March 13, 1995

A DEBATE ON THE SEVERELY RETARDED The country's deinstitutionalization movement has been widely hailed as liberating for the mildly and moderately retarded, but the question gets more complex for the most severely retarded still in state institutions like the Southbury Training School in Southbury, Conn. Justice Department examiners said last year that care at Southbury did not meet modern standards and called it a "very dangerous place."

U.S. Succeeds on Croatia Seizing the initiative from the Europeans, Washington successfully persuaded Croatia to abandon its demand that United Nations troops leave the country. Page A9. New Tone on China Trade A day after harshly criticizing each other, the United States and China agreed to work together to settle remaining trade disputes. Page D1. High-Tech Hate A white separatist in Detroit using modern communications technology has awakened a once-moribund neo-Nazi skinhead movement. Page A12. Hello, We're Murray State Sixty-four teams, including powerhouses like Kansas and underdogs like Manhattan and Murray State, are in the N.C.A.A. basketball tournament. SportsMonday, page C1.

Four New Jersey Republican lawmakers will hold a news conference today to announce the creation of a new group to raise public-policy issues crucial to the "baby boom" generation. Appropriately enough, Senator Joseph Kyrillos of Monmouth and Assemblymen Richard H. Bagger of Westfield, Lee A. Solomon of Camden and Christopher Bateman of Branchburg are all first-year legislators.

In an attempt to bolster his efforts to take control of the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, Gov. George E. Pataki today released a summary of a state audit that harshly criticizes the center's management by its board and its former chief executive, Fabian G. Palomino. The two-page letter, which was delivered to Mr. Pataki on Friday by the State Comptroller, H. Carl McCall, explains that the yet-to-be-completed audit will find "a disturbing pattern of management override of established policies and procedures."

People get sentimental about the darnedest things. Depending on the length of their criminal resumes, repeat offenders in Hudson County may soon be able to take comfort from a familiar sight. When the 75-year-old former county jail in Jersey City is demolished this spring, the arch, pillars and main door will be reassembled at the new jail here. Built to house 250 inmates, the old jail was housing more than 700 when a judge ordered it closed in 1989. It had its final lock-down on Dec. 20, 1990.