The Age from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia • Page 1

TODAY THE Thursday 15-Jonuary; 1981 250 -Spencer' -60)421 (Classified 6Q 061 1 24 Pages T.viuV& 127th Year 20c douubt: pact' K1 WJl A I I 111 gH u. US calls delay until Reagan enters office From NIGEL WILSON CANBERRA. The agreement allowing American B-52 bombers to use the Darwin air base is in doubt after a late hitch in negotiations between Canberra and Washington. It is believed the hitch centres on proposals for Australia to be informed if the bombers are carrying nuclear arms when they use Darwin or fly over Australia. The United States Ambassador, Mr Phillip Alston, yesterday met the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Street, to pass on a request that negotiations on the agreement be deferred until after the Reagan Administration takes office.

how arstxsmi Nancy Reagan, the new lady President PAGE 13 Cash handed over: Iran The United States has agreed to deposit 70 per centf Iran's frozen assets in Algeria and has undertaken to return the late Shah's wpalThA I'an's State radio reported the Idles; US move in a commentary which suggested that the cash had bsen deposited in Algeria and the terms would be accepted by Ir3n for the release of the 52 hostages. Top dogs banned Three greyhounds are temporarily banned from racing after urine samples taken from the dogs at Oiyrnpic Park on Monday are stolen. 3 Zion trustee A Federal Court judge affirms that an accountant can act as tru-ee of the estate of bankrupt businessman Mr Alfred Zion despite allegations by Mr Zion that the accountant was biased. 4 New 'Asia' jury The jury in the 'Mr Asia' trial is discharged after a lawyer in the case discovered that he knew one of the jury members. 5 Blacks evicted Aborigines claim a group of between 40 and 100 blacks have been ordered off their traditional home on a properly in north-west Australia.

5 New judges The Federal Opposition Leader, Mr Hayden, wants parliamentary hearings on the selection of new High Court judges. 5 Soviet visit The Soviet marshal in icharge of Warsaw Pact forces has arrived in Warsaw for talks with Polish leaders. 7 ODD SPOT Melissa Martin, 21, is Indiana's new International Goddess of Tobacco Chewing. Miss Martin, a student, was awarded a silver spittoon for her ability to chew with poise, personality and beauty. Carl Powell with his mother' in hospital.

"It was a- miracle, Trapped boy saved under eity fountain The delay has mystified Australian officials who until 48 hours ago were confident that the agreement would be signed with the Carter Administration and would not depend on the view of Mr Reagan's team. The Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, said in Darwin on 19 September that the US would have to get Australian Government consent if it wanted B-52s to fly over or land in Australia while carrying nuclear bombs. Nuclear weapons are not usually carried on surveillance and low-level training flights, although B-52s are part of the US nuclear defence system. During the election campaign, Mr Fraser made it clear that he hoped giant US bombers would be able to make use of Australian facilities early this -year. He also indicated that there appeared to be no objection from the Carter Administration to the Australian demand to be told if the bombers were nuclear-armed, though this is against longstanding US practice.

Last week, Foreign Affairs Department sources indicated that senior US officials had apparently agreed to the demand. But the sources pointed out that even if the Australian Government were told this information, would not be made public. Yesterday, Mr Alston gave one of his few Press conferences since coming to Australia in May, 1977. He is due to finish his term on Friday. In a brief statement outside the Foreign Affairs Department, he said the US and Australia had been negotiating over the transit of B-52s in Darwin.

In view of the changeover of the US Administration, he had requested in. an interview with Mr Street, deferment of the negotiations until the new Administration had properly considered the issue. "We are coming in the United States to a new Government from a week on Wednesday. We think this is a matter of sufficient importance for that Government to deal with your Government before final conclusion is reached," he said. Mr Alston would not comment further.

Reports from Washington early January suggested that the US was still sensitive about the nuclear notification issue but this appeared to have been resolved because of the Australian Government's insistence that the bombers using Darwin be involved solely in surveillance. The Australian Government is still anxious to allow the bombers to use Darwin despite alterations costing hundreds of thousands of dollars which will be needed to widen the runway to accommodate the B-52s wingtip stabilising wheels. Yet last night sources said the Alston statement put doubt on whether any agreement would be signed. This is despite the official Australian view that the delay is not a major hitch to the eventual signing of an agreement. in the tunnel, so I yelled at everyone up top to shut up," Mr Cronin said.

"He was so scared he wouldn't come to us. He was crying and calling for Jus mum. He wouldn't come to us, so we went to him. I couldn't believe it; I felt like The boy, shaky and pale, was lifted from the drain and put into an ambulance with his mother. "I believe it was a miracle," his mother, Mrs Kathleen Powell said while being treated for shock at the Queen Victoria Hospital.

