European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 27, 1981, Darmstadt, Hesse                                February the stars and stripes Page 19 consumer watch by Mary Neth those million Dollar three to four million dollars that a tidy right that amazing amount of Cash is what the Usa eur Legal assistance office estimates members of the Mil itary in Europe have lost in just a few investment schemes during the past two to three it might Well be a conservative according to attorney John Mem Bers of the military overseas Are particularly susceptible to the sales pitch of crooked Many military he arrive in Europe with Money from a House or other property they sold before leaving the they find themselves without the tax write off the property allowed and Are extremely interested in an investment that will offer both that lost tax Relief and an inflation heres where the smart operators step in Selling investments in everything from land to and warned its practically impossible for the military Legal offices to Check out these we often dont see the contracts until they Are already that int to say that we qualify As investment but we can Point out obvious contract pit to further complicate matters sometimes the investment schemes fall under sometimes said he also notes that what might seem a Good verifying source of a firms stability May really be of Little at the last meeting of the armed forces disciplinary control Board of dub it was pointed out that Dunn for gave what seemed a Good report about one Belcher management Consul whose director is now in pretrial confinement on charges of commodity asked about a Dunn Bradstreet representative pointed out that the information Given in that International report was mainly supplied by the firm itself and that Dunn Bradstreet Cit arly states in such reports that the information comes from sources it Doest control and has not verified unless so clients Are charged a fee for Complete Dunn Bradstreet i Vestiga members of the the organization which can recommend that firms and businesses guilty of unethical business practices be put of limits to members of the also noted at its meeting that it is unwise to Trust the advice of a company no matter How impressive the or the word of a the latter May have been taken in himself and because the former May be a retired officer or hold some impressive degree does not mean he is either reliable or an expert in the for in the Belcher an had invested was used to recon of limits Board holds hearing a car a China Salesman and a commodity All accused of failing to deliver As promised to american plus three Doort door furniture companies and a finance collection were invited to the last meet ing of the armed forces disciplinary control Board it was one of the longer sessions of the Tri service Board which meets quarterly to look into complaints of unethical business the firms or businesses brought before the Board Are Given an Opportunity to answer the charges against them and show that they can Correct the after the facts Are presented and witnesses the Board holds a closed session to deliberate As to what action should be it then makes a recommendation for either an of limits probationary or drop Ping of charges and submits it to the Heads of the three european commands for the decisions Are not made Public for a month or so after the among the cases heard at the 18 meeting were the following world wide motors world wide motors in was owned by a former army spec Steve with a Branch office in Bremerhaven run by his brother the which went into bankruptcy in june of last failed to deliver cars to a number of americans who had made payments of to or no representative of the company was elegance furniture a Mph elegance furniture a Mph in bad Ger has the same Telephone number and address As a company called Rex  vertries a Mph which was put of limits following a july 1980 Board the Case was to be reviewed at this meet both Rex and elegance Are owned by former members of to Edelhaus a firm that went was put off limits along with its owner Herbert Ryttel last Arnsburg had been brought before the Board three the complaints were always the same late failure to or delivery of damaged or inferior in a letter to John Krump of the Usa eur Legal assistance and advisor to the said he had received a total of 210 complaints about the since both Rex and elegance went into Krump has heard numerous reports that Pytell was involved on an unexpected visit to the Krump was met at the door by the former Arnsburg Graham who said elegance is registered in his denied that Pytell works for the he told the Board that Pytell was at the office As a distributor for a Belgium furniture the Board also questioned Wilkerson about the com pants advertising brochure which carries what appears to be a Usa eur solicitation permit number and of fers that payments can be made by Money order or Wilkerson said the solicitation number was not intended to appear like one issued by the firm has not been Given such a Wilkerson also said that the brochure referred to allotments made on an individual basis and not through the military finance the Board has requested that finance firms no longer use the military allotment system which was