Santa Cruz Sentinel from Santa Cruz, California • Page 16

16-Santa Cruz Sentinel Sunday, April 16, 1978 Carter Says Canal Treaty Is 'Hanging By A Thread' 1 1 Trrftf Tf wM bdrzr 7rrv7witi 1 3r If treaty to be ratified, but only three would have to vote no for it to lose a situation nearly identical to that faced by the administration on the neutrality pact a month ago. That accord finally gained the 68 votes when opponents fell two short of their required 34 to kill it. Two weeks ago it was difficult to find anyone among senators, aides or treaty watchers who believed the second pact would not be ratified, and probably more handily than the first. But the confidence expressed then by treaty supporters has eroded sharply with the deadlock over treaty reservations demanded by Sen. Dennis DeCon-cini, D-Ariz.

The reservations would allow the United States to use any means, including military force, to keep the canal open in the face of any future internal Panamanian threat to its operation. DeConcini's demand has Infuriated the Panamanians and threatened to shatter the tenuous pro-treaty alliance fashioned by Senate leaders of both parties. As of Friday, DeConcini and a group of Democratic leaders had yet to agree on language that would reassure the Panamanians there was no broad intent of U.S. intervention, while still preserving the force of DeConcini's provisions. The struggle for the neutrality treaty saw frantic lobbying by top administration aides, with Carter personally telling senators at the White House that defeat of the treaties would be a costly blow to U.S.

prestige abroad and to his ability to conduct foreign policy. At the same time the Panama Canal debate has become virtually an all-Senate show. As the DeConcini crisis developed, Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd, asked administration officials to step into the background while he handled the problem as if it were a family argument. Practically speaking, the task of Byrd and his pro-treaty allies was to keep the votes of DeConcini and one or two sympathizers while not losing the votes of treaty supporters who object to his reservations. As one Senate aide noted, when the treaty supporters disagreeing with DeConcini's reservations got into the fray, "the chances of doing nothing were gone.

Now they've got to find a way to please everybody." And the AP survey shows that failure to make a deal acceptable to DeConcini could cost three pro-treaty votes. But it also shows that allowing the reservations to stand without qualification could also cost three votes. Either way, those three votes could kill the treaties by giving the opponents their magic number 34. WASHINGTON (AP) Exactly one month after the narrow victory of the first Panama Canal treaty, the Carter administration finds itself right back where it was teetering on the brink of a foreign policy calamity. With the crucial vote on the second treaty due Tuesday, President Carter himself already is on record as describing It as "hanging by a thread." That phrase was echoed last week by treaty supporters on Capitol Hill.

A month ago the administration barely survived the initial Senate test of its Panama Canal policy, when the chamber ratified the first of the two treaties 68-32, with but one vote to spare. That treaty provides for neutrality of the canal after the turn of the century. Under Senate rules, two-thirds of those voting meaning 67 if all 100 members are present must vote for approval of a treaty. The treaty still pending provides the mechanism under which the United States would relinquish control over the canal to the Panamanians by the year 2000. An informal survey of the Senate by The Associated Press shows 59 senators solidly in favor of the second treaty, with 31 solidly opposed and 10 uncommitted.

That means eight of the 10 uncommitted would have to vote yes for the m. tt sown, "mXM-w (AP Laserphoto) Some Stayed Behind Id tbe wake of departing Israeli troops an old man who lng the area as the Israelis stage their second major withdrawal stayed behind during the Iiraeli occupation walks along a road in from southern Lebanon. (See story, page Taiba, Lebanon. Nepaleie U.N. peacekeeping forces are secur- A Dream Trip For Two Ends In Australian Jail rible to have embarrassed or made anybody over here feel ashamed," said Mrs.

Mitchell, 59. Mrs: Mitchell said Miss Bessire and Miss Hays used to work for Douglas Aircraft in Long Beach, Calif. She said she believed both had been married briefly at one time and were divorced. She said Miss Hays, who served in the Navy in World War II, took disability retirement because of her back ailment. "They wanted to find a place to settle down and just happened on to LaPine," said Mrs.

Mitchell. 'They liked fishing and there's lots here. They're both very athletic women, except Vera can't do much anymore because of her back injury." She said the women collected and polished rocks and had a metal detector to search for objects. They had no children, but they had Suzette, a 14-year-old white poodle. States only once before in 1959 to buy some shoes and pottery in Mexico.

"I am so sorry for the humiliation 1 have brought on the United States," a sobbing Miss Hays told the court. "Not knowing what is going on. I am sorry, but I am too ill to testify." Her attorney said Miss Hays had been hospitalized recently after five falls during her imprisonment and was in need of special care for a chronic back ailment. The judge postponed sentencing for the pair pending outcome of a medical report on Miss Hays. Arrest warants were issued for the nephew, Vern Todd, and an Australian, Phillip Edward Shine, on charges of conspiring to import hashish.