"After waiting for 25 minutes the ambulancemen told me there was no hope," she said. "When' the policeman shouted 'he's alive', I couldn't believe it," Mrs Powell said, wiping back tears of joy. Dr John Harry, who examined Carl at the hospital, said he was very cold when he arrived but his general condition was remarkably good. "He had some abrasions on the hands and legs but he wasn't shocked," Dr Harry said. Carl was discharged from hospital late last night Carl, who was spending the week at the Hopkins home, said from his bed in the observation ward: "We went in for a swim but I just went down when the grate or something broke.

"My mate Leigh tried to help me he grabbed me by the hair and held on but the next thing I was dragged down this drain," Carl said. Leigh fared worse than his friend. With his arm in a sling, a long graze on his shin and a rapidly developing bump above one eye, he said: "I held on for more than a minute under the water but the suction was too great I had to let go. "I thought he was gone but I never gave up hope." Carl took up the story, again. "I was scared I was packing.

It was pitch dark and I was going up and down and could feel this suction and hear a machine going," he said, referring to a pump. "I grabbed on to a pipe and pulled myself up and suddenly I found my head in an air pocket. I was yelling out. But then I realised I couldn't do much and I didn't want to waste the air. "Then I started praying, '1 don't want to die'.

I was scared," Carl said. "I thought it felt like about half an hour but it was 90 minutes I was down there. I was very happy to see the firemen's floodlight and then they pulled me out." Security officers at the City Square said they had been ordering children out of the pool all yesterday. The Melbourne City Council Square committee is expected to meet soon to review the fountain's safety. PAGE 3: Hot again today.

Amusements 19-20 Business Age 15-17 Comics, Crossword 8 Editorial 3 News Diary 2 Tatts (No. 132) 9 World News 7.9 Classified index 18 Personal notices 18 ljf If CITY. Late change; rain, possible thunderstorms. Expected top 37 (yesterday 41. 4K Details 10.

Judge D'Urso: freed "as an act of 3 AM REPORT Guerillas free Italian judge ROME, 14 Jan. Judge Giovanni D'Urso, kidnapped by the Red Brigades a month ago, was freed by the terrorist group today, police said. Judge D'Urso was recovering in the city's University Hospital. Police said he was freed shortly after the guerillas left a message in a garbage can in front of Rome's opera house saying "Proletarian justice permits an act of Judge D'Urso was found on a construction site on the outskirts of the city, north-west of the capital. A reporter for the State-owned Italian television quoted eyewitnesses at the hospital as say- ing Judge D'Urso was in good condition.

Earlier in the day the Red Brigades guerillas announced they would soon release Judge D'Urso as an "act of In a message received by the Rome dailv 'II Messaggero', the Red Brigades said: "Considering how the situation has developed, the Red Brigades are able to carry out an act of magnanimity. "We thus intend to release the torturer D'Urso." Judge D'Urso was kidnapped in Rome on 12 December. The full text of the message has not yet been released by police, to whom the newspaper gave it. 'II Messaggero' was one of two national newspapers which today published propaganda messages from imprisoned Red Brigades leaders. This was the main demand made by the kidnappers in exchange for Judge D'Urso's life.

Today's message, the 10th issued bv the Brigades since they snatched Judge D'Urso, consisted of four typewritten pages, mainly of propaganda. AAP-Reuter. Tr wrff i $100 seats Australia's tennis fans will have to pay up to $100.. a seat to watch Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe in their head-to-head matches in Melbourne and Sydney next month. But as a bonus the fans are likely to see Paul McNamee and Peter McNamara in a special doubles match.

PAGE 24: Richard Yallop reports. Share prices i continue to fall Share prices continued to fall on Australian stock exchanges yes-I'terday. Resources stocks were again the hardest-hit sector. The heaviest falls took place in morning trade, before a small rally late in the day. Share- brokers predicted the late rises would not carry over into today's trading.

PAGE 15: Details she said. ien iamb It is not known whether any progress was on Qantas's grievances. Mr Hunt promised last 'week to meet the Qantas board again, after he had received advice from the AttorneyGeneral's Department on the meaning of" the dis sections of the -airlines Mr Hunt two weeks Ministerial leave on Friday, his suddenicall: tomeet Mr Leslie was linked to. that. Judging his silence last night, Leslie has agreed to kllo-wi- Mr iiunt a peaceful holi- has generated for the Government.

oyer the: past week, Mr. Hunt; may 'weli-haye earned it. fi- Mr Hunt, was 'astounded when he: -learned rthat intended taking its criticisms of the agreement, including its eTiticisrfl' oj Ir i Hunt for "not consulting 'n its before it was sign- i along mat' protects infiBr thbughihe agreed f'-atthV "dgiv By ROY ECCLESTON and GERRY CARMAN A 12-year-old boy survived for 90 minutes trapped in a 10-centimetre air pocket after being sucked down a drain in the City Square fountain last night. "Carl Powell, of Moonee Ponds was wading with four friends in the fountain at 7.35 pm, when the recirculation pumps sucked him through a grate and down a clearing drain. His.

