French leftists hold election margin
PARIS (AP) — A socialist-Communist al
liance challenging 20 years of Guallist rule
was wirminq a slim popular majority Sunday
in the first round of French legislative elec
tions, computer projections showed.
The combined left was given just over 50
percent of the vote, short of pre-electoral
opinion poll predictions that ranged as high
as 56 percent. The ruling center-right coali
tion was projected to be winning 45-46
percent.
The rest was scattered among minority
groaps whose votes could prove decisive in
the second, run-off round of elections next
Sunday.
Analysts said the leftist bloc — the
Socialists, Communists and the small Left
ist Radical Party — would need solid sup
port from minority parties, such as e
cologists and extreme leftists, to turn a nar
row popular victory in the first round into a
parliamentary majority in the second.
The preliminary projections, based on
results from key voting districts, were made
for France’s government-owned television
stations.
As predicted, the turnout at the polls was
massive. The Interior Ministry said 36 per
cent of the 34.4 million registered voters
had cast their ballots by noon, sharply up
from the pace in the last national legislative
elections in 1973. At least 80 percent were
expected to vote by day’s end.
They were choosing from more than
4,250 first-round candidates for 491 seats
in the National Assembly, the lower house
of parliament. The less powerful Senate is
chosen in separate indirect elections.
Pre-election opinion polls gave the shakv
leftist alliance a better-than-ever chance of
taking power after 20 years of center-right
rule. Pres. Valery Giscard d’Estaing made a
last-ditch televised appeal to the nation
Saturday night to head off defeat.
“I am preoccupied by the destiny of
France,” he declared. ‘This destiny you
are going to hold in your hands.”
A leftist victory after the second round
would mean sweeping nationalizations and
higher taxes for the rich. It would bring
Communist ministers into government for
the first time since just after World War II,
jeopardizing U.S.-French relations.
Giscard d’Estaing would be forced to
name a left-supported premier even though
he firmly opposes the leftist program.
eWorld at a glance-^
From Associated Proas Reports
Rhodesia may meet Cubans
WASHINGTON — State Department African experts think
Cuban and Soviet troops, fresh from victory in Ethiopia, are
increasingly likely to become involved in combat in Rhodesia.
The officiate, speaking privately, are pessimistic that Ameri
can diplomacy can help bring a moderate and stable black gov
ernment out of the Rhodesian cauldron of competing black
nationalists, white colonialists and superpower rivalry.
Despite personal efforts by Secretary of State Cyrus Vance
last week, the administration could not arrange a conference of
the competing nationalist groups.
Chile to allow investigation
SANTIAGO, Chile — The Chilean military regime is allowing
an investigation to go forward that some say will implicate its
agents in the mysterious assassination of socialist exile Orlando
Letelier in Washington 18 months ago. The government claims
these suspicions are part of a Communist plot.
The United States has asked permission to question two
men, one reportedly an American, who it suspects of involvement
in the killing. U.S. investigators think Chilean agents may have
hired Cuban exiles to carry out the killing, according to American
press reports.
‘Monster’ avalanche buries 14
LES MOSSES, Switzerland — An avalanche rumbled down
mountain slopes near this village in western Switzerland Sunday,
burying at least 14 skiers under a deep blanket of snow, authon
ties announced.
First reports said between 15 and 60 skiers might have been
trapped. Police later said they knew of only 14 persons missing
but they acknowledged there could be more,
more.
“It was a huge, horrible monster,” a police spokesman said.
“We can safely say that we are looking for 14 victims, seven
Swiss and the rest French, but there may be more.”
He said two skiers were quickly rescued but “there are others
in there somewhere — we just don’t know how many or where.”
V
Coal negotiations recess;
court order in effect today
WASHINGTON (AP) —
Negotiators for the striking United
Mine Workers (UMW) and the
coal industry recessed their main
contract talks Sunday, eliminating
hopes for a tentative contract set
tlement before a back-to-work
court order takes full effect on
Monday.
Officials on both sides of the
97-day walkout stressed that the
recess did not indicate a break
down of the talks, and said bar
gainers would continue to meet in
small groups to discuss remaining
issues.
But with federal marshals com
pleting efforts to sen/e back-to
work orders in the coalfields, they
conceded that no agreement ap
peared imminent in the long dis
pute.
Israeli forces hunt
for Arab guerrillas
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Sec
urity forces combed suburbs north
of Tel Aviv for three of 11 Arab
guerrilas still at large Sunday after
the bloodiest terror raid in Israel’s
history. Prime Minister Men
achem Begin vowed the terrorists
“cannot enjoy impunity.”
In Beirut, the Palestinian guer
rilla command reported fighting
north of here Sunday, but this
could not be verified.
Saturday’s terror rampage left
37 Israelis dead and 76 wounded
— most of them sightseers on a
tour bus hijacked by the guerrillas
on a seaside highway linking Tel
Aviv and Haifa.
Six of the terrorists were re
ported killed in the gunfight that
broke out when troops blockaded
the careening bus. Two others
were captured Saturday.
Both moderate and hard-line
Arab governments hailed the at
tack. The United States and other
Western nations condemned it.
A 25-mile stretch of the coastal
Plain of Sharon was under curfew
Sunday as combat troops and
police bolstered by hastily
mobilized reservists, hunted the
three missing terrorists, who
Begin said ‘‘probably are still in the
area.”
The Palestinian General Com
mand said in the Lebanese capital
that guerrillas clashed twice
Sunday with Israeli forces north of
Tel Aviv “inflicting heavy losses
on enemy ranks.”
“There’s not going to be any
thing for you to hang around for
today," top industry bargainer
Nicholas Camicia told reporters
as he left the hotel where talks
were being held.
UMW Pres. Arnold Miller also
said it was not possible to predict
the outcome of the talks.
Camicia confirmed the industry
had offered a revised contract
proposal that was being used as
the basis for further negotiations.
“It’s our proposal they’re look
ing at,” he said.
“We re getting down to the
brass tacks," said Camicia.
He added, “We still have a lot of
work to do” before reaching a set
tlement, but said he was encour
aged by the talks.
An industry spokesman who
declined to be identified said, “at
some point you nave to start flush
ing ideas out, and that takes time. ”
Miller said, “I think we’re mak
ing progress,” but he refused to
speculate on whether a settle
ment could come within a few
days.
“We could go two, three days
and make significant progress
and then have a breakdown,” Mil
ler said. "...You don’t really know
till you get down toward the end.”
The two sides both had re
ported making some progress
after meeting Saturday, and a top
administration official expressed
optimism on Sunday about the
talks.
Student
Employees
The State Board of Higher Education
meets at Portland State University
Friday, March 24. Members will
discuss your minimum wage issue
and need to hear YOUR VIEWS.
for more information, call:
State Board Office 686-4154
or
ASUO 686-3724
s*
EMU Spring Vacation Hours
Skylight closed March 17
Reopens Wed. March 29th
Cafeteria open 9-4 p.m.
Deli 11:30-1:00 p.m.
March 20-21-22-23-24 and 27th
March 27 Soda Bar open 5 p.m.-12:30 a.m.
Regular hours March 28th
Next EMU Beer Carden Friday March 31st
<t jW "ZMitUuf!
mm'i
4*