In LaPine, Nancy Carter, who runs a hardware store where Miss Bessire had worked part-time, said the women had "talked about the trip for three months solid." Suzette was blind and nearly deaf but "they loved her so and couldn't stand to put her to sleep," said Mrs. Mitchell. She said she cared for the pet when Miss Bessire and Miss Hays went abroad and finally had to let the dog be put away. Mrs. Mitchell said the women thought Miss Hays' nephew was in the import-export business and that the trip to Europe was connected with promoting a baby bathtub he designed.

"They are real nice gals. I don't know how they could have gotten mixed up in anything like they had," said Mrs. Mitchell. "Vera was very fond of her nephew. I don't think ever in her wildest imagination she dreamed he would ever do anything dishonest.

"These women were opposed to wrongdoing of any sort. They wouldn't fish without a license and wouldn't catch more than their limit of fish." "They were so excited at their age to get a chance to see foreign countries," she said. Mrs. Carter, 37, has known Miss Bessire and Miss Hays since they moved to Oregon from Southern California five years ago. She said Miss Bessire was a dependable employee and "liked to tinker and fix things" around the store.

She said the women enjoyed local bingo nights sponsored by the Lions Club and "they never dragged their feet when it came to donations or helping with community projects." Thelma Mitchell, who lives across the street from the women, received frequent postcards and letters from them as they traveled from Germany to Bombay and then to Australia. Her last letter from them was sent March 31 from the correctional institution in Sydney. "They're beginning to get depressed. They said they felt so hor called it the largest drug seizure in Australian history. The women pleaded guilty to charges of smuggling the drug under the floorboards of the camper, which they drove from West Germany to India and shipped to Australia.

They face a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison and a $100,000 fine. At a hearing Friday in New South Wales District Court, the women said they were tricked into transporting the drug by Miss Hays' nephew who had promised them an all-expenses-paid trip overseas during a meeting last May. "Vern Todd mentioned grass in the May 1977 meeting," Miss Bessire said. "He said there might be a little grass. But his emphasis was on getting the vehicle here to Australia." Miss Bessire said they weren't aware of the size of the drug shipment until their arrest.

She said the two had traveled outside the United By LINDA KRAMER PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) They lived in a modest mobile home in Central Oregon with an aging poodle and a rock collection two retired women filling their days with gardening, fishing and civic functions. Neither Florice May Bessire, 61, or Vera Todd Hays, 60, had ever been to Europe and didn't expect to at their age. Then Miss Hays' nephew offered them a free trip if they'd drive a Mercedes-Benz camper through Europe for him. Miss Bessire and Miss Hays, known to friends as Toddie and Beezie, left the unincorporated town of LaPine, population 4,100, on August 26, 1977.

Last December they were arrested in Sydney, Australia and charged with smuggling two tons of hashish, valued at $15 million, into the country. The drugs were concealed in the floor and walls of the camper. Police Living Together Number Has Doubled Since '70 Squaw Valley Tram Crash Kills Three Jailed Firefighters Nix Contract Offer Alaskan Beauty Is Mrs. America LAS VEGAS, Nev. (AP) -Cindy Roberts, a mother of two from Anchorage, Alaska, was named Mrs.

America on Saturday in the nation's only beauty pageant for married woman. Mrs. Roberts, 31, a photographer and model, beat out contestants from the other 49 states and Puerto Rico in the nationally televised contest at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel. Mrs. New York, Dana Jo Meyer of Spring Valley, was first runnerup, followed by Mrs.

South Carolina, Pam Bailey of Columbia; Mrs. Texas, Sammllu McNeil of Houston; and Mrs. West Virginia, Dolores Miller of Fairmont. In its latest proposal, the city offered the strikers amnesty and said it would agree to union jurisdiction over the captains if they accepted demotions and pay cuts as soon as lower ranking positions became available. Yearly salary ranges from $12,274 to $17,105 for regular firefighters and from $14,850 to $24,410 for captains.

FROM PACE 1 that the three captains be excluded from the union because they are required to supervise other firemen when the chief and assistant chief are off duty. But the union has insisted on representing all 25 firemen, 22 of whom remain in jail. FROM PAGE 1 pared with 28 percent in 1960. The proportion of men of the same age increased from 53 to 64 percent in the same period. The median age at first marriage was 24 for men and 21.6 for women, an increase of a full year for both sexes since the mid-1960s.

The median is the middle point; half marry younger while half marry older. There were 17.7 million persons in 1977 who lived alone or with an unrelated person, an increase of 50 percent between 1970 and 1977. About 16 million of these persons lived alone. In March 1977, there were an estimated 8.1 million men and women who were divorced and not remarried compared to 48 million married couples. The report shows that although there were 5.4 million fewer persons under 18 in 1977 than in 1970, the number of children living with only their mother increasd by 3 million.

