Council Urges Halt to Help For Salvador

Following the lead of city voters who last month voted to oppose sending troops to El Salvador, the Cambridge City Council last night urged Speaker of the House and Cambridge Rep. Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill Jr. to support an amendment ending military aid to the small Latin American nation.

Sponsored by councilor David Sullivan, the motion cites the referendum vote from last month's municipal election. Cambridge residents voted 17,480 to 5973 to "call upon our representatives in Congress to oppose sending U.S. troops military advisors, arms or military aid of any kind whatsoever" to El Salvador.

Sullivan said last night that even though O'Neill, as Speaker, won't vote on the bill, his efforts could be crucial in the outcome of the vote.

His motion cited the efforts of local churches and the national Catholic church, and predicted that the aid vote could come as early as this Wednesday.

The council also voted to commend police officers who provided security for the visit of Vice President George Bush last month.