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Show Page 36 - THE HERALD, Provo. L'uh. Thursday. JJv :s im 0 omwns S econ d More issues by Herald readers, columnists and cartoonists :.ti Naval Officer Helped Secure Fraudulent Bailout - WASHINGTON Congressional investigators digging into General Dynamics' billion-dollbailout by Congress in 1978 are particularly interested m the role played by Navy Secretary Edward Hidalgo. The company s internal documents on a submarine contract have been examined by my associate Indy Badhwar. The documents indicate that Hidalgo was instrumental in persuading company executives to drop their claims for cost overruns and, instead, to ask for a congressional bailout on grounds that the company was in danger of financial collapse. The defense contractor took Hidalgo's advice, even though General Dynamics was in sound financial shape and, therefore, not entitled to a ar then-Assista- The result was that General Dynamics was given $1 billion by Congress roughly twice the amount it had originally claimed it was owed in cost overruns. Hidalgo became a consultant to General Dynamics after he left the Navy, congressional sourses say he earned about $75,000 in fees from the company. The company's claim for $544 million was disallowed by the Navy's Claims Settlement Board. Its findings so outraged Adm. Hyman Rickover that he asked for a Justice Department investigation. A grand jury was convened but the case was closed by high Justice Department officials. Despite this. Congress approved the $1 billion windfall for General Dynamics. Now P. Takis Veliotis, a former company vice president and board member, has told congressional investigators for Rep. John Dingell. that even the $344 million overrun claim was fraudulent, let alone the $1 billion bailout. He estimates that General Dynamics owes the government about $1 5 memo said the assistant Navy secretary "had withdrawn the (overrun claim) from the Manganaro Gaims Board, and that he had established a new review tearn within the secretary s of- billion. The memo added significantly: "Hidalgo said he would, without question, be grilled by various congressional committees on what our claim is really worth. ... Hidalgo asked that all of the discussions be kept off the record The internal documents make one wonder whose side Hidalgo as on General Dynamics' or the taxpayer's. He seemed determined to press for the bailout of General Dynamics, even though the company's sound financial condition disqualified it for such help under the law. According to a MacDonald clear that Hidalgo and General Dynamics executives considered the "'blue suits" uniformed to be the chief Navy officers stumbling blocks to the com- pany's claim. multi-million-doll- One memo mter-offic- e referred to two admirals, Donald Hall and Albert Kelin. who were perceived to be hostile to the company's interests, as "'the two admiral clowns." According to another memo by General Dynamics Vice President G.E. MacDonald, Hidalgo thought of another admiral, F.R. Manganaro, as an ad "One message that stated: fice." documents make Company uoiuen noted in another memo that Hidalgo told him at a private meeting that he had met with aides of several congressman who had General Dynamics contracts m their districts. According to Golden, Hidalgo versary to be evaded. The came througn loud and clear was: 'There could be no further request of Congress for claim money.' He stated many times that he was laboring on our behalf in the Navy, Department of Defense and the Office of Management and Budget. He suggested that we meet again ... Jack Anderson indicating that it probably be best to continue to meet alone for the time being." would memo, when company executives insisted on pressing their original claim. Hidalgo told them: "Absolutely not. It would blow our main case" that is, for the bailout. Company Vice President Max Footnote: A General Dynamics spokesman vehemently denied charges of wrongdoing by the company. He said the Justice Department had vindicated the firm. Study Discovers Women Are as Smart as Men Let's get a familiar objection out of the way first so that we can talk about women. First, some resent being categorized, insisting that women, even as men, have different attitudes, different abilities, proclivities and interests. Not because they are women but because they are individuals. Having acknowledged that nonetheless JOG YOUR MEMORY... HAVE YOU REGISTERED To VOTE YET? & it they are individuals is accepted generally as fact that women are not as good at mathematics and that women are less adept in deaing with technology. Don't you believe it. Women have been found out! Claremont Graduate School, California, has been two years studying men and women and their computer skills. Hundreds of men and women states were evaluated; their spatial, quantitative, sequential and logical attitudes. in 22 One of the subtests involves the ability to estimate the number of darkened and undarkened squares set in a pattern. On this one women performed better than men. subtest involved Another choosing a series of figures that form a graphic pattern. Men scored slightly higher. Other subtests required the participants to complete a logical sequence or analogy made of quences. Men and women scored similarly; no difference. If this sounds tedious, stay with me; I promise women have been found out! Now we get to the measurement of an individual's "interest" in computers and computer literacy. Women scored much lower. Women know less about com- handle mathematics as well as men. This survey measuring attitude as well as aptitude reveals they can if they want to. puters and care less about Women approach life's problems more qualitatively than quantitatively. They are thus disinclined to pursue mathematics and computer-related professions. But most just don't want to. In order for a person to have computer abilities he or she must have both the aptitude and an attitude of interest. them. Professors Mary Poplin, David Drew and Robert Gable note that all previous research has indicated most women can't letter and numeral se A l v.-- ! . i Paul Harvey j -- VJLM a UHIOII GARDEN TOOLS 21 REGISTRATION DAYS LEFT Navajos Will Appeal Case About Cancer By PIA FARRELL Herald Washington Bureau WASHINGTON Attorneys say they plan to appeal a U.S. District Court ruling that the federal government cannot be held responsible for cancer contracted by Navajos who worked in uranium mines in the 1950 s and 1960s. U.S. District Court Judge William F. Copple ruled the government is not liable for dam- zona, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. More than 80 Navajos suf- fered respiratory tract cancer from radiation exposure in the mines. Copple said under federal law the government was protected from compensation claims, noting it already had ruled that industry officials in the four states would be held responsible for any safety-relate- d mishap in the mines. The ruling comes one year after the trial of 11 cases selected from a $30 million suit filed on behalf of the Navajo uranium miners and their survivors. Government attorneys at the trial argued individual states were responsible for enforcing safety measures in the mines during that period. But they did not dispute the level of radiation exposure in the mines. Copple's action follows a federal judge's ruling in Salt Lake City, Utah last May, holding the federal government liable for damage claims from victims of atomic-falloin Arizona, Nevada and Utah. Copple argued the Navajo case is different from the Utah claim, because government officials "strictly followed policy decisions of the Atomic Energy Commission not to enforce mine safety." By contrast, Copple said, government officials in the Utah case "failed to carry out their UTILITY KNIFE 2 position knife Tool Court. 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