13-year-old mate, Leigh Hopkins, of Richmond, dived in after him and grabbed a handful of hair. But Carl slipped from his' grasp. 'Leigh yelled to nearby police and they raised the alarm. -Within firemen had pump trucks in the Square, sluicing water from the pool and its underground recirculation But after 90 minutes they were pessimistic about Carl's chances of surviving five metres 'Firemen Gary Cronin and John Rodda searched the pool. They were attached by rope to a near-.

by tree to stop them being sucked along the tunnel. When the fountain pool was empty, the pair put on oxygen masks and tanks and dropped down into the drain. At 9 o'clock a policeman jumped from the drained pool and yelled: "He's alive!" Mr Cronin said later: "The boy had been sucked down a tunnel, about a metre by a metre, and slimy. "It was pitch Mack. The shaft must have run at an angle, because there was enough air space for him to breath.

"When we first heard his voice, we thought it was just an echo Ansett and TAA a veto over Qantas taking up domestic operations. While Mr Leslie was facing Mr Hunt in Canberra, his predecessor as Qantas chairman, Sir Lenox Hewitt-, was at Ansett headquarters in Sir Peter Abeles, who is co-chief executive of Ansett with Mr Rupert Murdoch, said it was Sir Lenox's first visit to -the premises. Sir Lenox joined Sir. Peter as a consultant last July four days after his Qantas term ended. Sir Peter said it was the first time that Sir Lenox had been on the premises.

He said that neither he (Sir Peter), nor any Ansett employee, had seen any Qantas documents. After Sir Lenox and Qantas parted, Qantas took action in the NSW Supreme Court to regain its chairman's files. The files were returned, without the writ being served. "The Qantas board managed to create a Clochmere. situation, which will have a similar result in the Australian: community, it will amuse a lot.

of, people," Sir Peter said. wedgwood room sale! Buckley's offer sensational savings on china While suction pumps dfain' tjfte fire-brigade divers 'They thought they would find a body toy mr ehief silit after talks 36 pee. coalport bone china Blue Willow' dinner set stock grade was $250 now $1S 36 pee. Adams ironstone Impress White' dinner set was $155 now .99 80 18 pee. J.

G. Meakin shantung Be coral tea set was $55 now only 19 50 20 pee. J. 8c G. Meakin Antique' OH dinner set was $79.95 now .59 95 36 pee.

English Johnson Brothers Bradbury pink dinner set was $140 now '75 Up to 50 off Coalport Cathay! Ashtrays were $11 Trumpet vases were 12 cm Trays were $12.95 680 $29.95 $18 Honey Jars were $35 1780 85cm Trays were $12.95 ...680 Heart CanaVboxes r-v Qantas By ROBERT HAUPT After a hastily arranged meeting with the Transport Minister, Mr Hunt, yesterday, the Qantas chairman, Mr Jim Leslie, said he would not comment further on his dispute with the Government. Canberra sources said Mr Hunt called the meeting to appeal to Mr Leslie to cease or moderate his attacks on the wvrviiiuiCUL over proposed changes to aviation When he arrived in last night, Mr Leslie was uncharacteristically quiet. "I really have nothing to say," he said A spokesman for Mr Hunt after the meeting: "The Minister win not De engaging any public exchange on the matters raised." However. airline sources strongly discounted the suggestion that Qantas might back down in its dispute with the Government. The Qantas board, led Leslie, flew to Canherra last uroot to complain to Mr Hunt that the airline was being reduced to a shell that would be ripe for takeover.

The board said that a new airlines agreement, signed by the Uor' vernment Ansett and TAA last September wouid aiiow-the-domestic airlines to veto any move by Qantas into domestic travel, but allow them to compete with Qantas internationally. Since1-. then; Mr- Leslie has-strongly defended his. board's indepenence, pointing out: that-'ft has -wider res possibilities than its shareholder the Government The airlihe" industry sources predicted that the Qantas paign to have the airlines agree ment changed, would begm Jagam when Parliament resumed next -Qantas to -write to; puttmg.its-. ease against theagreementbefpreithey are- asked- to.

ratify-it. Qantas hopes it may sway enough votes in the Senate to pal riataitipn. in: i called by Mr-Hunt in the I held in f) Mr Hun t's spokesman -safd-i- a. number of -issues were discussed. 'o PERSONAL SHOPPING ONLY' jC'B-J BA83S'1501.