Page Two THE MICHIGAN DAILY Thursdovy August 4 17 e1 , , I Vance offers Lebanon aid .._ . BEIRUT, Lebanon OP) - U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance paid a four-hour visit to this war-torn capital yesterday and offered $143 million to help re- build Lebanon. Vance told reporters after a luncheon meeting with President Elias Sarkis that the funds, which must be approved by Con- gress, would comprise $100 mil- lion in soft loans to rebuild the Lebanese army and $43 million more in humanitarian and re- construction aid. THE SECRETARY of state, arriving here at noon from Egypt, flew to Damascus in the late afternoon to begin a two- day round with Syrian leaders in his six-nation, peacekeeping tour. Before Vance had even com- pleted the first leg of his jour- ney, some A r a b newspapers were already calling the mission a failure because of remaining obstacles over the key question of the Palestinian role in recon- . of the Palestinian cause among vened peace talks. eArab leaders. The leftist Beirut newspaper Yasir Arafat, leader of the As Safir, in a story headlined Palestine Liberation Organiza- "Vance mission fails in holding tion, was renorted to be.in Da- Geneva conference," said the mascus at the time of Vance's proposal announced in Alexan- early evening arrival. American dria to hold "working group" officials have ruled out the pos- meetings next month between sibility Vance would meet di- Middle East foreign ministers rectly with Arafat or other Pal- was a sign that progress was estinian leaders on this tour. not achieved. But Israel agreed with Egypt that their foreign THE SECRETARY of state, ministers could meet in the arriving under stringent secur- United States next month to ity at Beirut International Air- smooth over procedural issues port, was driven directly to the blocking the conference. presidential palace where he met with Premier Salim el-Boss EGYPT'S authoritative paper and Foeign Minister Fuad Bu- Al Ahram said President Anwar tros before lunching with the Sadat rejected a U.S. suggestion president. that Palestinians participate in Vance's motorcade traveled Geneva talks only after they past buildings pocked with bul- recognize Israel's right to exist. let holes from the 19-month civil The Arab press said Vance's war but he did not see the heav- talks in Damascus would likely ily devastated portions of down- be even tougher than in Egypt, town Beirut. since President Hafez Assad has On his first trip to Lebanon emerged as the prime champion last February, Vance pledged $50 million in U.S. aid to help rebuild the Beirut port. The Lebanese stopover was the least important of Vance's tour, aimed primarily at finding a common Arab-Israeli formula for holding peace talks. Vance said he discussed with Lebanese leaders the feasibility of h a v i n g a United Nations peacekeeping force stationed in southern Lebanon near Israel to prevent clashes that have con- tinued since the civil war ended between Palestinians and Is- Taeli-backed Lebanese rightists. An assortment of interesting facts The Russian Mission, Alaska, settlement became the site of the first Yukon trading post of the Russian - American Com- pany in 1837, says National Ge. ographic. Reducing the speed of a DC-8 by 14 miles per hour adds only four extra minutes to a flight between Chicago and Los Ange- les, but saves 164 gallons of fuel. One fathom is six feet or 1.8 meters. Arkansas has over 9,000 miles of streams and rivers, 2% mil- lion acres of national forest lands and 600,000 acres of nat- ural and man-made lakes. William Howard Taft, 27th president of the United States, later became chief justice of the Supreme Court. THE MICHIGAN DAILY volume LXXXVII, No. 58-S Thursday, August 4, 1977 Is edited and managed by students st the Ulniverstty of Miehigan. News phane 764-0562. Second class postage paid at Ann Arbor, Michigan 4s109. Published daily Tuesday through Sunday morning during the Univer- sity year at 420 Maynard Street, Ann Arbor. Michigan 48109. Subscription rates: $12 Sept. thru April (2 semes- tersi: $13 by mail outside Ann Arbor. Summer session published Tues- day through Saturday morning. Subscription rates: $6.50 in Ann Arbor; $7.50 by mail outside Ann Arbor. people who can, Horrible Isn't it? 4 American Canes riclety If you can spend some time, even a few hours, with someone who needs a hand, not a handout, call your local Voluntary Action Center. Or write to: "Volunteer" Washington, D.C. 20013 Wneedyou. . *.ba.+ro Um.a tM. bi..g The National Center for Voluntary Action.