In 1970, 85 percent of all children under 18 lived with two parents, the report shows. By 1977, this proportion had declined to 79 percent. The figures show that five out of every six persons maintaining families with no spouse present were women. FROM PAGE 1 stranded between two towers on the slope, Bennett said. "We're down to about eight people in the red car and 20 in the green one," Bennett said late Saturday.

"There are terrible weather conditions, it's dark and communications are difficult out there under the best conditions," he said. Heavy snow was falling and high winds hampered rescue efforts, Bennett said. Search and rescue teams, ski patrols and fire department crews were sent on skis and snowmobiles to help evacuate passengers, according to Bill Boardman, director of the Squaw Valley Ski Corp. "We don't know what caused it," Boardman said. "It's never happened here before." Boardman said the car which fell did not touch the ground.

One cable apparently looped over and hit the car as it fell, causing some damage, Boardman said. A Squaw Valley Fire Department spokesman said it was "mass confusion and nobody know's what's going on." Rescue workers were trying to cut a road to the site, Boardman said. Persons evacuated from the cars were being taken to a doctor's office for examination, he said. Boardman said "It was pretty snowy with gusty winds up to 40 miles an hour" at the time of the accident. He did not believe the winds on the mountain were a factor in the accident.

"We have run the trams in a lot higher winds," he said. "The tram has been excellent in very high winds. The winds today were not excessive." The Winter Of 1978 Just Worth Give Up were posted in most highways remained Press. Travelers advisories areas, and although major open, chains were required FROM PACE 1 rain known in the weather game as sleet which remained on the ground only for a few minutes before melting. Despite today's expected clearing, spring remains shunted to the green room.

The National Weather Service said frost is a possibility tonight. The mercury will then rise, but not because of fair weather. Another wet mass of air is headed for California, bringing showers no later than nightfall Monday. Snow may fall down to 3,000 feet. The weather picture is much the same statewide.

Virtually the entire state was drenched Friday night and Saturday, and heavy snow dropped on the Sierras, causing hazardous driving conditions, according to the Associated 24 Last Hours Scuon Yr Santa Cruz 1.62 36.87 15.11 Graham Hill 1.55 52.65 20.25 Ben Lomond 2.00 76.25 24.66 Soquel 1.50 36.17 13.50 Rio Del Mar 1.08 32.44 13.39 Capitola 1.55 32.87 14.32 Bonny Doon 2.80 71.10 25.80 Swanton 1.52 38.22 15.02 Pine Flat 2.90 83.90 Aptos 1.20 31.00 12.26 Felton 2.00 62.76 21.65 Scotts Valley 1.60 55.30 17.94 Natural Bridges 1.15 28.39 11.01 Rhodesian Settlement Drive Hits New Snag 4 liaeclieoiii ffahioe shows week! Each Tuesday through Friday from 12:15, Castagnola's adds to your luncheon enjoyment with fashion shows. Three of the four fashion shows will feature Renee's Fashions (Renee's Fashions is just below Castagnola's), with Wednesday's show featuring Idamina's of Los Gatos. Castagnola's serves luncheon from 11:30 to 3:30 Tuesday through Friday. With a nice, varied continental menu for lunch, what could be more fashionable than dining Rapist Claims 33rd Victim DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AP) The U.S.-British drive for a Rhodesian settlement foundered Saturday over new demands by guerrilla leaders for a larger role in any transitional government to black majority rule. the setback, said the difference were significant and there was "substantial disagreement" at a final meeting between Joshua Nkomo and Robert Mugabe, co-leaders of the militant Patriotic Front, and Secretary of State Cyrus R.

Vance and British Foreign Secretary David Owen. Post Office Expecting Tax Rush sheriff's spokesman Bill Miller said Saturday. U.S. officials, acknowledging SACRAMENTO (AP) A 15-year-old babysitter was raped twice Friday night and authorities said she was the 33rd victim of the "east area rapist." The masked man who has terrorized the Sacramento area since June, 1976, was believed responsible because the rapist did things done in other attacks, but not publicized, Conferees Blasted WASHINGTON (AP) -Common Cause, a citizens lobbying organization, is criticizing House and Senate energy conferees for barring the public from their negotiating sessions on pending legislation. at Castagnola's? Tin Mnt Mi Htm If UiKKi far CokhvW: DIAL YOUR HOROSCOPE tm It Ti Tomtn Far ktonitiM I rite Ul foiMB ma C7 1M7 Duly Homo Cm FROM PACE 7 will not be able to give an April 17 postmark for late returns, said Carney.

Three mailboxes near the Front Street Post Office will be picked up in time to make the midnight deadline Monday, she said. No extra employees will be at the Post Office to handle the expected rush of almost-late tax returns. "But, we should have a pretty big rush," said Carney. (9 1 "A MATTER OF TASTE" Continental Dining in The Downtown Santa Cruz Park Plaza. Phone 426-4222..