set up to be used for saving purposes and not for time payment of Baccarat Crystal a dispute Between a longtime Salesman of Baccarat Crystal and Raynaud China Nas left about 250 customers with orders of close to to in undelivered some of the orders go Back to the who has moved to France from was invited to appear and Tell about the latest he explaining that he is in litigation about the matter in French he assured the that there would be no problem with deliveries of the in he said a letter from the company should be received shortly by americans who had placed he that there probably would be More difficulty with the China Krump asked him to provide a full list of All the americans involved and their he said he Krump Hopes that the Usa eur Legal assistance office can Speed up matters by dealing directly with the companies on behalf of the americans the French Salesman said he is now Belcher management consultants no representative of the now defunct whose Armand is in pretrial confinement on investment fraud appeared at the Krump discussed the dangers of such investments and sales tactics often used see Story on this a witness told How he had been sold Belcher investments by a former warrant officer he said he feared that his Moth ers invested savings of Are he said he Felt the disgusting part was that fellow americans Are ripping off their own Krump said that the Cid is conducting an investigation of Belcher and a related firm in zeus International investment and noted that a German lawyer in Frankfurt is representing about 20 americans in proceedings against Belcher but that Hopes Are not High for recovery of Money he recommended that the Board investigate the actions of the different salesmen who worked for the firm with the idea of putting them mend the firm to other potential investors and a number of the salesmen were retired one a former lieu tenant another a former warrant Krump is particularly disturbed by retired service men who use Retiree privileges to enter military installations and give their sales who serves As the Usa eur Legal adviser to the also noted that when one investment scheme goes sales people often just move on to work for he cited cases of salesmen who have gone from ios to Ipa to Carter Container company and finally to Belcher All companies that have been under the gun for unethical commodities Are very he he also warned against buying property sight and of putting Money in plans that Arent to pay off for Many As an example of the he noted that he has heard of a company that is Selling investments in Young lumber you wont know for 15 or 20 years if the investment was the investor takes All the certificates of Deposit or Treasury notes Are still the Safe Way to you know they Are he cites the Carter Container investigated by Scotland As a classic Case of the Type of investment to according to the Scotland Yard a total of million was involved in the scheme with 18 americans in Germany among those who the latter Are out the which began in reported Scotland like this investors bought two types of one for shipment of goods the other for mud to the North sea Oil they then leased them Back to the Container company which was supposed to pay tax free interest it was never when investors began to become they were flown to shown the factory where the containers were wined and dined and flown Home again All at company the company charged a according to Scotland they Cost Only to pro through investigation it also was found that Only 288 of one Model had been but 450 had been of the other Only 14 had been manufactured but 160 had been to make things even More com the containers were produced without serial so now its impossible to Tell who has title to the ones that really the director of the a former ios is now in the United and Krump said he has been told by the Yard that because of All the Legal Complick its not sure hell be the investors Are just out their seven year High expect food prices to Rise percent in the in that the word the defense subsistence Region Europe dare says it has from the department of such an increase would be a seven year High the steepest Rise since 1973 and 1974 when food prices Rose about for jumps in poultry and prices will Lead the it is predicted that meat and poultry prices will Rise Between 15 and 20 percent because of Only slight increases in beef and broiler while pork production will decline 8 to 10 and As customers seek substitutes for higher priced meat and egg prices will Rise about 17 which procures for the military Points that these prices pertain to products and Are not valid for offshore purchased in patrons at overseas stores May Well come out ahead when it comes to the prices of some of these the brightest spot in the food Price picture is that stateside Dairy prices Are expected to Advance Only one this Small increase is caused by mandatory boosts in Federal milk Price supports and rising marketing although fruit and vegetable prices Are the hardest to because of their sensitivity to an Overall Rise of 8 percent seems big questions which May cause Price variances Are the severity of this Winters weather and its effect on Citrus crops and livestock the continuing inflation and the size of the global Grain and sugar