January 25, 1992

The scene is familiar. Immigrants are crowded onto cots in the back rooms of a church in Los Angeles. But these are not Latin Americans escaping poverty and civil war. They are penniless Russians, members of a new wave of underground immigrants to the United States. Sheltered under the gold domes of the Protection of the Holy Virgin, a Russian Orthodox church in Hollywood, are what might pass for a cross section of Russian society: a jeweler, an actress, a merchant seaman, a would-be fashion model, a Soviet Army deserter and a mother who fled with her three children from an outbreak of ethnic violence.

Seeking to force the sponsors of New York City's St. Patrick's Day Parade to admit a gay Irish group, the Dinkins administration yesterday charged the organizers with illegal discrimination and asked to have a city hearing officer oversee admission of marchers in a "non-discriminatory" way. The complaint filed by the city's Human Rights Commission orders the local, state and national chapters of the Ancient Order of Hibernians before a commission hearing officer to answer charges that they broke the city's civil rights laws when the Manhattan chapter refused to allow the Irish Lesbian and Gay Organization to march under its own banner last year.

Washington is a city that takes itself ever so seriously, never more than when it is being seriously silly. For the past two weeks, the capital of the free world has taken on the trappings of a raucous oversized high school, and the colors of patriotism are no longer red, white and blue, but burgundy and gold. The Washington Redskins (a Mann, a Monk and some hogs) face the Buffalo Bills in the Super Bowl on Sunday. And the suits are getting ready to take off their pinstripes, put on their pig snouts and party. Stripping and Singing Like absolutely everything else that happens in Washington, this is important. Why? Because winning is considered an art form here, and that means winners are artists, and, hey, where else would someone express his devotion to art by offering to sing "Hail to the Redskins" upside down with his head in a toilet while two women in cheerleader outfits strip down to their Redskins underwear?

Secretary of State James A. Baker 3d told Israel's Ambassador today that if Washington is going to support Israel's request for $10 billion in housing loan guarantees, it needs assurances that the money will not be spent to further a policy, Israeli settlement building, that runs counter to American principles, United States officials said. The meeting between Mr. Baker and Israel's Ambassador, Zalman Shoval, resumed what are expected to be drawn-out negotiations over the "terms and conditions" under which the Bush Administration would consider granting all or part of Israel's request for loan guarantees to help absorb Russian Jewish immigrants, the officials said.

Closing Out Salvadoran War A judge in El Salvador sentenced two army officers for the killing of six Jesuit priests, and guerrilla leaders made a surprise early return. Page 4. Japan Pledges Cooperation Japan's Prime Minister pledged to "make every effort to cooperate" with the United States to solve its economic problems. Page 2. Military Aid to Peru Planned The United States is planning $10 million in aid to Peru to fight drug traffickers and guerrillas. Page 4. Feds Take Over Crossland Regulators closed Crossland Savings, then reopened it with new managers and more money. Page 37. Change at National Gallery J. Carter Brown, who made the National Gallery of Art in Washington a major museum, is retiring. Page 13.