The Newark Advocate from Newark, Ohio • 4

Contras lessen instability elsewhere Page 4 The Advocate, Newark, 0., Wed. April 24, 1985 Ours Yours Theirs cAdvocate Editorial Better Business Bureau offers service to county GEE-HOW DID HAPPEN? Local residents and businesses got a new friend recently when it was announced that the Central Ohio Better Business Bureau was going to provide a toll-free telephone number for Licking County. The telephone line will enable area residents to call the BBB in Columbus to register complaints about businesses or business operations which they are unsure of or at least have some doubts about. Area businesses should welcome such a development, however, since the bureau has a good reputation of weeding out the few bad apples that may be within their midst Licking County has long been in the need for such a service and the Better Business Bureau has responded. The Central Ohio BBB covers 21 counties and the bureau chose Newark and Licking County for its first outreach operation.

The local Chamber of Commerce has often been the only refuge residents have had to question the tactics of certain businesses or inquire about door-to-door solicitations. The Chamber is not equipped to handle such inquiries, howev By V.H. KRULAK President Reagan's idea of demonstrating our support of freedom in Nicaragua through a $14 million symbolic grant to the contras is awash in partisan politics. Even though the proposed grant is small, even though the money would be used only for non-military purposes as long as there were progress in peace negotiations, the issue has become so political as to obscure the facts. House of Repre KRULAK sentatives opponents of the president's proposal characterize the contras as ragtag terrorists and thugs former members of hated Anastasio Somoza's Guardia Nacional.

They are described as aiming only to regain their former rank, prey on the peasantry and impede the Sandinista revolutions. Critics of the president's plan declare further that any support for the contra group is interference in the affairs of a sovereign nation and a contribution to misery in Nicaragua and instability elsewhere in Central America. They are wrong on all counts. The contras are the product of a land in torment Some of them are patriots who fought to overthrow dictator Somoza, only to see their revolution kidnapped by the Marxists-Leninist Sandinistas. Others are farmers, merchants or students who resent the oppression of their Sandinista masters.

And their numbers have grown. Beginning with no more than 500 men in 1980 they have expanded into a force. Supported largely by $80 million in military aid and economic grants they received from the United States between 1981 and 1984 they have brought growing pressure on the Marxist regime. The problem is so acute that the ruling junta last year instituted a military draft, bringing 25,000 young men into Sandinista uniform for two years, and in so doing, made enemies out of 25,000 mothers. Apart from the continuing pressure the contras apply to the Sandinista regime to its stability, tranquillity and economy their activities have had a beneficial influence elsewhere in the region.

Things are better in El Salvador. The army is taking a heavy toll on the insurgents who have depended heavily on arms from Nicaragua. In the past year, however, because of contra activity, the supply of weapons from Nicaragua has been disappointingly small, and the insurgents are beginning to hurt Growing peace in El Salvador has produced a respectable election, a middle-of-the-road regime and an economy that shows promise of recovery. And the contras in Nicaragua are one factor in that favorable development There are similar encouraging signs visible in Nicaragua's other neighbors. Both Costa Nicknames By SYDNEY J.

HARRIS I ran into an old schoolmate the other day, whom I recalled only by his nickname. In fact, I'm not sure that I ever knew, or heard, his real given name. He was "Corky" to everybody, except on his birth certificate. It's odd how a nickname will stick to a person throughout life so much so that if he achieves any degree of celebrity, his given name is totally forgotten or unknown to his fans and admirers. The near-pennant win of the Chicago Cubs this fall reminded me of the old team I used to follow when I was a boy, and some of the players whose baseball cards I collected, like "Hack" Wilson and "Gabby" Hartnett and "Sparky" Adams and "Kiki" Cuyler and 1985 Copley News Service Will new office conform to procurement reform? Accepting these assurances, we gave it $118 million in aid, only to see freedom curtailed everywhere in business, the press, labor and the church.

The Sandinista attitude concerning the United States was best expressed in one line of its national anthem: "Let us fight against the Yankee, the enemy of humankind." If we want to do our share to advance the cause of peace and freedom in a critical area of our hemisphere, the contras offer us a chance. They are willing to take the risks and do the fighting. What they want from the rest of the free world is encouragement and aid, both humanitarian and military. It is an opportunity to help that will not soon be repeated. Filed by Copley News Agency Rica and Honduras have aligned themselves squarely on the side of freedom.

