Page 4-Wednesday, July 28, 1982-The Michigan Daily
Califano to lead
House cocaine,
pag e inquiryan7

WASHINGTON (AP)- Calling his
new job an "unpleasant task," Joseph
Califano yesterday became the chief
House investigator into allegations of
cocaine use and homosexual activities
on Capitol Hill.
Califano, health, education and
welfare secretary in the Carter cabinet,
promised at a news conference announ-
cing his assignment, that his House
ethics committee inquiry will be "pain-
staking, objective, and fair."
REPUBLICAN and Democratic
House leaders sat with Califano during
the announcement to show bipartisan
support for the probe, and House
Speaker Thomas O'Neill (D-Mass.)
said: "It's a sad day for the House when
we have to have an investigation of this
type."
For a month, investigators for the
ethics committee-known formally as
the Committee on Standards of Official
Conduct-have been looking into
allegations that members of Congress
have used cocaine and indulged in
homosexual affairs with young teen-
age boys who are congressional pages.
Now with the appointment a commit-
tee special counsel such as Califano,
who has a reputation for independence
and legal expertise, the House leader-
ship seems to be signaling its serious in-
tent.
"ALLEGATIONS of impropriety
must be proven or disproven in a man-
ner which is fair, impartial, thorough
and expeditious," said Rep. Louis
Stokes (D-Ohio), ethics committee
chairman. "The only responsible cour-
se of action was to engage a special

. .. promises thorough inquiry
counsel to conduct an independent and
thorough investigation of the
allegations."
Referring. to Califano, Stokes said:
"We wanted a counsel whose indepen-
dence could not be questioned."
During preliminary investigations
this month, former House page Leroy
Williams, 18, of Little Rock, Ark., told
the ethics committee staff that he had
homosexual relations with three House
members and arranged a liaison bet-
ween a senator and a male prostitute.
But Williams flunked an FBI lie
detector test.
Rep. Robert Dornan (R-Calif.), who
allowed undercover narcotics agents to
use his congressional office, contends
investigators have told him of
allegations of cocaine use involving six
House members, one senator and two
former House members.

