European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 17, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Not be used to make encyclopedia pay ments. But he added that service personnel Are not to be questioned on what they do with their Money after it is deposited. Attesting to the popularity of  by allotment Stamford presi Dent Knar eurond said his Bank has More than 11,500 accounts for military personnel 16,066 held by army Mem Bers. Stamford is a town of 1,300 just North othe Casull mountains. In opening an allotment account Eklund said service personnel should be particularly careful to indicate the total amount payable so their monthly payments will Stop upon payment of All the individual indebtedness. Our responsibility is to the Serviceman and woman nobody else said Eklund. We follow their  army spokesman in Washington Esti mated that a suspected 1,597 army account holders in the Stamford Bank pay for encyclopedias this  same army spokesman said the encyclopedia allotment total was Zero atthe Cape cod Bank that assessment based on the Bank s alleged refusal to give figures without a court order. Later Bank employee Deirdre o Malley said there were so , listed on a composite Sheet and covered by a composite Check from the army finance Center air Force figure show a sharply. Contrasting situation to the army s. During april 1977, Active duty air Force personnel directed one allotment to the Cape cod Bank and none to Stamford. Year before there were 21 air Force allot ments going to Cape cod and four to Stam Ford. The army finance Center at it. Benja min Harrison ind., refused to give figures on the numbers of allotments sent each month to Stamford and Hyannis. Much of the business at Stamford is Don through what Are called closed accounts that is when a Purchase is paid off theban halts further Transfer of Money into the collector s  there is one open account at Stamford. Under the open account arrangement the Money flow from finance Center to the open savings account to the second account goes on until halted by the account Holder. The Money reportedly winds up inthe account of a firm called International service associates. The operation is apparently tied to a string of some 40 clothing stores near military bases in Europe. A Stamford Bank director was worried about open accounts which he said were against the Bank s policy. And Legal assistance officer r. Ken Gardner at Mannheim s Turkey bar Racks offered a specific exam Teol problem generated by open account he told of one Soldier who bought clothe from an off Post store and paid for them via the allotment system. The Soldier forgot to shut off the allot ment when the clothes were paid for Gardner said and was having a Tough time Stamford National s Eklund 17,500 my ii tary accounts. Pm or a 6r 4btheb Travis collecting the $250  distributing co., one of the Book firms operating off Post in Europe i headed Here by vice president Virgillo me Dodi who said he does allotment business through the Cape cod  former Salesman for the off limits sales operation trans Atlantic marketing now using the name books in said Tam channelled its allotment business through the Stamford and Cape cod Banks. However Eklund said Tam was no longer handled through the Stamford Bank since Tam was placed off limits by the armed forces disciplinary control Board. Eklund said the Stamford Bank has Bee handling allotment accounts for about 15 years and regards it As a valuable service to military personnel. It May be. But it is also a service to Sale outfits who want to guarantee they la get their Money from military buyers for books China Diamond rings clothing and other costly merchandise. Tie Price of knowledge by Bill Walker projects editor . Forces buyers who watch commissary or Exchange Price increases closely often sit by dumbly while encyclopedia sales per sons offer books for outlandishly inflated  the seven sets currently being sold to members of the american military Community in Europe four Are being sold at higher Price than in the United states according to the most current encyclopedia buying guides. Three sets Are being sold below stateside prices. The three encyclopaedia Britannica and Groller products americana and International Are available through cafes outlets. One of the remaining four. New age encyclopedia does not have stateside Price  Price of $295 was Given for the books in Europe by a company spokesman who markets the new age set. However no evidence was available that anyone had received the 20-volume set of new age for this Price in Europe. In fact it was apparent during re search that sales agent in Europe for new age were getting whatever amount they thought the military customer could  is a Chart listing the european and . Prices for the encyclopedias being marketed to the . Forces in Europe encyclopedia vols european Cash Price lowest stateside retail Price americana 30 $375american educator 20 $304 Britannica 30 $5s�International 20 $120 a wage 20 $29s"new Standard 14 $246 world Book 22 $4� $2m a $350 $2 $273 prices quoted in Europe for encyclopedia set Only. Company officials pointed out they usually sell books As a package Deal with Overall Price substantially higher than this  prices available from Best known encyclopedia buying cafes spokesman said this Price includes a 25 per cent Dis count Over lowest stateside Price. A company representative said this Price was Only for  indicates there is no fixed Price for new age. As one company official said the Price is whatever the traffic  an cafes spokesman said this Price includes a 12 i per Cen discount Over lowest stateside Price. Friday june 17, 1977 the stars and stripes