SINCE 1889
Mythical powers
Rumors aside,
Vitamin E
 isn't powerful
wonder drug.
See page 6.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 25, 1985, VOL. 96, NO. 23 (USPS 650-640)
Cloudy
Details page 3
Details page 3.
'Star Wars' plan spurs arms race, savs new report
United Press International
WASHINGTON — President Reagan's drive to develop a futuristic missile defense system could spur the arms race or even encourage the superpowers to adopt a first-strike strategy, a congressional study warned yesterday.
The 324-page report on Reagan's multibillion-dollar Strategic Defense Initiative — popularly known as "Star Wars" — was prepared by the Office of Technology Assessment, which studies complex issues for Congress, at the request of the House Armed Services Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Rep. Les Aspin, D-Wis., chairman of the House panel, noted the report said it would be virtually impossible to construct an impregnable "Star Wars" system, which would use space- and land-based high-tech weapons to knock down enemy missiles.
The study also points out a danger if the system succeeds, Aspin said. Reagan has wagged, if the "Star Wars" research yields fruit, to share it with the Soviet Union to make nuclear weapons obsolete. But the report says such a move, however likely, would increase the risk of a nuclear war.
Reagan has advocated SDI as an umbrella to shield the nation from attack and has described it as a system that is aimed at weapons, not
people. The problem is that blunting an enemy attack, even partially, could provide an offensive edge by assuring survival of more of the nation's nuclear arsenal. Most U.S. and Soviet nuclear weapons are aimed at the other side's weapons.
"Here's the rub that the OTA study points out." Aspin said. "If we both have SDI, and the Soviets attack first, our land-based forces will emerge, though in reduced numbers. Those reduced numbers will then have to penetrate the Soviet SDI.
"But in reduced numbers, it's not by any means certain that we have a credible threat — their SDI would have made our surviving deterent no longer credible.
"The irony here is that we could end up in the most destabilizing of situations imaginable — one in which the superpower that seeks to strike first has the best chance of surviving. That is exactly the scenario we have been trying desperately to avoid."
As for Reagan's high hopes for the defensive nature of the system, the study said. "Assured survival of the U.S. population appears impossible to achieve if the Soviets are determined to deny it to us."
The OTA study said the United States could now build a limited ground-based system to protect U.S. land-based missiles — a ballistic missile defense, or BMD. No clear estimates on the cost of such a system, or an SDI system, are available.
Reagan may accept any cut in arsenals
United Press International
WASHINGTON — President Reagan said yesterday he is willing to accept any mutual reduction in the superpowers nuclear arsenals as a step toward total elimination of them, but the Soviets have made no formal proposal for a cut.
Questioned about reports that the Soviet Union is ready to propose a 40 percent cut in nuclear arms in exchange for an end to the U.S. "Star Wars" program, Reagan said he had heard that such an offer might be in the works.
Without addressing the "Star Wars" issue, Reagan added. "We're perfectly prepared to take whatever mutual reduction we can get."
White House and congressional sources said yesterday that the Kremlin had floated a proposal linking "Star Wars" to a 40 percent cut overall in nuclear arsenals, with no more than 60 percent of the remaining forces concentrated in any of the three legs of the nuclear triad — bombers and submarine-launched or land-based missiles.
Reagan has repeatedly ruled out halting research on his Strategic Defense Initiative, a multibillion-dollar project to created a space and land-based system to knock down
enemy missiles. The Soviets have portrayed the program, popularly known as "Star Wars," as a bid by the United States for military superiority.
Speaking with reporters as he left Knoville, Tenn., Reagan said some of his comments on arrival apparently had been misunderstood as rejecting a 40 percent cut as insufficient.
"When I made a remark that I wish it were more," Reagan said, "I was doing that in the context of the fact that both Mr. Gorbachev and myself have said that we would both like to missiles done away with entirely.
"Our goal." Reagan said, "if we can make it, would be total elimination. But we're perfectly prepared to take whatever mutual reduction we can get with the idea of eventually getting there."
getting in touch.
In his early comments, Reagan said he expected the proposal to come up during his meeting Friday with Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze.
"I was not turning down any offer. We have received no offer, either here or our negotiators in Geneva."
If Shevardnadze does so, the president said he would forward the proposal to Geneva.
Bryan Graves/KANSAN
Bill Medien, KU facilities operations worker, pruned the trees along Jayhawk Boulevard near the Chi Omega fountain yesterday afternoon.
A little off the top
Halls take lowest bid for items
By Bob Tinsley Of the Kansan staff
Residents of Pearson Scholarship Hall, 1426 Alumni Place, last year asked the office of student housing to find a new vacuum cleaner for them through the state bidding system.
They were amazed when their request returned with a $400 price tag.
Use of the bidding system is not just a housing office policy - it's a state law.
Pearson residents decided not to buy the vacuum cleaner and fixed one of their old ones instead, Steve Chrzanowski, All-Scholarship Hall Council president and Pearson resident, said Monday.
"Unless it had power steering, air conditioning and white walls. I just don't know." Chrzanski said about the vacuum cleaner.
