Case of Mistaken Identity Is Blown Out of Proportion

--While Americans in Rome quickly discern that auto driving is not a sport for the careless, sometimes the Romans go too far. Police used explosive charges to blow open the doors of an armored limousine parked outside a Rome airport and discovered too late that it belonged to an American NATO general. Police said the armored Mercedes-Benz, valued at about $100,000, belonged to Gen. James Brown, commander of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization air forces for southern Europe. As police blasted open the car, Brown was boarding a flight for New York from Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci airport. The mistake resulted from extra security precautions imposed at the airport and elsewhere after recent Arab bomb attacks in Rome and fear of reprisals for the Israeli bombing raid on Palestine Liberation Organization headquarters in Tunis, police sources said. Brown and his driver left the car parked in front of the international departure section of the airport while they went to the airport VIP room prior to the general’s departure. Airport regulations require civilian passengers to use the car parks. Police became suspicious when a check showed that the car’s license plate was registered as belonging to a Fiat auto company van in Turin. Airport police called in anti-terrorist explosives experts, who blew out two of the car’s doors. But they found nothing incriminating inside the car. Police discovered their mistake when the general’s driver returned to the car. He explained that Brown had a special civilian license plate as part of NATO security precautions to prevent identification of top officers’ limousines.

--Comedian George Burns, saying he’ll do without “a couple cigars,” donated $1 million to the Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital, which is seeking $50 million to double its capacity. Burns’ donation will fund a four-bed, state-of-the-art intensive-care unit at the Woodland Hills facility, spokesman Bob Werden said. “So I’ll do without a couple cigars,” Burns, 89, said in a statement released by Werden. “What the heck, the kids out at the Country House and Hospital deserve a bigger and better playground. There are a lot of boys and girls out there waiting to get in. I’d like to speed the process up. Besides, I’m proud to be associated in this worthwhile endeavor with the young man in the White House and his charming lady.” President and Mrs. Reagan are honorary chairmen of the campaign. Burns, 89, noted that the average age of residents at the facility is 82. Four years ago, Burns deeded ownership in a $500,000 supermarket to the fund, Werden said. The host of the weekly CBS-TV series “George Burns Comedy Week” is also author of a new book, “Dear George,” due to be published this month.