European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 13, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday december 13, 1994 the stars and stripes Page 5 n. Korea trip senators say Seoul South Korea a a trip to North Korea by two . Senators yielded Good will but Little sub stance and even less information about the reclusive country s de Facto Leader. They clearly want to establish and improve the relationship with the United states sen. Frank Murkowski a Alaska said monday after visiting North Korea for a Little More than 24 hours with sen Paul Simon Dill. This came up Over and Over again. We indicated we would like to improve the relationship. How to do that is the question. Washington finds it self walking a Tightrope As it tries to ease tensions in the Region while ensuring that the communist state complies with an Accord signed oct. 21 that is designed to dismantle its nuclear program. Under the pact the United states agreed to suppl North Korea with two modern reactors Worth $4 Bil lion Grant limited diplomatic recognition and provide Oil for Loyear while the reactors Are being built. Murkowski has criticized the agreement saying i gives North Korea too much time five years to open All its nuclear facilities to International inspect onto prove it has not been developing nuclear bombs. Over that period the new Light water reactors which produce far less weapons Grade plutonium than North Korea s current facilities would be about half finish Dat major expense to the United states Japan and South Korea North Korea still will have whatever they Are reluctant to show us during that time Frame said Murkowski who is expected to chair the East Asia and Pacific affairs subcommittee of the Senate foreign relations committee. However he added that As far As any attempt to scuttle the agreement i Don t anticipate any by the new Republican controlled legislators did not meet with Kim Jong ii the son and designated successor of North Korea s Long time Leader Kim ii Sung who died july 8. No one knows Why the younger Kim has not officially taken Over. A " it was explained to us he is still in a period of mourning for his late father Murkowski said. It is my understanding that he has not had the occasion to be seen. In Public for approximately the last " / instead the senators met with other officials including foreign affairs minister Kim Yong Nam. They gave him a letter requesting that a joint task Force Sim Ilar to one in Vietnam be set up to search for the re Mains of about 8,000 . Soldiers listed As missing inaction far the korean War. I was certainly encouraged Murkowski indicated a humanitarian sensitivity. However there s a great Deal More that will have to be ad-dressed.". ". V " " "-.,. A. V recent defectors from North Korea have detailed widespread food and fuel shortages. They Are an isolated country Murkowski have lost their Leader. They Are in desperate need of foreign Exchange desperately in need of Energy and in a transition of leadership. I think if that assistance can be communicated an transmitted we can ease tensions in this part of the world., it s going to take dialogue and does not have a Bridge at this Simon said he and Murkowski emphasized the Nee for dialogue Between North Korea and its capitalist rival in the South and received a positive senators flight sunday from Beijing to Pyong Yang the capital of North Korea marked the first Tim that a . Military plane had landed in North Korea since the the korean War ended in 1953. The Cadillac of sleighs Santa Claus is coming to town but first he has to Check under the Hood of his 1974 Cadillac limousine. Fred Salcines incognito As Santa makes sure All is in work ing order last week before setting out from his Home in Hasbrouck Heights to make his Holiday rounds in his specially decorated Limo Complete with a Sleigh an Reindeer on top. Salcines has been travelling through neighbourhoods in new Jersey and new York for 10yean during the Christmas season giving out gifts and visiting children. By b Paris a forsaking a presidential race he was favored to win Jacques Delors has left his fellow socialists in disarray and virtually ensured fierce infighting among conservatives who now consider the office to be theirs. A rumours of Delors reluctance to run swirled across France Over the Pas week but his announce ment sunday night on National television still was a political Bombshell. The French franc an the Paris Stock Market fell monday on the news of Delors announcement with traders reporting uncertainty because his Deci Sion creates a vacuum inthe socialist Camp. The chief executive of the european Union for the past 10 years Delor shas been the Foremost Delors proponent of european federalism. He is a leftist who has considerable support from centrist voters and was the Only socialist with a reasonable Chance of succeed ing president Francois Mitterrand also a socialist. Seven consecutive opinion polls in recent week showed Delors winning Over either of the two leading conservative candidates Premier edouard Ballad Rand Paris mayor Jacques Chirac. The socialists now must recruit a candidate from weak group of old timers and Long shots. The conserva Tives though seemingly sure of Victory must Brac for a Nasty showdown among two rivals who no longer have the Specter of Delors to inhibit their bickering. Many conservatives had feared that the rivalry be tween Balladur and Chirac would guarantee a Delors Victory. Now the two conservatives can Battle each other full tilt and they still might As the finalists in the May 7presidential Runoff. Elections on april 23 will eliminate All but the two top vote getters Delors ending weeks of soul searching that kept the political establishment in suspense attributed his Deci Sion to his age 69 and the likelihood that a hos tile conservative controlled parliament would Block implementation of his programs. I did t want to be forced to coexist with a govern ment that did t share my Outlook he said of would have Felt As though i had lied to the French people proposing a program that could t be put into place. Claude Bartolone the socialists National Secretary said after Delors announcement politically it s difficult to understand and i am not sure that he gave us his real after dissolving the conservative dominated parliament and holding new legislative elections Delors would have had a majority or at least a fairly Strong parliamentary presence Bartolone said. At least a half dozen socialists have been frequently mentioned As possible replacements for Delors but they have vet to declare their candidacy and would be heavy underdogs against either Balladur or Chirac. None of them can match Delors Appeal to the Center. Socialist party Leader Henri Emmanuelli said a Candi Date would be picked at a party convention in january. The trains in Spain Are mainly on the Wane i. Madrid Spain a striking rail Way workers forced the cancellation of nearly All International and Long distance trains across Spain on monday but Ibe Ria airlines operated normally despite a strike by maintenance and service unions. Service on the state run Renee rail Way was limited to commuter routes operating at Rush hour Only and to one train per Day on selected National routes. Monday s railway stoppage is part office Days of strikes scheduled this month by Somaf the Union representing the majority of Renee s mechanical an service employees to protest manage ment s failure to keep its Side of agreements. Labor conflict at Iberia also appeared Likely to increase As a Union representing the airline s pilots maintained its opposition to a restructuring plan that would Cut their salaries by As much As 15 percent. A members of unions representing a overwhelming majority of Iberia employees began voting monday morning on a plan to Cut wages by an average of 8.5 percent an trim the work Force by 3,500 in order to keep the Cash strapped airline airborne. The unions leaders and Iberia s management agreed on the details of the plan after unions staged a one Day Wildcat strike against Iberia last week that stranded 100,000 travellers. Iberia pilots sunday approved their own plan for the airline s future and called on service and ground Crews to reject management proposals. Iberia management said last week that failure to get All unions to agree to the restructuring plan would Force the airline to Lay off 5,200 employees and sell of Money making parts of the company to avoid bankruptcy by Early next year. One of the unions claims the manage ment plan is a Stopgap measure that will ensure neither jobs nor the survival of the airline whose losses Are expected to top$300 million this year