However, Chrzanowski said he thought the bidding system worked for most items.
"There is nothing wrong with the bidding system, because you need heavy-duty items in an institutional setting like this one," he said.
When the housing office receives a request for an item, they forward it to the University purchasing office. From there, the state office in Topeka, ID, the housing office in Topanga,
This office mails requests for bids to potential vendors, and the state awards the contract to the low bidder.
If an item is below the bidding limit, it will not be sent through the state system, said Ken Stoner, director of student housing.
carol Von Tersch, interior designer of student housing, said prices sometimes seemed higher to residents because items for the halls were bought from manufacturers of restaurant or institutional equipment. This procedure assures the
See RIDDING p. 5. col. 6
Athlete bill needs work, officials say
By Liz Maggard Of the Kansan staff
A congressional bill that would penalize colleges and universities if they failed to graduate at least 75 percent of their scholarship athletes received mixed grades from Athletic Department officials this week.
The bill, the "College Athlete Education and Protection Act of 1985," was introduced in May by Rep. James J. Howard, D-N.J.
It would require 75 percent of a school's student athletes who had received athletic scholarships for at least three years to graduate in a maximum of five years.
Richard Lee, assistant athletic director in charge of support services, and Richard Konzem, assistant athletic director in charge of the Williams Educational Fund, said they agreed with the intent of the bill — increasing the graduation rate of
Under the bill, schools failing to meet the standard would lose the tax-deductible status for contributions to their athletic departments.
The bill is pending before the House Ways and Means Committee.
But they took issue with the bill's method.
- increasing the graduation rate of student athletes.
Konzem said he thought the bill left too many unanswered questions.
"It it isn't very well worked out," he said. "For instance, we have very few athletes in non-revenue sports
who are on full scholarships. Most are on partials. Would each of them be counted when figuring out the percentage?"
Lee also said he had reservations. Although the University's graduation rate for football and men's basketball players is well above the national average for players in those sports, he said, it still would fall short of the bill's proposed standard.
Lee said he doubted that the bill would meet its goal. He said the emphasis should be on developing and enhancing services to help athletes earn their degrees rather than on punishment.
Scott Imus, legislative assistant to Howard, said opponents of the bill had cited two National Collegiate
Anemic Association commissioned studies as evidence that the graduation rates of student athletes compared favorably with graduation rates of other students.
The 1981 American College Testing Program's "NCAA Survey of Graduation Rates After Five Years Entering College in Fall 1975" concluded that male athletes graduated at a rate equal to or higher than that of non-athletes.
The 1984 "Study of Freshman Eligibility Standards Technical Report," prepared by Advanced Technology Inc., indicated that student athletes graduated at rates comparable to students in general.
See HOWARD, p. 5, col. 1
Alan Haagen/KANSAN
Faced with a liquor tax increase effective Oct. 1, Lawrence residents are stocking up before prices increase.
Price hikes for hard liquor cause drinkers to stockpile
The Oct. 1 tax increase on liquor, of which raise the price of a half-gallon of 80-proof liquor about two dollars, has prompted many consumers to stock up in advance, three Lawrence liquor store merchants said yesterday.
John Webb, a managing partner of Green's Fine Wines, 800 W, 23rd St., said a lot of people were stocking up on their favorite spirits.
By John Williams Of the Kansan staff
"I'm recommending to my customers to buy through the holidays. They'll be able to justify buying a lot now because they can save money," he said.
Several area liquor stores reported individuals spending from $250 to $1,000 buying their favorite spirits in advance.
The new federal tax, passed as part of the 1984 Deficit Reduction Act, affects only hard liquor and not beer and wine. The increase will raise the price of distilled spirits税 $2 per
He said some distillers and distributors may lower their prices to offset the increase in the liquor tax.
"It all comes back to one thing — the overspend by the government." he said.
Web said Green's would probably be busy this week, but October would be a slow month for liquor sales. He said beer and wine sales would not drop, and they might go up.
The government estimates that the tax could raise $149 million in 1985, and up to $335 million by 1989.
"A lot of people have come in to stock up on their favorite spirits," he
Shawn Williams, manager of Williams Liquors, 2324 Louisiana St., said the store's sales had increased, but not from the tax alone. Other factors, he said, are that KU has seven home football games this year, and the weather has turned cold.
proof gallon, from $10.50 to $12.50.
The amount of tax is affected by the proof of the liquor as well as the quantity. The last change in the tax was in 1951.
said. "Some people see it as a business expense, so it's not that great a cost for them."
David Whitenight, assistant manager of Williams Liquors, said he expected a slight decline in the sales of the larger — half-gallon and gallon — sizes of liquor bottles because their price would increase by about two dollars, but for the smaller bottles the price would increase by only 20 or 30 cents.
Many managers of liquor stores said they expected to see large increases in wine and wine cooler sales.
Williams said he thought the government was trying to legislate morality by taxing liquor and cigarettes.
"By raising the prices they are trying to decrease use and make money at the same time," he said.
The tax increase should not affect holiday revenues, he said, because most of the drinking during holidays is socializing.