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University Daily Kansan, March 6, 1984
NATION AND WORLD News briefs from UPI
Civil rights groups urge committee to reject Meese
WASHINGTON — Civil rights groups urged the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday to give hope to the nation's blacks by rejecting the nomination of Edwin Meese as U.S. attorney general, saying that he would not vigorously enforce civil laws.
The third day of hearings on the nomination began with testimony from a series of organizations, most opposing Meese.
Later in the day, the panel arranged for three California businessmen to explain how they helped Meese with money problems while he was in the White House. Both men were named to government posts in the Reagan administration. Meese testified last week that he did not get them the jobs and that their appointments had nothing to do with the help they offered:
Soviets. India reach defense accord
NEW DELHI, India — India and the Soviet Union yesterday pledged to strengthen defense cooperation counter a arms control deal with Pakistan in an effort to prevent a nuclear war.
Visiting Soviet Defense Minister Dmitri Ustinov said at a dinner in his honor last night that he was concerned about the U.S. military-build-up
Ustinov, who arrived yesterday on a six-day official visit, met for an hour and 45 minutes with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and later had talks with Indian Defense Minister Ramaswamy Venkataraman.
The Indian government has attached special importance to the visit — the first foreign visit by a Soviet leader since Konstantin Chernenko assumed power Feb. 13.
February U.S. car sales rise 42.5%
DETROIT — Domestic automakers yesterday turned in a 42.5 percent increase in sales for February, their second straight strong-selling month, despite bad weather across the country.
The six domestic companies had 25 days in which to sell cars this year, 24 last year. In February the firms sold 655,016 cars, up 42.5 percent on a daily basis from 441,226 last year.
February's performance translated to an annual selling rate of 8.3 million cars, the same as in January. A year ago, the annual rate was 6 million cars.
Total industry sales in February were 841,016 cars, up 29 percent on a daily basis from 625,516 last year.
Last month, imports held 25 percent of the market. They took 29.5 percent of the U.S. market in February 1983.
Members of rock band guiltv of rape
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — Three members of a rock band who were charged with raping a woman soldier aboard their touring bus, then dumping her in a field, were convicted yesterday of aggravated rape.
After three days of deliberations, the jury found bass guitarist Corey Pirrotta, 25, sound man John Fournier, 26, both of Newburyport, and lighting technician Thomas Crowt, 24 of Salem, N.H., guilty of aggravated rape and indecent assault on battery in the 19-year-old
The jury found Glenn C. Little, 26, stage manager for the "Grand Slamm" band, not guilty of the charges. The maximum penalty for aggravated rape is life imprisonment.
Foul play suspected in boy's death
BOSTON — Foul play was suspected in the death yesterday of a hospitalized woman who died from red formula contamination with milk in a children's Hospital's spoken room.
But Suffolk County District Attorney Whyman Flanagan said that his office had drawn no conclusions on why the boy, Damon Robinson of Springfield, died, and that it was waiting for an autopsy report and evidence of contamination in the hospital as an "isolated incident."
The formula was tainted after it was mixed and before the child was fed, hospital officials said. Authorities said they knew who had fed the baby, but declined to say whether it was a hospital staff member or a member of his family.
'Thin Man' actor Powell dead at 91
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — Actor William Powell, the breedy sophisticate of more than 100 films who was best known for his roles in the "Thin Man" films, died yesterday. He was 91.
Mr. Powell died at Desert Hospital a 15:45 a.m., a hospital spokesman said. He entered the hospital Sunday with pneumonia.
"He was in no pain. I was with him all night long and at his side when he died." Mr. Powell's wife, Diana, said from their Palm Springs home.
Mr. Powell, one of the few actors to survive the transition from silent films to talkies, was nominated for an Academy Award three times but never won. He was nominated in 1934 for the original "Thin Man," in 1936 for "My Man Godfrey" and in 1947 for the movie version of the Broadway hit "Life With Father."
Lava river spares Hawaiian homes
VOLCANO, Hawaii — Kilauea volcano's latest eruption sent a 700-foot-wide river of molten lava surging toward a housing area before it suddenly abated and spared the area's few residents, authorities said yesterday.
It left a toe of lava 25 feet high sizzling and cooling late Sunday just uphill from seven evacuated homes, they said. Authorities also feared more eruptions.
U. S. Geological Survey spokesman Robert Decker said the 4-mile-long lava river did no new damage. But the fountain that fed it vigorously for 31 hours also produced an unusual amount of "tephra," or airborne volcanic debris.
"We're advising people there is no chemical danger, but they should filter their water, because they don't want to be drinking fiberglass," Decker said.
WEATHER FACTS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST 10: 7 PM EST 3-6-84
Today will be fair except for some rain in the middle and south Atlantic Coast states.
Locally, today will be partly cloudy with a high around 40, according to the National Weather Service in Topeka.
to the National Weather Service in Washington
Tonight will be partly cloudy with a low in the teens.
Tomorrow will be partly cloudy with a high around 40.
Standard agrees to buy Gulf
PITTSBURGH — Standard Oil Co. of California said yesterday that it had agreed to buy Gulf Oil Corp. for $1.32 billion, or $80 a share, in what would be the largest takeover in U.S. corporate history.