Costa Rica's president Luis Alberto Monge courageously expelled a third of the Nicaraguan diplomats in his country, on grounds of subversive activity, and he traveled to Washington recently to plead for support of the contras as "a force for freedom." Commerce a good index of stability is growing slowly in the area. U.S. investment in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras grew last year from $3.3 billion to $3.9 billion. Some opponents of the proposed program to support the contras claim that the Sandinista regime is not all that bad, that Reagan draws too strong a case against a struggling young government. The truth is, Reagan's position that a vote against his $14 million proposal "is literally a vote against peace" is abundantly documented by reality the Nicaraguan army is the largest in Central America, larger than that of Mexico, a country with 25 times Nicaragua's population.

It's military equipment 250 tanks, 320 artillery pieces, 700 surface-to-air missiles is of good quality and far greater in quantity than needed for any realistic purpose other than to attack its neighbors. Where the United States is specifically concerned there is no reason to have any optimism or illusion concerning the aspirations of the Sandinista dictatorship. During the initial 18 months of its existence we were told that it would stand for human rights, a free society, open elections and a non-aligned position in the East-West competition. 'Texas" Guinan, and as far back as "Butch" Cassidy and "Wild Bill" Hickok. (Hickok's nickname has an unusually interesting lineage: originally he was dubbed "Duckbill" because of bis prominent hooked nose; but after he displayed his fierceness, people were afraid to call him this to his face, and adopted the more flattering nickname; actually, his given name was not Bill, but James.) We may recall that "Red" Grange was Harold, that "Pancho" Gonzales was Richard, that "Strangler" Lewis was Edward, or that "Baby Face" Nelson was George but what about "Satchel" Paige and "Bunny" Berrigan and "Bronco" Naeurski and "Curlv" Lam- at least show you're "Dizzy" Dean.

Most of us never knew and still don't their real names, and probably couldn't recognize Charles Hartnett or Lewis Wilson. The only baseball name we knew for sure was the Big Man: George Herman Ruth, the "Babe' Likewise, in the field of jazz and popular music, we listened to "Duke" Ellington and "Red" Nichols and "Fats" Waller and "Muggsy" Spanier and "Count" Basie and "Dizzy" Gillespie without the slightest notion of what their parents may ha ve called them. An earlier generation was just as ignorant of, or indifferent to, the baptismal certificates of "Buster" Keaton and "Fatty" Arbuckle and pinion er, so it is good that the experience of the Better Business Bureau will be put to work for Licking County residents. The toll-free number is 1-800-233-6100 and will be in effect beginning May 1. The BBB staff will help answer questions about the legitimacy of business offerings or plans or whether other people have made complaints about the business.

BBB officials say they followup all complaints. "Keeping an eye on consumer-business relations and doing something constructive about unsatisfactory or unethical dealings is our job," according to a BBB news release. "Consumers can save themselves problems and often money by calling us first." The BBB will be as active as you, the Licking County consumer, make it. Utilize the service when you feel you and your inquiry may end up benefiting your neighbors; protecting them from a questionable enterprise. And, ultimately, it benefits local business by making it harder for unscrupulous businesses to tarnish the image of all businesses in Licking County.

The law was intended to force defense contractors to supply accurate cost and pricing information to the Pentagon's contract negotiators. But the appeals board has managed to subvert the law. Recently, the board ruled a contractor is not liable for failure to disclose price information if the government did not realize initially that the information bad been withheld. In another case, the board ruled that a contractor does not have to give pricing data to the government's contract representative if another official anywhere in the government had received the data. Such ineptitude is reason enough for Sen.

William V. Roth to have introduced a bill that would close the loopholes created by the board. But the Deleware Republican discovered additional shocking evidence that the Truth-in-Negotiating Act is not working. Roth's Permanent Investigations subcommittee found that military contractors have not been penalized for blatant overcharges. One contractor admitted overcharging the Pentagon by $2 million.

Yet it took nearly three years to reach a settlement and the contractor paid no fines or interest charges. Roth's subcommittee also discovered $11 million in defective pricing of Navy shipbuilding contracts. Some of this overpricing was identified four years ago. To date, nothing has been done about it. Roth's bill would institute a simple yet effective solution.

