive director there. Benjamin Chavis without the knowledge of Board members. In a. Letter to a act Board chairman William Gibson Greg Evans president of the washing ton Oregon state conference of branches said he is concerned and distressed by Chavis use of Acap Money in the settlement. Evans also said he is not satisfied with the explanations he s Bee Given for the indebtedness of the  he said he instructed a act chapters in his area to withhold their contributions to the National office pending results of an inde pendent audit and called on Gib son and Chavis to resign for the general welfare of the Organiza  _ _ allegations of equal misconduct financial malfeasance and the Lack of full and proper disclosure of the activities of the executive director ceo must _ be addressed fully and truthfully Evans  is time to re establish and re build the credibility integrity an financial stability of the  neither Chavis nor Gibson was immediately available for comment thursday. Chavis has Deniet allegations that he harassed Mary Stansel who worked As his special assistant for about a month. Gib son scheduled an aug. 20 boar meeting to address the matter. An attorney for the a act said Stan Sel also accused Chavis of passing her Over for permanent jobs and giving the jobs to men instead