European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 25, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 16 the stars and stripes world Friday november 25,1994 vietnamese May put out gangplank for . Navy by Patrick e. Tyler new York times Beijing fearing China Vietnam has been signalling a growing interest in inviting american naval forces Back Toca Ranh Bay the Large port installation built by the United states during the Vietnam War. The . Navy seems interested in re turning to its old haunt. Adm. Richard c. Macke the commander of american forces in the Pacific said on a recent trip to Vietnam that Washington and Hanoi could begin talking about important areas of military cooperation after settling their final differences Over accounting for missing american service members from the Vietnam  Cam Ranh Bay he said i m a naval officer and naval officers Are Al ways looking for Good  he was responding to questions at news conference in Hanoi on oct. 26 after meeting with the vietnamese prime minister to Van Kiel. After the fall of South Vietnam in1975, Hanoi made Cam Ranh Bay s deep water Harbor and port installation available to the soviet Pacific Fleet whose submarine and surface warship were regularly stationed there for More than a decade. But China has expressed its opposition to a renewed american presence atthe base. We Are opposed to any foreign country establishing a military base or stationing troops on foreign soil said Shen Guofang a foreign ministry spokesman. The United states has been without Amajor naval base in the Region since 1992, when the Philippines decided not Sas to renew the american lease on the base at Subic Bay. The in Parr Tance of finding Forward Basing alternatives inthe Pacific for american forces and their equip ment was under scored in discussions last week betwee Secretary of state Warre Christopher and Southeast asian leaders. Christopher tried to persuade thai land s leadership to reconsider its opposition to accepting equipment afloat ships to be stationed in its coastal Waters As a Means of pro positioning tanks artillery and ammunition that could support an american military expedition to the Region. Vietnam fears that China will one Cayuse military Power to enforce its claim Over the entire South China sea and it potentially Rich Oil reserves. The desirability of inviting the Ameri can forces Back into the disputed neigh boyhood is a form of insurance against what Vietnam views As chinese . At the time of Macke s visit to Hanoi vietnamese foreign ministry officials expressed a keen interest in opening talks on an Access agreement for american naval forces. In Beijing the chinese foreign min introducing the 1995 Dodge Avenger come see the whole new 1995 line up at your Exchange new car sales location is try spokesman said that China welcomed the normalization of relation Between Washington and Hanoi but he admonished the two former belligerents to focus on economic development and not military cooperation. We believe that All countries in Asi aare committed to their own economic development and that All countries in this Region will Benefit from regional peace and Prosperity Shen said in Beijing. Some american diplomats in the re Gion cautioned however that the United states which takes no position on the disputed islands and Oil leases of the South China sea should try to avoid being pulled into a territorial Dis Pute. ". " \ of course the vietnamese would love to have us Back in Cam Ranh Bay one Western Diplomat said indicating that Washington will have to take Carnot to be manipulated by the parties in the dispute China Vietnam Malaysia Indonesia Brunei Taiwan and the Philippines All assert territorial claims to islands in the South China sea. But in 1992, China asserted sovereignty Over virtually All of the sout China sea and its islands. It has twice clashed with vietnamese naval forces ejecting them from one Seton islands in 1974 and from another set in 1988. China Vietnam and Taiwan have been the most aggressive in patrolling the area and in establishing a continuous presence on some of the larger is lands.". " \. Great escape not so great survivors say London a More than 50 years after the great escape from a nazi Pris Oner of War Camp seven survivors met for a reunion wednesday and said the famous breakout did t live up to its name. It was not a great escape because 50were killed and it gained notoriety said Bob Nelson meeting with six comrades at hotel in Somerset in Western England. The escape from Luft stalag 3 in Poland in March 1944, was the basis of a 1963 movie starring Steve Mcqueen Richard Attenborough and James Garner. On March 24,1944, after Sunset 80 Allied airmen crawled 350 feet through a 2-Square foot Tunnel 30 feet under the ground. Fou were arrested at the escape exit. The Tunnel was two years in the making. This year s reunion was prompted by visit to England by Canadian survivor Tony Bethell who met with Nelson and five other britons. Of the 76 who escaped three made it to their Homes in Norway and Denmark. The germans captured the 73 others and Adolf Hitler ordered them to be handed to the Gestapo who killed 50. Why the Gestapo spared 23 was by the Grace of god Nelson said although it has been said they selected me and Dic Churchill another briton because they thought our names gave us greater  Winston Churchill was Britain s prime minister at the time and adm. Horatio Nel son had been a Herb of the Napoleonic  prisoners were not related. Of the 26 survivors 16 Are still alive and Are scattered throughout the world. Turkish lawmakers of privatization from the associated press Ankara Turkey Turkey s parliament passed a detailed privatization Bill outlining the blueprint for the Sale of the country state enterprises to Cut Back Public spending. The Bill which Calls for the privatization of most of the Public Banks within two years was passed wednesday night with 193 votes for and 25 against. The Bill Calls for the establishment of a Board made up of economic ministers to oversee the privatization program. The Board is to take its decisions unanimously a Rule that will give the government s social democratic Junior partners an effective veto Power Over specific privatization cases. The Bill bans the Sale of mines and other natural resources allowing Only the leasing of their operational rights. Greek workers strike Athens Greece Greece s 225,000 civil servants staged a 24-hour strike thursday in demand of higher wages and a variety of other  action closed government offices throughout the country. The civil servants Union wants a pay raise of 17 percent saying that this will compensate for inflation higher social Security payments and wages lost because of this year s inflation. Inflation currently is at 11.1percent the socialist government which is trying to curb deficits has said it cannot give increases above the inflation rate. 120 die in Stampede new Delhi India at least 120people were reported killed wednesday in a Stampede when police charged thousands of tribal demonstrators in a Central Indian City. The press Trust of India new Agency said the dead included 75 women and 24 children. Pit said the violence broke out when tribe people demanding Job quotas in government service tried to break through a police cordon to reach the Maharashtra state legislature building. The stat legislature is holding its Winter session in Nagpur 375 Miles South of the Indian capital new Delhi. Gulf nations ready Manama Bahrain the Gulf cooperation Council states Are ready to normalize relations with Iraq once it complies with All . Security Council demands saudi Arabia foreign minister said wednesday. Asked if that was possible even if Saddam Hussein remained in Power Prince Saud Al Faisal said at the endow a two Day meeting of Council foreign ministers that Saddam s position was an internal affair of the iraqi nation. He blamed Baghdad for the rift by invading Kuwait in augustji990 and noted that Ttye re Are International resolutions meant to restore stability and provide assurances to the regional states and the world against further iraqi aggression. Prince Aud and the foreign ministers of the United Arab emirates Kuwait Bahrain Qatar and Oman met to prepare the Agenda for the three Day acc Summit in Bahrain on dec. 19