—The Daily Collegian Thursday, March 8, 1979 Carter on mission to reach peace treaty Continued from page 1 He said he is confidant Sadat and Begin "share my determination to see these negotiations bear fruit." In . advance of his departure, there were signals from both Egypt and Israel they may at last be ready to reach a settlement. Passing the word from President Anwar Sadat, Egypt's Prime Minister Mustafa Khalil said in Cairo that U.S. proposals for breaking the treaty deadlock were "positive" and chances for peace look "rather good." But Khalil added that the' two key proposals Carter offered Israel's Prime Minister Menachem Begin last weekend already accepted by Israel's cabinet, but still not officially disclosed would need careful examination and Egypt might require "some amendments." Begin also has been speaking op timistically of a peace treaty signing. But Israel also may seek some modifications. Although U.S. officials were careful not to express undue optimism, it seemed possible Carter's mission could culminate in a summit conference, with himself, Begin and Sadat initialling a treaty draft. That would be a step short of signing a finished pact which would require the ironing out of technical language but it would be a diplomatic triumph. Carter's schedule includes no fixed date for return to the United States, a thing virtually unheard of in presidential itineraries and a tip-off he is leaving room for a summit if necessary. The president apparently hurdled the main obstacles in advance by proposing Mideast planning for the president's visit By United Press International President Carter held final discussions with top advisers in . Washington yesterday before flying to Cairo on the first leg of his make-or-break peace seeking mission to the Middle East. Before flying to Jerusalem to try to tie up the loose ends of the elusive peace agreement, which seemed certain last September after the Camp David ac cords but bogged down in deadlock in November, Carter said that he was "hopeful" but that he -recognized the great risk involved that failure would influence his position as a leader and potentially alter his political future. Both Egyf and Israel mounted massive security measures for ' the Carter visit, particularly Israel. Palestinian guerrillas planted bombs yesterday in three Arab buses parked in East Jerusalem. One of them wounded 12 persons when it exploded at the" - Allenby Bridge, across the Jordan River in the occupied West Bank. On the eve of Carter's visit, there was restrained optimism in Cairo and Jerusalem, criticism from Arab leaders in the occupied West Bank, growing concern in the Arab world and un certainty in Washington. "It's far from being an the bag," one U.S. official said. In Cairo, Prime Minister Mustafa Khalil said the Carter proposals were "positive" but might have to be modified. "I think the chances of peace exist at the present time," he said. "These chances are rather good." It was the first official Egyptian comment on the Carter trip. Ste* ga phonecall ita g• em to soften the language on a timetable for creating Palestinian self-rule in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. The compromise, accepted by Israel, reportedly would set a good-faith target date of one year for completing negotiations on that issue and clearing the way for elections. It appeared Sadat had given ground on his demand for a binding target date for elections. The second key compromise proposal concerned the precedence of the Israeli- Egyptian pact in relation to other treaty obligations. No details were known. The makeup of Carter's entourage suggests he will also be ready to discuss an increase in military aid for Israel and Egypt as an incentive for a peace agreement. Included were Defense Secretary Harold Brown, his Middle East policy "deputy, Robert Murray, and Pentagon arms sales expert Erich von Mar bad.Both nations have made clear they want billions in new aid. Carter and Sadat will hold their first round of talks shortly after Carter arrives today and will dine together at Sadat's Tarah Palace. Tomorrow, they will take a three-hour train ride to Alexandria, where millions are expected to turn out to cheer the pair enroute a replay of the tumultuous reception given President Richard Nixon in 1974. Tomorrow's itinerary includes more discussions, a visit to the Great Pyramids at Giza and a Carter address before Egypt's parliament. Carter then moves on to Israel Saturday for talks, visits to shrines and an address to the Knesset on Monday. In Tel Aviv, Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan said that if Sadat agreed to the U.S. proposals, then . only the issues of diplomatic relations and the Sinai oil fields would remain to be resolved. An Israeli Foreign Minstry spokesman quoted Dayan as saying there also were outstanding issues between the United States and Israel: a grant not a loan— of billions of dollars to pay for moving two Israeli Sinai air bases back to Israel, and U,S. guarantees that Egypt would honor the treaty. Arab leaders in the occupied West Bank criticized the Carter visit and said it might cause more trouble than good for American interests in the Middle East. They said the visit was against the national interest of the Palestinians. Iraq's news agency said Sada t's Arab opponents would meet soon, possibly this weekend, to consider economic and political sanctions against Egypt if Sada t signed a treaty with Israel. The opponents of the Egyptian-Israeli negotiations, grouped in what they call the "Steadfastness and Confrontation Front," include Syria, Libya, South Yemen, Algeria and the Palestine Liberation Organization. Reports that they would meet in Baghdad followed earlier threats by some oil-producing