The Independent-Record from Helena, Montana • 16

UJA 811 li 88 The Independent Record. Helena. Thursday, April 18. 1985 Reagan willing for Contra compromise Ti: A tmfrin Carrier Coral Sea readied for repairs NORFOLK, Va. AP) The carrier Coral Sea will move to a shipyard by the end of the week to undergo repairs to damage caused when it collided with a tanker off Cuba, the Navy says.

The 973-foot carrier, its bow partially crushed and splattered with oil from the collision, docked at the Norfolk Naval Station on Wednesday as a crowd of well-wishers cheered from The Navy has yet to estimate the cost of the repairs, which are expected to take four to six weeks at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth. The 37-year-old ship just left the shipyard in January after a 15-month, $200 million overhaul. Navy spokesman declined to comment on published reports Wednesday that the Coral Sea may have turned before colliding with the Ecuadorean tanker Napo off Cuba on April 11. Capt. Robert Eugene Tucker the carrier's skipper, was taking a shower in his cabin when the officer of the deck ordered a left turn, putting the carrier on a collision course, The Washington Post cited unidentified Navy officers as saying.

Traditionally, the ship's captain is responsible for everything that happens aboard a ship, even if he is not on the bridge at the time, said Lt. Cam Martin, a Navy spokesman. The Navy is investigating the cause of the collision, which caused no injuries but damaged both ships. While Navy spokesmen had said that no fuel spilled in the collision, "we later confirmed that the tanker lost oil," Martin said. The spill apparently created a 5-mile-long oil slick about 20 miles from the site of the collision 45 miles southeast of Cuba, he said.

Along with the bow damage, the carrier has several holes punctured in its starboard side at the midsection. That damage occured after the ships struck at their bows and swung into each other, Martin said. Some radar and communications equipment was also lost. Chief James Giusti, a crewmen who was sorking in the rear of the ship, said the collision "really just felt like we hit a big wave." He added if the Sandinistas still refuse to moderate their behavior. Congress should consider resumption of military aid.

Nunn's proposal reflects a growing sense among past supporters of Contra aid that a new approach may be needed to avert Reagan's first major congressional defeat in his second term. The House votes on Contra aid next Tuesday or Wednesday. Other moderate Democrats who met with Reagan on Wednesday also noted that the president seemed willing to compromise. "He said there is room for negotiation," said Rep. J.

Roy Rowland, D-Ga. But Democratic House members said the president discussed no details of any possible compromise and indicated no intention to reduce the amount of the $14 million in Contra aid, which would start as non-lethal help but could be made military assistance if proposed peace talks fail. In the Senate, sources who spoke on condition of anonymity said Republican leaders were looking for a way to sidestep any showdown vote at all. But Majority Leader Robert Dole, said he believes the $14 million will be approved without change. "I think we can approve it as is," said Dole.

WASHINGTON (AP) Facing stiff opposition to resuming military aid to Nicaraguan rebels, President Reagan appears willing to look at alternatives to his plan for $14 million in new aid. House Democrats say. As congressional head-counters gave Reagan's plan little hope for House approval, even some longtime supporters of "Contra" aid began publicly calling Wednesday for an approach that would withhold military assistance from the rebels fighting Nicaragua's leftist Sandin-ista government. Sen. Sam Nunn of Georgia, a moderate Democrat who has backed Contra aid in the past, proposed a compromise he said would keep pressure on the Sandinistas while putting "military action on the back burner." "The perception is right or wrong that the military option through the Contras has been on the front burner and is the president's course of first resort," Nunn said in a speech to the Coalition for a Democratic Majority, a group of moderate Democrats.

Nunn proposed giving the Contras non-lethal supplies, such as food and medicine, demanding the Sandinistas accept a dialogue with their opponents, and enlisting U.S. allies in an economic embargo on Nicaragua to keep pressure on the Sandinistas. The carrier Coral Sea, Its bow partially crushed from a collision with a tanker, limped back to Its home port at Norfolk Wednesday to undergo repairs. (AP LaserphotoO Pope, Contadora oppose orms aid to Contras Connie Harrell Moves to New Car Store Connie would like all of his customers to know that he is now located at the new car showroom at 40 West Lawrence. He will now be able to handle your new car needs as well as your used car needs.

CALL CONNIE AT 442-5810 made in talks with Reagan last month in Washington. Costa Rica's president, Luis Alberto Monge, who voiced broad support for the Reagan plan during a White House visit this week, told the AP in a brief interview Monday that his support didn't extend to military action. "We can support nothing that means war, bellicose actions," he said. Meanwhile, the State Department denied any suggestion that Reagan and Secretary of State George P. Shultz had misled Betancur.

The administration gave a "full explanation" of its policy toward Nicaragua to Betancur and "we are satisfied he understood exactly what we had in mind," said department spokesman Joe Reap. SfflfeJl said subsequently that he didn't realize that the military aid was part of it. In his letter to Reagan Wednesday, Betancur said the proposals for a cease-fire and negotiations were "positive and constructive." But he added that "military aid to the groups opposed to the Nicaraguan government worries me." "We know that a stable peace is possible through civilized dialogue and not through the force of weapons," Betancur said. Betancur's office sent a copy of the letter to The Associated Press office in Bogota. Betancur also said, "The bases for customary inter-American rights are countries' self-determination, nonintervention and the peaceful solution of disputes." He said these are the guidelines for the Contadora countries in its attempt to bring about a negotiated settlement in El Salvador and Nicaragua.

The other three Contadora countries are Mexico, Venezuela and Panama. Betancur noted in his letter that he was repeating points he had terated the Catholic Church's opposition to aid to the Contras. "Military aid is counterproductive. It gives the excuse to the current government of Nicaragua to take all measures of a restrictive nature," he said. Betancur sent a letter to Reagan opposing renewed military aid for the anti-Sandinista rebels.

Colombia plays the lead role among the four so-called Contadora countries, which are trying to forge a peace plan for Central America. Betancur was at the White House on April 4 when Reagan unveiled his new plan, which calls for $14 million in humanitarian aid for the Contras, a cease-fire and negotiations between the Sandinistas and the U.S.-backed rebels. If there was no agreement after 60 days of negotiations, the $14 million could be spent for weapons. Most critics regard the plan as simply a new strategy for supplying military aid to the Contras. Although Betancur had said at the White House that he thought the plan was "very positive," he has CONNIE HARRELL All new cars arc Indoors at BUICK WASHINGTON (AP) President Reagan's Nicaragua plan has been dealt a potentially serious setback by revelations that two key leaders, Pope John Paul II and President Be-lisario Betancur of Colombia, both oppose military aid for anti-government guerrillas.

Reagan had asserted as recently as Wednesday he had the pope's support. The development came as the House Democratic leadership claimed sufficient votes to defeat Reagan's proposal for $14 million in new aid to the Contra guerrillas battling Nicaragua's leftist Sandinista government. A vote is scheduled next week. The new setbacks to his plans were unexpected, as Reagan had consistently maintained he had widespread support among leaders of the Western Hemisphere for his plan. On Wednesday, he told reporters that the pope "has been most supportive of all of our activities in Central America." Asked whether the pontiff specifically supported military aid to the rebels, a key feature of his plan, Reagan said, "I'm not going into detail, but all our activities." But the Vatican's embassy in Washington later put out a statement saying there was no change in the pope's frequently expressed position that would "exclude the possibility of his support or endorsement of any concrete plan dealing, in particular, with military aspects." On Capitol Hill, Archbishop James A.

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