In Brief
Compiled from Associated Press and
United Press Internationai reports
U.S. to extend Soviet grain deal
WASHINGTON- Although the details remained unclear, President
Reagan has decided to keep alive a U.S. grain trade agreement with the
Soviet Union, congressional sources said yesterday.
White House sources said it was likely that a formal announcement would
come today. But there were widespread reports on Capitol Hill that a
decision already had been made to extend the current grain agreement for
at least one year, probably with higher minimum purchase requirements
than in the current agreement.
The issue, which has been actively before Reagan for several weeks, in-
volves tangled foreign policy and political implications more than
agricultural considerations. The current grain agreement expires Sept. 30.
"They want to be very careful in how this is perceived," said one
Republican congressional aide.
Administration officials fear an appearance of hypocrisy if the United
States strikes any kind of deal with the Soviets while pressing European
allies not to trade with the Russians.
Evidence reviewed in murder
of U.S. professor in Mexico
CULIACAN, Mexico- A criminal court judge began reviewing evidence
yesterday against a deputy police chief and six officers charged with mur-
dering University of Colorado Professor Nicholas Schrock, whose body has
not been found.
Judge Enrique Estrada Lopez said in a telephone interview from San
Ignacio that the case would be examined on the basis of statements made by
the seven suspects when questioned by police earlier this month. At least one
has repor. lly admitted to killing the 42-year-old economist.
Schrock vanished May 31 while driving along Highway 15, Mexico's main
west coast route, to a summer university teaching assignment in
Guadalajara, 1,056 miles south of the Arizona border he crossed the day
before.
Skydiver survives 9,000-foot
plunge without parachutes
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia - A skydiver who plunged 9,000-feet to the ground
when his twin parachutes failed to oen suffered a broken back and internal
injuries but probably will not sustain permanent damage; a hospital official
said yesterday.
As an estimated 40,000 people watched, Charles Amirault's parachutes
became entangled during a skydiving exhibition jump Monday at Halifax's
233rd birthday celebrations.
When his main parachute failed to open, he pulled the ripcord of his reser-
ve chute but it became entangled in the twisted main parachute.
Amirault plunged to the ground.
The spectators - including Amirault's wife and parents - watched
helplessly as he hit the ground, landing in the back yard of a downtown
house, several hundred yards from the exhibition site.
Ford reports profit increase
DETROIT - Ford Motor Co. said yesterday it earned $204.9 million in the
second quarter, a threefold increase from the same period a year ago and its
best quarterly profit in three years.
The increase far exceeded expectations of industry analysts. General
Motors Corp. and Chrysler Corp. also had second-quarter profits that ex-
ceeded predictions, but not by as much as Ford's.
American Motors Corp. was the only U.S. carmaker to report a loss for the
three-month period that ended June 30. Volkswagen of America, as a sub-
sidiary of a West German company, does not report its earnings.
Ford's second-quarter profit, amounting to $1.70 a share, compared with
earnings of $60.2 million, or 50 cents per share, in the same period of 1981.
Ford was the last major domestic automaker to report second-quarter
earnings. Its showing gave the four American makers an overall profit of
$83.1 million, up 39.6 percent from $575.4 percent in the second quarter of
1981.
International air fares to rise
GENEVA, Switzerland - The International Air Transport Association,
hoping to cut losses expected to reach near-record levels next year, agreed
yesterday to raise fares on most international flights by 7 percent beginning
Oct. 1.
It also officially declared war on the widespread practice of "predatory
discounts" - selling tickets below internationally agreed levels to fill exmp-
ty seats. IATA calculates that discounts reduce revenues by about $1 billion
annually from the level that full-price tickets would bring. -
But IATA officials conceded that they cannot legally enforce the ban on
price cutting.
A spokesman for the association, representing 117 international carriers,
said the fare incrase would have the following exceptions: flights to Japan;
flights between North and South American points; and flights between
Mexico and Europe. Fares to and from the Middle East wuld go up 5 per-
cent, and fares to and from most central and west African points would go up
2 percent. - . ~ < ..


{

4

4

Sweepstakes proposed
to lure 1984 voters

WASHINGTON (AP)- Legislation to
allow a national voter sweepstakes to
boost turnout for the 1984 presidential
election-with prizes ranging from
automobiles to dates with movie stars-
was introduced yesterday by a Califor-
nia congressman.
Rep. Robert Matsui (D-Calif.) said
his bill would authorize a national ver-
sion of the $5 million sweepstakes held
in California's June 8 primary under
the sponsorship of Hollywood promoter"
Ed Shaw.
MATSUI SAID the measure is needed
to get around a subsequent- Justice
Department holding that such a contest
could violate federal election laws
prohibiting vote buying.
He said his bill would permit such a
contest "as long as participants don't
have to pay to enter and as long as the
only purpose is to stimulate voting or
voter registration."
The California sweepstakes fizzled
when the Justice Department, citing
federal law, said it was a crime "to pay
or accept payment either for
registration to vote or for voting."
Shaw, who joined Matsui at a news
conferenceto announce sthe to
troduction, said he was prepared to

raise $100 million in prizes for a 1984
voter sweepstakes.
"YES, IT'S silly, buy why can't we
have some fun with elections," said
Shaw, 44, whose previous production
credits include the television show
"Hurray for Hollywood" and a record
album entitled "Jimmy Carter's
Favorite Hymns."
"Some of the bills passed by Congress
are just as silly," the promoter added.
Shaw said he would travel around the
country seeking contributions of prizes
or time from corporations, movie stars
and "closet patriots."
"WE'RE GOING to arrange dates
with Burt Reynolds and Robert Red-
ford, we're going to give away cars.
made in Detroit, home appliances
made around America, hamburgers
and skateboards ... why can't we throw
a little show biz into the democratic
system?" Shaw said.
Both Shaw and Matsui cited a decline
in voter participation in recent
presidential elections. "We shouldn't
have to offer prizes . . . but voter tur-
nout has plunged so low that we
shsaigd . q ue~'Mt-
sui said.

4

4

4