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frlday, September 19, 1980
iincoln, nebraska vol. 105 no. 20
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Photo by Mark Billingsley
State Sen. Shirley Marsh is flanked by Pro-life supporters outside the First Christian Church where Mrs.
Marsh was honored for her past Pro-choice support.
Pro-lifers challenge Marsh
State Sen. Shirley Marsh of Lincoln, the recipient of a
national abortion rights award, was confronted after
the awards ceremony Thursday by a group of 35 to 40
pro-life protesters.
The award, one of 12 presented by the National Reli
gious Coalition for Abortion Right, recognized Marsh's
support for religious freedom concerning the abortion
issue.
Because Marsh could not be in Washington, D.C. to
receive the award, the Nebraska coalition chapter hon
ored her in a local ceremony at the First Christian
Church.
After the ceremony, Marsh was confronted outside
the church by the pro-life demonstrators, who
attempted to explain their position on the issue.
Marsh exchanged comments with Sandy Reimer,
secretary of the Lincoln Right To Life Chapter,
before leaving a few minutes later.
Doug Novak, president of the UNL Students for
Life group, said the pro-life protest was designed
to draw media coverage of the ceremony to publi
cize Marsh's stand.
During the ceremony, Coalition State Coordinator
Kappie Weber said Marsh "has been outstanding"
during her eight years on the appropriations commit
tee in promoting religious liberty concerning abor
tions. Weber called Marsh "courageous" and said Marsh
has remained very supportive of the coalition's cause,
despite strong opposition from various anti-abortion
groups.
The Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights is an
interdenominational group of 27 religious organiza
tions which support the pro-choice abortion stance.
Hie Nebraska chapter was recognized in January
1979.
In a statement later in the day, Marsh told the
Daily Nebraskan, '1 was aware that persons share
different points of view and am grateful that in this
country we can present different points of view."
"I am emphasizing that we need to protect our right
of freedom from religious beliefs. Each of us have dif
ferent religious beliefs and this right needs to be pro
tected." Marsh said she was not surprised by the presence of
the picketers, adding that she is "grateful that we have
freedom to protest in this country."
Students may lose
federal financing
By Patti Gallagher
About 7,000 to 8,000 UNL students could lose federal
grants or loans they are receiving because Congress failed
to approve a major financial aids bill, said Don Aripoli,
director of scholarships and financial aids at UNL.
The Reauthorization of the Higher Education Bill is
presently dead in the U.S. Senate, Aripoli said. Both
Nebraska Sens. J. James Exon and Edward Zorinsky
voted against the bill, HR5192.
Aripoli said that more than 18 months' efforts have
the total federal price of the bill.
"There are about six different sets of figures floating
around. Pick your position," he said. "Different sides
determine different numbers."
The bill will establish policies for all forms of federal
financial aid for the next five years. Legislation set by the
bill will determine eligibility for financial aid as well as
the amounts and conditions for loans and grants.
The programs being considered in the bill include the
Basic Educational Opportunity Grant, the Supplemental
Educational Opportunity Grant, the Federally Insured
Student Loans, the College Work Study program, the
National Division of Student Loans, and the Guaranteed
Student Loans.
Aripoli said that more than 18 month's efforts have
gone into the making of the education bill. He said the
general consensus of the financial aids community is that
die bill protects various interests, and illustrates an "en
hancement to financial aids, rather than a drastic change
in programs."
Aripoli said the bill was killed in Congress because it
was not acceptable to both the House of Representatives
and the Senate.
The House passed the bill 373-16 but the Senate
defeated it 4543.
According to Aripoli, opposition to the bill was based
almost exclusively on the cost of student loans. But,
figures from a fact sheet circulated by the United States
Student Association states that $23 billion would be
saved over the five-year period, if the bill were passed.
Aripoli said the Department of Health, Education and
Welfare began gathering testimony and information in
1979 from school administrators to form legislation.
From then until the spring, of 1980, both the House and
the Senate accepted testimony from the general public.
Legislation was then drafted separately in both houses
in October 1979, and the Senate appointed a conference
commission to compare the bills and resolve differences
between them.
The commission found 138 differences between the
separate bills, and resolved them to form HR5192. The
bill was completed in August of 1980 and the Senate
killed it Sept. 4.
Aripoli said two options are now open to the Congress.
One would allow Congress to amend HR5192 to make
it acceptable to both the House and Senate. The other
route would be to appoint another conference commis
sion to restructure the bill.
Aripoli said that if Congress chooses the second route
and the same members were reappointed to the commis
sion, it might be possible to pass the bill before Con
gress recesses Oct. 4. If new commission members are
appointed, the bill may be postponed until after January,
he said.
Continued on Page 8
Meat shortage cited as a major embargo effect
By Mary Kempkes
The U.S. grain embargo imposed on the
Soviet Union did not have the effect offic
ials hoped for but more of an impact
than Midwestern farmers believe, according
to a Soviet agricultural expert.
The embargo caused a meat shortage and
dissent among the Soviet people, said Dr.
Karl-E. Wadekin, who studied Eastern
European and Soviet agriculture for several
years. Wadekin, recognized as one of the
world's experts on Soviet agriculture, is
from the Center for Continental Agricul
ture and Economics Research, University
of Giessen, W. Germany.
Wadekin said U.S. officials expected too
much from the embargo. It did not cause
bread shortages or starvation.
"The central issue is meat consumption.
It is essentially all about feed grain for
livestock," he said.
Because most of the grain sold to Rus
sia by the United States is used for live
stock feeding, the embargo caused long
lines at market meat counters, Wadekin
said.
In fact, immediately after Jimmy
Carter's announcement January 4, millions
of hogs, sheep and cattle from Soviet
herds were slaughtered since it was
questionable whether there would be
enough grain to feed them through the
year, he said.
The Soviets were not able to replace all
of the U.S. grain through other countries
as widely believed, he said. Only 10 to 13
million tons of the 17 million withheld
was replaced through the aid of other
countries, he said, leaving a 5 to 7 million
ton deficit, enough to upset their livestock
market, Wadekin said.
Neither were the Soviets able to rely on
stockpiles of grain from a 1978 bumper
harvest, he said, because most of mat
grain was depleted by a 1979 drought.
Also, because of poor animal husbandry
and farm management, Wadekin said, it
takes 8 million tons of grain to produce
meat in the Soviet Union. The ratio is 4 to
1 in the United States, he said.
The embargo caused unhappiness among
Soviet civilians, he said, because meat
supply was already in critical shape before
the cutback.
Wadekin criticized American officials for
bungling the affair and said the embargo
would have been more effective if a prev
ious agreement would have been reached
with Canada.
"It was done in too great of haste," he
said. The adrninistration did not check
in advance with other major grain export
ers like Canada and then just expected
them to join in afterwards."
The embargo was not a mistake nece
ssarily but it could have been handled
more skillfully."
. President Carter could have reduced
complaints from the Midwest, he said, if
the government would have bought up sur
plus grains earlier as promised. As it was,
the United States did not buy farmers
grain until May, after many had paniced
and sold their grain at low prices.
Wadekin commented on the use of food
as a weapon and implied that generally it
was ineffective.
"You can make half the population of
Iran starve and the government will still
exist. But take cars away from Americans
and the government will not survive."
tesfe May
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stadium Page 9
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Osborne says the Iowa Hawkeyes will
pose a "sterner" test for the Huskers
Page 10
New Channel for Romance: Video dating
service opens its doors to Lincoln
singles .. Page 12