It would require contractors to pay interest on overcharges. Another Roth bill would create a much needed civilian procurement office in the Pentagon and give it responsibility for all major weapon purchases. The measure would end the inefficient and duplicative system now in effect that allows each service the Army, Air Force and Navy to do its own purchasing. How the administration operates the weapon testing office and how it responds to Roth's initiatives will say a lot about the government's commitment to procurement reform. Clearly, taxpayers will feel a lot better about the high cost of the nation's military buildup if they are confident their money is being spent prudently.

Filed by Copley News Agency Today" iii cHistorjr By The Associated Press Today is Wednesday, April 24, the 114th day of 1985. There are 251 days left in the year. This is Secretaries Day. Today's highlight in history: On April 24, 1800, Congress approved a bill establishing the Library of Congress in Washington D.C, appropriating $5,000 "for the purchase of such books as may be necessry. On this date: In 1704, the first American newspaper printed on a regular basis, the Boston News Letter, was published for the first time.

In 1792, the French national anthem "La Marseillaise" was composed by Claude-Joseph Rougetde Lisle. In 1877, federal troops were ordered out of New Orleans, ending the North's post-Civil War rule in the South. In 1898, Spain declared war on the United States after rejecting America's ultimatum to withdraw from Cuba. In 1915, Turkey began the brutal mass deportation of Armenians during World War I. Hundreds of thousands of Armenians are believed to ha ve died en route.

In 1916, Irish nationalists in Dublin launched the Easter Rising, which was put down by British forces several days later. Ten years ago: The U.S. House of Representatives joined the Senate in approving legislation giving President Gerald R. Ford authority to use troops to protect the evacuation of Americans and South Vietnamese from Saigon. Five years ago: Congressman John B.

Anderson, was withdrawing from the race for the Republican presidential nomination, and would run as an independent. One year ago: A powerful earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale shook a wide area of Northern California. Today's birthdays: Critic Stanley Kauf-fmann is 69. Actress Shirley MacLaine is 51. Actress Jill Ireland is 49.

Actress-singer Barbra Streisand is 43. Thought for today: "If you think education is expensive try ignorance." Derek Bok, president of Harvard University. SOPPU-f AND DEMAND an insider beau and "Buddy" Tiaer and "Bat" Masterson and "Muddy" Waters, the veteran blues singer who died last year? Most young people love to be given nicknames, even when they are pejorative, because it indicates that you are one of the gang, even if held in a kind of affectionate contempt; anything is better than being an outsider when you are striving for identity and affiliation. "Zero" Mostel officially adopted the cognomen in his stage career, although it was hung on him to commemorate the low grades he got in the classroom. Samuel Joel Mostel is no name for a fat boy who wants to be funny.

(c) 1985 News America Syndicate Letter's from Readers Wants garage open By ARLENE VAN ALLEN 31 N. Fourth St. I for one would like to thank Nancy Wright and anyone else responsible for closing the parking garage to the public at night. I'm real happy to hear that a two-story parking garage is now going to be restricted to the use of seven or eight city and county cars. I also like not being able to park evenings downtown.

I'm presently living in a downtown apartment and don't happen to have my own garage or driveway. I also don't have the money required for my very own private parking at rates from $20 to $35 per month per space. I dislike not being able to park in the city garage at my convenience. If revenue is an issue for the garage, why not put parking fees effective not only during the day, but at night also? I and others would pay the required 25 cents for the privilege of a space at night (or some other reasonable fee). Enjoyed 'Space' By HAZEL MORGAN 895 Wayne Drive, Heath Delirious with laughter into tears of joy, I observed the fait accompli of the editorial page April 18, with Buchwald's column, re: BMW "bribes" (inadvertently?) next to the cartoon, re: Generals Dynamics and Electric.

I thoroughly enjoyed the TV movie, especially, the absolutely true insight into politics. Those people are not gods, but just human beings; probably no better or worse than Adam and Eve. Just as certainly corruptible and gullible. Having had the opportunity to have witnessed the facets of the prism of politics on local, county and federal levels, I have no illusions. I once remarked to a very young, apple-cheeked, first-time-out county candidate that it is literally impossible to remain ethical and honest in politics if one is to succeed and advance, as the machine will corrupt and one can only remain in office by compromise.

I am intensely frustrated in not knowing how much and which of this movie was fact or fiction in the characters portrayed, such as the senators. OUNAGIN'S PEOPLE By STEPHEN GREEN WASHINGTON The commitment of the Reagan administration to reform the military procurement system has been severely tested in the organization of a Pentagon office to test new weapons under combat-type conditions. Appointment of the Defense Department's first director of operational test and evaluation raises more questions than it answers about the administration's dedication to ending the procurement scandals. The Senate last week confirmed John E. Krings as the weapon testing director.

