Page 4-Saturday, July 31, 1982--The Michigan D'ty
Reagan moves to
extend grain deal
with Soviets
WASHINGTON (AP) - President ANY NEW DEAL with the United
Reagan approved yesterday a probable States likely would keep the Soviet Union
record sale of grain to the Soviet Union, far down the list among foreign
but he ruled out any long-term pact "as customers of U.S. farm products.
long as repression continues in Poland." Japan, for example, imported $6.7
At that, the move is certain to stir fur- billion worth of U.S. agricultural goods
ther resentment among European last year, including 22.8 million metric
allies. tons of feed grain, wheat and soybeans.
Technically, Reagan merely The Soviets imported $1.57 billion worth
authorized his lieutenants to explore a of U.S. farm products.
one-year extension - with expanded
sales - of the existing grain pact with Farm-state lawmakers reacted to
the Soviets. But there is little doubt Reagan's decision by calling a one-year
Moscow's representatives will come extension of the U.S.-Soviet grain sales
knocking at the door. agreement an encouiaging first step,
ARGRICULTURE Secretary John but said more is needed to help farmers
Block said that under the agreement recover from low prices brought on by
which otherwise will expire Sept. 30, it huge surpluses.
is "likely that we wil sell more grain to "We are not accepting this as a final
the Soviet Union this year than in any solution," Rep. Cooper Evans, (R-Iowa),
previous year." The White House put said after President Reagan authorized
the projected amount at 17.8 million extending the U.S.-Soviet grain pact
metric tons, topping the 1979 record of due to expire Sept. 30. "We're going to
15.3 milllion. A metric ton is 2,205 keep working on the administration."
pounds.
Reagan's decision allows the Soviets EVANS WAS among Republican
to buy even more in the coming year. House Agriculture Committee mem-
But any such deal likely would barely bers who were briefed by Treasury
dent America's huge grain inventories, Secretary Donald Regan after the White
likely to exceed 400 million metric tons H
in the 1982-83 "agreement year." long-term grain agreement with the
Americans will consume less than half a s
that. Soviets"as long as repression con-
The Soviet Union, according to the' tinues in Poland."
Agriculture Department, will need to Several of those at the meetig said
buy 46 million metric tons of grain from the treasury secretary assured them
other nations in the coming year. Much that "we are willing to sell the Russians
of that is certain to come from Argen- as much grain as they want to buy."
tina and Canada.
New Lebanon cease-fire
ends Israeli air attack
(Contnued fromn Pae 1) as the planes and warships struck. Fire
engines and ambulances raced through
cease-fire with massive air attacks and eesa
naval hombardment to quench the
rising hopes for a political solution. The AP correspondent Tom Baldwin
enemy is clearly determined to carry reported windows blown out in many
on his genocidal war to the itter end." buildings y the concussion of Israeli
The Palestinian news agency WAFA bombs near the race track. One naval
said, "Numerous civilians were caught barrage hit the Abu Taleb residential
outside their homes by the sudden at- neighborhood at the end of west Beirut's
tack, and casualties it is believed were commercial thoroughfare of Hamra
heavy." about 100 yards from the International
Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Red Cross administration office and
Begin said after meeting Wednesday food distribution center. The Red Cross
with Habib that the U.S. envoy building was unscathed, but shells pun-
promised to seek an "unequivocal ched holes in four apartment uildings,
commitment" from the PLO to leave residents reported.
Lebanon and to give Israel the answer yAlso in Beirut, warning of the risk of
yesterday. !typhoid, U.N. officials appealed yester-
HABIB TOLD reporters after day for the restoration of water cut off
HAiBwitLbaneePrmerMister since Monday by Israeli troops.
meeting with Lebanese Prime Minister AN OFFICIAL of the United Nations
Shafik Wazzan in Beirut only that "we Childrens Fund (UNICEF) said he
are completing the work" on feared an outbreak of typhoid if
arrangements aimed at getting the desperate residents, deprived of
guerrillas to leave. sanitary water, begin drinking from
The Israeli jets attacked in rapid suc- contaminated underground wells.
cession, releasing flares that lured "Ante dergrisdwlls.e
away surface-to-air missiles from "Another day like this will be very
guerrilla positions. serious, said Raymond Naimy, chief
Gunboats fired one ear-splitting water engineer in Lebanon for
barrage after another into west UNICEF. "We don't know what to do.
