The Michigan Daily-Friday, September 9, 1977-Page 9 Ami reported in a coma NAIROBI, Kenya (AP - Idi Amin, self-proclaimed president-for-life of Uganda, was reported "in a coma" in a Kampala hospital yesterday after un- dergoing surgery for an undisclosed ail- ment. "We believe he'll pull out of it," said Robert Astles,,British-born confidant to the 51-year-old military strong man. But atother aide said later: "The presi- dent is in so-t of a coma. It is serious." ASTLES RUSHED to the former box- ing champion's bedside after learning that something was amiss following the operation by a Soviet physician in Mu- gala Hospital where Amin, in power since 1971, has received medical treat- ment before. "We don't exactly know what's wrong. But he's in a coma," Astles said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press from Kampala. "We believe he'll pull out of it. I'm going over to the hospital right now to see what's happening." Astles, a white Ugandan citizen who is married to the country's black min- ister of culture, said he did not know why Amin needed surgery. Nor could he say whether the comatose state was a normal after-effect of anesthesia, or whether it was induced by postopera- tive complications. EARLIER IN THE DAY, Ugandan radio announced that Amin had un- dergone surgery Wednesday by Dr. Feodor Senkof. Reports received in Washington listed the name as Petrov Senko. Soviets find vodka an me adon's mix MOSCOW (UPI - Liquor, cramped living quarters and ignorance are tak- ing their toll on marriage in the Soviet union. Especially liquor. A doctor of history said this week 33 per cent of all marriages in the work- er's paradise end in divorce. He argued it's time to do something about it. DR. IGOR Bestuzhev-Lada, a specil- ist in historical science, has traced the history of Soviet marriages. Writing in the magazine Nedelya, he lamented the disappearance of large families and said drinking is the No. one cause of di- vorce in thle Soviet Union. Soviet authorities previously have blamed alcoholism for causing more than half of the suicides, accidental deaths and crimes in the country. They view it as a major sociological problem and have mounted a string of cam- paigns -aimed at labeling excessive drinking a health hazard. THE DRINKING problem has been blamed on "growing prosperity" among Soviet workers. Sociologists say the masses are not equipped to handle their new life style, which is affluent in contrast to standards of the Stalin re- gime. Western researchers are skeptical of that explanation, however. They believe drunkenness has more traditional causes - poverty, depres- sion and the problems coping with life in a total grit w Nedelya, where Bestuzhev-Lada penned his appeal, is a weekly men's magazine. Rarely an issue passes that doesn't include a lecture, story or study on the problems of drinking and divor- ce. IN AN ARTICLE titled "From Nuisance to Divorce," the Soviet histor- ian said women are far less willing to put up with the beatings and aggrava- tion of a drunken husband than they used to be. -"For ages, a woman had to accept it quietly when her husband came home drunk," he said. "Sometimes she has to accept it now. But more often, she says no." The bright side of the statistics, the historian said, shows Soviet women know their legal rights and are no longer afraid to use them against drunken or abusive husbands. BESTUZHEV-LADA said "cultural everyday problems" are the second greatest cause of divorce - the difficul- ty of finding a good apartment or facing the prospect of living with parents in cramped quarters. Another factor, he said, is "ignoran- ce, misunderstanding or the inability of couples to construct relationships with one another." One of the offshoots of his studies, the researcher said, was the discovery that fewer and fewer Soviet couples are will- ing to have children. The broadcast said Amin expressed full confidence in the Soviet doctor before entering the hospital, praising him for stopping an epidemic recently at a girl's school in Namagunga. The announcement said Amin was accompanied to the hospital Wed- nesday by Soviet Ambassador Yevegniy Musiyko. Reports from Washington said the two men discussed expanding medical cooperation bet- ween Uganda and the U.S.S.R. before amin went into surgery. IN OCTOBER 1972, the 240-pound, 6- foot-4 field marshal was admitted to Mulggo Hospital for what Uganda radio described as a "complete rest." He re- portedly was sick with throat trouble. Visitors to Uganda who have met with Amin in recent months say he ap- peared to be in robust good health. But two of Amin's former physicians claim the president suffers from gout and may have contacted :syphilis at one time. Dr. John Kibukamusoke, who fled Uganda four years ago because he said he feared for his life, says he is convin- ced that Amin is a victim of hypomania, a mild form of the manic phase in the manic-depressive psychosis. AMIN REPORTEDLY has survived at least 14 assassination attempts dur- ing his administration. The latest oc- curred in July when a group of army of- ficers was said to have failed in an at- tempt to blow up Amin's car. Twelve Ugandans are scheduled to be executed Friday for plotting to topple Amin. Despite an appeal from Liberian PresidentWilliam Topple to show mer- cy, Amin said he was obliged to follow the directives of his Military Defense Council. TODAY GALLIARD BRASS ENSEMBLE in a FREE outdoor performance Friday, September 9th 11:30 a.m. to l p.m. ON THE DIAG on the steps in front of the Grad library (in case of rain, Monday, Sept Use Daily Classifieds T O R SER ICE The Housing Division feels that students should be free to concentrate on academic (and other) pursuits with- out added worry of dietary requirements. Therefore, University Residence Halls offer "Optional Meal Con- tracts'" for University students living in Baits, Fletcher, and in non-University housing Fall , * available at most halls * select one convenient location * initiate or cancel at your request BOTH MEALS (excludes Sunday lunch) Term :413.11 176.58 255.06 Winter Term $439.64 Fall & Winter Terms X852.75 * select lunch, or dinner, or both * re-serves on nearly all foods. Salad bars, soft drinks and soft serve ice cream available for both meals LUNCH ONLY (excludes Sunday lunch) 187.92, 271.44 364.50 DINNER ONLY 526.50 * reasonable prices: " OM/A0 owIrlk0&* 'ALA AMAA 0 A OW 0%1 0 A R 'FLA 49%e91 N uinu n -~A ~E -~ RA AAALJUE' 10%nf% A lSE w A7 7 d