European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 15, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                I continued rom Rase All do business in Europe Flynn told Eberl he was offering a commercial Type Deal. He said he was conducting an and Campaign and the american educator books he rep resented would Cost Eberl nothing. He further stated that the Only require ment for Eberl was that he keep the books up to Date. Also Eberl would have to pay the actual Cost to the company. American educator accountants Flynn said had Fig ured that it would Cost the firm exactly 149.95 per year or $499.50 Over 10 years tout the books in Eberl s Home. Thus the free books would Cost Eberl nearly $500. In Short that is the free Book lie. The free books Cost about $500. Although Selling for a Usa eur accredited company Flynn did not hold commercial solicitation permit. Mason has seven salespersons registered with usar eur but he told the stars and stripes he was withholding the applications of five other people pending Resolution of a com plaint against his firm. Flynn was not one of the five. The five salesmen Are Selling without the permit Mason acknowledged. It was not by Accident that Flynn made this particular sales Pilch. The american educator pitch is acquired through training of new recruits in sell jul use of the tree Book lie. The salespersons Are recruited by Mason through advertisements in London newspapers. He interviews Young britons interested in working in Germany. Once in Germany they go through a two week training course Given by Mason s District managers. During this training they Leam the free Book  filpus is a Young englishman who went to a John Mason interview ses Sion at the Russell hotel in London earlier this year. Filpus said he was hired by Mason and came to Germany in april for the training course. He said he stayed three Days at the training site near Butz Bach Germany before leaving the  there filpus had begun memorizing a sales pitch from a Booklet he called a script. He was Able to repeat the Basic parts of this script while a stars and Stripe reporter checked accuracy of his memory against a copy of the script obtained by the newspaper. What he used in his training at Butzbach and the stripes obtained script were almost identical. Both scripts had As their basis the free pitch idea. Ironically the script held by the Stripe reporter was that obtained from the sales representative of another company. Books inc. However the Trainer for books inc., is a former employee of John Mason s. At the end of their training some of the salespersons Are Good enough in their use of the big lie to convince Many military families they Are getting free books. It is often Only after the americans have signed the contract that it dawns on them that nothing in the $499.50 package was free. Mason in countering complaints about his firm said a lot of military families that complain about books Don t really have a complaint. He said he was aware of the free pitch and "1 have had people do this but i be gotten rid of  my agents Are a reflection of  he added. Whatever Mason s image is some of the salespersons for his company american Book distributors Are using a lie to sell books to the american forces in Europe. And hardly a Day dawns that some Mili tary family does t awaken to the reality of the big lie the $500 lie. Endorsement the parents Only to product advertised in be company Market ing books to the Ameri can forces until recently used an outdated in f do sement to promote sales. Columbia corporation whose Book package is built around the new age encyclopedia used a contract displaying the parents Magazine Seal in its upper left hand Comer. Catherine Hyde director of parents Magazine s consumer services Bureau in new York City said she had never heard of the Columbia corp. She added that child s world part of the package being sold had been entitled to use the Seal until 1973.a new Columbia corp. Contract received in late Spring no longer displayed the Seal. Hyde said it was against the Maga Zine s usage Rales to represent the Seal As endorsing a whole string of hems As toe Seal appeared to. Noting that the parents Magazine Seal on the contract at right above is differ ent from the current limited warranty Seal in use left above she explained that parents switched to the latter Seal at the request of the Federal Trade commission. Hyde said discontinuance of the Seal does t necessarily mean there s some thing wrong with the product. Rather the producer of the item May have decided against carrying the mini mum required advertising in the Maga Zine one prerequisite for earning use of the Seal. Page a2 the stars and stripes wednesday june is 1977