Beirut's oceanside areas, where the We haven't the means to solve the
guerrillas have deployed scores of problem of contamination."
multiple-rocket launchers behind ear- On Monday, Israeli troops shut off the
then embankments. valve at the Ashrafiyeh pumping
FIRES BROKE out in parts of the station in East Beirut that sends water
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In Brief
Compiled from Associated Press and
United Press International reports
Iranian groups riot on Texas
campus; 3 stabbed, 29 arrested
UNIVERSITY PARK, Texas- Three people were stabbed and 29 others
were arrested yesterday night when pro- and anti-Khomeini Iranian factions
clashed at the Southern Methodist University student center, authorities
said.
University Park Police Capt. Ray Fletcher said about 50 to 75 Iranians
supporting the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini stormed into the student center
and clashed with about 100 to 150 Iranians holding a school-approved anti-
Khomeini assembly.
Police from University Park, Highland Park, Dallas and the university
were pelted with rocks and bottles when they tried to break up the distur-
bance that spilled outside the student center building, said Fletcher.
Three Iranians were stabbedf in the chest and rushed to Parkland
Memorial Hospital. Nursing Coordinator Kay Scott said two were in serious
but stable condition and the third was in fair condition. She declined to iden-
tify them.
Fletcher said he suffered a minor injury when he was hit in the head with a
2-inch box fan thrown by one of the rioters. He said another police officer
was hit in the chest with a rock.
Economic indicators remain flat
WASHINGTON- The government's main economic forecasting gauge
stayed flat in June, officials said yesterday in a report reinforcing the
lukewarm recovery predictions of most government and private analysts.
After 11 straight monthly declines, the Commerce Department's Index of
Leading Indicators had risen in April and May, encouraging hopes of
recovery from the 1981-82 recession.
Economists pointed to some good signs in the June index-especially a big
drop in claims for jobless benefits-but the overall figures caused no
celebrations or talk of booming recovery.
But the Reagan administration, however, is sticking with a rose-colored
forecast disowned by its own top policy-makers. The administration of-
ficially reported yesterday there will be a "significant" economic recovery
this year and the 1983 budget deficit will be contained to a record $115 billion.
But even as the White House budget office presented that claim, a very
senior administration official conceded privately the economy is in a
"twilight zone" and the actual red ink would be "considerably higher" next
year..
Treasury Secretary Donald Regan, the administration's admitted leading
optimist on the economy, chose to distance himself from the budget report
by staying away from a news conference on the forecast.
Panama's president resigns
PANAMA CITY, Panama- President Aristides Royo resigned yesterday
for reasons of health and Vice President Ricardo de la Espriella was sum-
moned to the National Palace and sworn in as the new chief executive.
Panama Province Gov. Segundino Torres Gudino, who made the announ-
cement of Royo's resignation over the state-owned National Radio, called on
the people "to have faith and confidence" in the new government.
Friends of the 42-year-old Royo said he was suffering from a throat
ailment. They did not elaborate.
Royo submitted his "irrevocable resignation" yesterday morning to
National Legislature speaker Luis de Leon Arias. The speaker released the
text of the letter at a news conference shortly before he swore in de la
Espriella at an afternoon ceremony.
The letter said in part, "I present my irrevocable resignation as president
of the republic due to health problems that make a medical checkup
necessary and prevent me from continuing in this position with all the
responsibilities it entails."
Search for kidnap victims
in Zimbabwe unsuccessful
BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe- An execution deadline expired yesterday for
two Americans and four other foreigners with no progress in a hunt to find
them and their rebel kidnappers, and a search began for three more missing
tourists.
The government's Department of Information denied earlier statements
that the 2,000-man search team of police and troops had found the bodies of
three white males in the dense thorn-tree bush country of western Zimbab-
we.
A villager who had told troops he had helped bury three white people was
unable to lead searchers to the graves, said a spokesman in the capital
Harare. "No bodies and no graves have been found," he said.
Brigands loyal to ousted opposition Cabinet minister Joshua Nkomo seized
the two Americans, two Britons and two Australians after ambushing their
cross-Africa safari last Friday. They threatened to kill them a week later if
two jailed Nkomo aides were not freed.
While searchers for the six hostages thrashed through the bush, an air
search began for three other British tourists reported missing in the rugged
Inyanga Mountains of east Zimbabwe.
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Moslem sector of the Lebanese capital
to the west.