His performance will be closely monitored by members of the Military Reform Caucus in Congress. There are serious concerns about whether the former test pilot for McDonnell Douglas has sufficient experience and in-' dependence to blow the whistle on weapons that don't work. Members of Congress also are awaiting the administration's response to new legislative proposals aimed at ending the well-publicized abuses of military contractors who make exorbitant profits at taxpayers' expense. The reformers, however, are not optimistic. It took a year and a half before President I Reagan finally nominated Krings to head the new weapon testing office.

Krings was highly respected as a corporate lest pilot. But he is accustomed to carefully controlled testing conditions that have little relationship to the rigors of testing weapons under combat-type conditions. Under questioning by members of the Military Reform Caucus, Krings was unable to describe how he might test a new intercontinental ballistic missile. Moreover, he told the caucus that he would never dream of questioning the ground rules for a test no matter how conditions may be rigged to obtain favorable results for the manufacturer. It may be too soon to determine whether Krings' supervision of weapon testing will prove effective.

But if he fails to live up to his responsibilities, he will be following the Pentagon tradition of lax supervision of contractors. One such case in point is the performance of Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals. For some reason, the board has been permitted to gut the 1962 Truth-in-Negotiations Act Bible Digest Wednesday, April 24, 1985 "And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will. Of this man's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus." Acts 13:22,23 A rejection of God's promise leaves us without provision no matter what we say or how it looks on the surface. "If ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins." Write your legislators PRESIDENT Ronald Reagan, 1600 Pennsylvania Washington, D.C.

20500 U.S. SENATE John Glenn, Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20510. Howard M. Metzenbaum, Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C.

20510. UJS. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES John Kasich, 12th District, 1724 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515. Clarence Miller, 10th District 2208 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, D.C.

20515. The Advocate 25 W. Main Street Newark, Ohio 43055 USPS 383-760 JONG. STARN Publisher-General Manager Stephan J. Sosinski Stephen E.

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Second class postage at Newark, Ohio. COMPARABLE WORTH From scared stiff to fond memories A The date was 7-7-77, the applicant was a scared-stiff 30-year-old widow. The man holding the cards was Advocate Managing Editor Bruce Humphrey. I asked him for a job. He was gutsy.

He took a chance on me. The idea of getting the job scared me even more than applying for it had. Since that time, it's been my pleasure to work with a constantly changing staff of newspaper types, who are unlike any other species. It's addicting, knowing what's happening before it reaches the public ear, being the ones to actually put that information before the public and having an important influence on how the story is told, often on how it is received. Newspaper people mostly hang out with each other.

I suppose that's because it's tough for outsiders to put up with the odd hours, the all-encompassing dedication toward breaking a major story and the fun of rehashing the whole thing over a brew later. Newspaper people also get a very broad view of the community, so their dinner conversations often run from one current local topic to another, then off to a national controversy they saw on the wire. But it's The Advocate, and not really the people that I want you to know more about. I believe The Advocate is a pretty weather information. Nothing is too big for an Advocate reporter to tackle; nothing so small it is completely ignored.

The news is locally written by a news staff, not regurgitated from press releases. Whenever possible an Advocate reporter is there, at the meeting, the murder scene, the demonstration, the fair or festival, the game. When you're the only daily newspaper in town, or the only anything in town for that matter, it's not unusual to face criticism. But look around you. Check out the newspapers in communities of the same size as Newark.

I think you'll be proud of your Advocate. I know this: I am proud to have worked here, in this community and on this newspaper for the past eight years. And the final thing I want to say to my co-workers here, and to you out there who have been kind enough to read Counterpoint, is thank you. Thank you for your criticism, your encouragement, your interest and your time. Most of all, thank you for the rare opportunity to share my ideas with you from this page.

I've asked myself many times over the years who am I that you should care what I think about anything. I think the answer has come only now that I am leaving. It's simple. I'm one of you. 'Bye.

Gountefpoiit By DANA GRIFFITH City Hall Reporter sophisticated newspaper considering the size of the population it That's pretty amazing from a town which is often confused by long-distance telephone operators with another place in New Jersey. The Advocate carries news about every community in Licking County, from major news events like elections, tornados and championship ball games, to meetings of the rose society, birth announcements and THIS FITNES6 CRAZE IS SICKENING1.