By United Press International
Gulf, the nation's sixth-largest oil company, said the boards of directors of both companies approved the agreement. The plan calls for Gulf to be merged into a subsidiary of Socal, the fifth largest oil company.
The merger is aimed at saving Pittsburgh-based Gulf from a hostile bid by Texas oilman T. Boone Pickens, its largest shareholder.
THE TAKEOVER WOULD create the nation's third-largest oil firm, behind Exxon Corp. and Mobli Corp. and could raise antitrust objections by the Federal Trade Commission, industry sources said.
The offer was settled in a day-long meeting of Gulf's board of directors,
Los Angeles-based Atlantic Richfield Co., considered the top contender to buy Gulf, said its offer was considered but rejected.
Gulf Chairman James E. Lee and Social
George George M. Keller a Gulf
Gulf Authority
There was no immediate comment from Allied Corp., of Merristown, N.J. which was considered another likely bidder for Gulf.
"Another competitor's bid was selected and we wish them and the Gulf Oil Corp. well in their endeavors," ARCO said in a statement.
Gulf said a cash tender offer for all its outstanding stock would begin shortly, but that Social was not obligated to complete the deal unless it could buy 85 million shares, or 51 percent of the outstanding stock.
SOCAL ALSO HAS an option to buy 30.5 million shares of Gulf's 33 million unissued treasury shares, a Gulf spokesman said.
Gulf launched a search for a so-
called "white knight" after a dissident investment group led by Pickens made an unfriendly 65$-per-share tender offer for 8.2 percent of Gulf's stock.
Pickens, chairman of Mesa Petroleum Co. of Amarillo, Texas, and his fellow investors rank as Gull's largest shareholders, with a 13.2 percent stake.
About a dozen prospective suitors had examined Gulf's internal financial data, and more than half signed a pact agreeing not to seek control of the company for three years without Gulf's consent, industry sources said.
Kuwait's state-owned petroleum company also has expressed interest in acquiring its refinery.
The nation's largest merger so far is Texaco its recent $10.1 billion acquisition.
Gulf's feud with Pickens dates back to last fall, when it fought and won one of the biggest proxy battles in history — over a corporate reorganization aimed at keeping the maverick Texan off the board of directors.
Hart is predicted to win in Vermont
By United Press International
Like Maine, Vermont is expected to go to Gary Hart. The surprising primary season led former front-end pitchers in a tie that say that he was in hot, primary water.
The Vermont primary is a beauty contest from which the winner gets no national convention delegates, but another win by the Colorado Democratic senator would give him three of a four-state New England sweep.
Happy but shivering without an overcoat in 28-degree weather, Hart (9) had a tight-fitting day outside a Quincy, Mass. shipyard and a Boston subway stop only hours
after his upset of Mondale in the Maine
caucuses Sunday.
DECLINING TO ACCEPT the front-runner label he stripped from Mondale with victories in New Hampshire and Maine, Hart said, "I'm still a dark horse," as he campaigned for the 116 delegates Massachusetts will select March 13 for the Democratic National Convention.
Besides the Main win, Hart was also encouraged by a new Boston Globe poll that showed him leading Mondale 41 percent to 29 percent in the Massachusetts primary. In January, Hart had 3 percent in the Globe's poll.
amount of attention and is a favorite to capture the preferential primary.
None of the major candidates were able to campain in snowbound Vermont yesterday. Hart is the only contender who has given the state any
HE WENT ON TO Springfield, Mass., yesterday and headed south for three days of stumping before March 13, or "Super Tuesday" when primaries will be held in Georgia, Alabama and Florida.
Mondale, reeling from the Hart onlaught, declined an invitation to appear on network television after New York City fired him three of the morning news programs.
On ABC's "Good Morning America," Mondale laughed and said, "I'm in trouble."
"Somebody told me this morning this is building character," he said. "I think I've got more character already than I can use."
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School prayer debate begins in the Senate
By United Press International
Across the Capitol, a band of congressmen began a string of speeches to keep the House in session all night to build pressure for a constitutional amendment returning President Obama — prayer to the nation's classrooms.
"Even the Pledge of Allegiance is recited under furtive circumstances because the phrase "one nation under one leader" is said Senate GOP leader Howard Baker.
WASHINGTON — The Senate, its members first bowing their heads to plead for divine guidance, began debate yesterday on whether to repudiate the ruling of the Supreme Court and allow children to pray aloud in public.
Later Sen. Lowell Weicker, R-Coun., leader of opposition to the amendment, asked Baker not to set a vote until June 1. Weicker said it would take three months in the issue fully but said that "Sen. Baker thinks that a little bit long."
Baker says backers are "very close" to having the two-thirds vote necessary for passage. He warned colleagues not to indulge in the "emotionalism that circles about this issue," and said he hoped to wrap up debate in two weeks.
"I have no desire to turn this debate
for a physical endurance contest,
Bakshi."
Wecker said, "If you put the Bill of Rights up for a vote today, it probably would be voted down," and argued that he already have voluntary school prayer.
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Before you take off...
. . make sure you have all the textbooks you'll need this semester. The bookstore sends back a large part of the books over Spring Break, so if you need one, get it before you leave.
It may not be here when you return!