Arab nations to sell oil only to nations which back the PLO. "We have to study the proposals to see if they comply with our position of a comprehensive peace settlement and the establishment of self-government authority with full autonomy in Gaza and the West Bank, starting with Gaza first," Khalil said. Q. Bell of Pennsylvania Waiting: Unexpected large crowds forced the University to begin accepting dorm-contracts for next year at 7 p.m. yesterday instead of 8 a.m. today, as planned. At noon 'yesterday, approximately 5,200 students were assembled at Findlay, Pollock and Waring Halls in lines that began forming at 10:00 Tuesday night. M. Lee Uperaft, director of Residential Life, said 12,700 dorm spaces are available for next year. Of these, 7,000 are open to returning Taking advantage of the situation, Denise Bachman (6th-journalism), types a story for The Daily Collegian while waiting in line Tuesday night to hand in a dorm contract. Most students play by the rules when placing a long distance call. They take advantage of bar gain rates and make their calls during the discount periods. If you're not sure when you can call at discount rates, check your phone book. A few students think it's O.K. to break the rules by stealing their telephone calls. They're not beat ing the system, they're taking advantage of all of us, because it drives up the cost of providing telephone service. Students who break the rules also run the risk of paying a large fine. Spending time in jail. And getting themselves a permanent police record. It's just not worth it! Photo by Sherrie Weino , . Students, pictured here in West Halls' Waring lounge, slept in line in dorm areas across campus Tuesday night to hand in dorm contracts yesterday for next year's housing assignments. Long lines change housing plans students. Uperaft said last year approximately 1,000 returning students were denied dorm space. Of• the remaining spaces for next year, 4,000 are available to incoming freshmen and 1,500 to transfei students from Commonwealth campuses. As expected, this year's revised system for submitting dorm con tracts has met with some opposition from students. John Scarcelli (sth business administration), a resident of East Halls, called the system a The Daily Collegian wants YOU! ~~ ,~ ~; Try outs for Collegian Candidates School are 7:00 p.m. Sunday, March 11, 64 Willard. "flamboyant display of mismanagement." Scarcelli said that during their wait, students were becoming an noyed, impatient and "very upset." He added that many students believe Housing Services, in establishing this new system, is responsible for adding confusion and tension among students waiting in line. On the other hand, Mary Kiernan, assistant area coordinator of Waring Hall, said there were "not too many problems" in the lines formed there. Crowds camp out for dorm contracts By MIKE SILLUP Daily Collegian Staff Writer Several thousand students learned yesterday what the American Realist author Hamlin Garland meant when he said, "Nothing wears on the human soul like waiting." Yesterday was what one student termed "the annual spring hassle" submitting dorm contracts. University Housing and Food Services told students that doors to the dining halls would open at 6:00 a.m. Wednesday, but some students began their vigil outside for dorm space as early as 5 p.m. Tuesday. Contracts were to be accepted beginning 8 a.m. Thursday, but that time was later changed to 7 p.m. Wednesday. "There was a miscalculation of the student's eagerness to stand in line for a contract," University Provost Edward D. Eddy said. - In previous years, only students requesting a change of assignment had to get a place at the front of the line to be assured a room. This year,. a new system was implemented that put everyone those wanting their old rooms back, and those looking'for a new room into the same boat: first come, first served. The new system provoked many complaints from students requesting reassignment. "I bet most of the early people were Bring a blue book An estimated 650 students were broken down into groups of ap proximately 200 students. "The students are handling it well," Kiernan said, adding that they were "very orderly and un derstanding." Commenting on the problems of the new system and students' com plaints, University Provost Edward D. Eddy said, "When , you revise (a system) it's a series of trial and error." .. there because they want their room back," Mike Genovese (4th-human development) said. Another student who was in line at Waring Hall at 5:00 a.m. Wednesday said that before this year, no one would wait 26 hours to get dorm space. "Even the diehards who really wanted the room switch wouldn't wait longer than 14 hours," he said. William Mulberger, manager of room assignments, said there were 12,700 spaces available for on-campus undergraduate housing. "It's stupid that they opened the line a whole day in advance, because it just created a panic," Jeff Grimm (3rd-civil engineering) said. Genovese said the line at Waring was well organized. University Housing personnel split the huge line into.groups of 200 people and put them in separate rooms in West Halls, he said. . "Once we were in the rooms it wasn't that bad," Genovese said. "It was like being at the beach. People had their sleeping bags all over the floor and were listening to radios and playing cards." Della Hoke (6th-art) said her group got in line at midnight at Pollock and was finally assigned ticket number 304. Her contract was processed at 7:16p.m. The Daily .Collegian, Penn State's award winning student news paper, is looking for students who want to write and learn about the news business. The only requirements are enthusiasm and- dedi cation. 1 , ', i —by Don DelVecchio