European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 23, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 16 the stars and stripes monday december 23, 1985 Santa s worldwide mailbag United press internationals Anta Claus does t live just Al the North pole. He lives in Finland or maybe Norway or Sweden or Greenland or Iceland All of which claim him and allo which have special offices to answer letters to Santa. The live nordic countries compete Tor the hearts and minds of children All Over the world at this time of year responding to hundreds of thousands of letters As Christmas approaches. Finland gets the biggest volume but Sweden May Oiler he Best Deal kids get not Only a return reply but a Little stocking stuffer package. In the United states local Post offices try to Deal with As Many Santa letters As possible usually with Volunteer helpers. The scandinavian approach is much More official. About 20,000 letters Ara addressed to a swedish Santa and they keep five or six Lull time employees Busy at the futuristic main postal terminal outside Stockholm. Sweden has been receiving Santa mail for almost 100 years. Of the 20.000 letters Sweden received last year about 7,500 were from american children. In Finland about 5,500 of 200,000 letters came from the United Stales. The Post offices usually have pre printed replies both in English and the local Tongue. Finland also has form tetters in swedish German and japanese those from Spanish and French speaking countries usually get 3 reply in English. Letters in unfamiliar languages Are delivered to translators. Sometimes the tetters include Money All of which is donated to the United nations children s fund. British children started writing to Santa in Norway in 1947 after Norway presented the British people with a National Christmas tree. On display in London s Trafalgar Square the tree is a yearly gift in Honor of world War ii allegiances. Since then letters from All Corners of the Earth have Lound their Way to Santa s workshop at the norwegian tourist Agency in Oslo. This year we expect to get about 65.000 letters said head Elf and Agency president avid Kristiansen. They come All year round and we try to answer them As soon As  Santa s reply explains Christmas traditions in Norway and adds a Blurb Lor the wide  of norwegian wintertime activities. The 14 000 children who wrote to bar Eta in Greenland last Christmas received a note signed your old Friend Santa Claus from the Post office in . North of the capital Uuk the service was started eight years ago after a newspaper Story headlined the postal service does not even know Santa Claus told of a letter addressed to Saint Nick that was returned to sender stamped address  during his yearly visit to local sick children. Greenland s Santa flies into Uuk on Christmas eve in a helicopter supplied by the National airline. Helga Thorsteins at Iceland s tourist Board has been filling Santa s shoes for 10 years answering an annual 1,500 letters. She treasures a recent note from a Jirl saying.  Mother has still got the letter you sent her when she  but Iceland also boasts two commercial santas both of whom will answer letters sent to them. A Reykjavik firm sponsoring one of them recently put an and in an International newspaper offering membership in the Santa Claus town club for Only "$6. Lor postage and  if volume is the deciding Factor on Santa s real residence the finns win hands Down. At the Remote Kovaniemi Post office in finnish Lapland 200,000 letters had poured in by Early december. Determined to put Santa on the map in Lapland Finland a few years ago set up the Santa Claus project a development program for the Region based in Kovaniemi and supported by government funds. The purpose of Santa Claus land is to create tourist destinations in finnish Lapland including Santa s Gilt Village. Santa s animal Park and Santa s summer House. The project hires 30 youths from november to january to answer Santa s mail using $350,000 o government unemployment funds. Santa s helpers in Finland mall out a message from their Boss As Well As pictures of Santa and mrs. Claus and All the elves arid two maps of Lapland. For years Finland has been telling the world that Santa lives in finnish Lapland said Kali manner project Secretary. I be always known Santa Claus came from  Iacocca Book spells Success for author William Novak by Maryann Mrowca associated press w Illiam Novak had written three books that had t sold very Well and was read to set aside his typewriter in search Atmore Money when an editor asked in he would like to help Auto wizard l be Iacocca Tell his Story. More than two years and 2 million copies of Iacocca later the 37-year-old author is now a very visible ghostwriter who is working on three More books about Arnous people including House speaker Thomas p. Tip o Neill. Ever since he helped Iacocca describe his Rise through the ranks of Ford motor co. And his Rescue of Chrysler clip from bankruptcy Novak has received Calls from people who want him to help Tell their stories they include some famous business and political figures and Many people who believe they have a Story to Tell who do not happen to be famous some of whom really do have a Story to Tell Novak said. His latest extort is a collaboration with Herb Schmertz the Public relations Whiz Lor Mobil Oil. Tentatively titled creative confrontation the Book outlines Schmett s thoughts on dealing with the news Media and government. Meanwhile. Novak Bias tossed aside the notes and about 30 hours of taped interviews with o Neill until january so that he can finish a both about Sydney Biddle Barrows the so called Mayflower Madam who pleaded guilty july 9 in new York to a charge of promoting prostitution. Her plea was in return Lor a $5,000 Fine and no prison term. A few years ago. Few people knew Novak whose earlier works included High culture marijuana and the lives of americans. The big Book of jewish humor written with Masher a woks and the Greaf american Man shortage and other roadblocks to Romance. He Lito was effectively changed when he was contacted by a Friend at Bantam books inc. To do Iacocca. Which was published in 1984. The Book quickly found a Home on Best seller lists. I m successful in part because i got very Lucky i happened to team up with a person who was very  he said. But making a living at this game is harder than it  worried about Ihn Low income from writing books Novak considered giving up books in 1982 Tor some other Job where he could write and depend on a regular paycheck. I did t know what but i knew that something had to change in i was going to support a  said Novak a native of Toronto who works on the third floor of the Home in Newton. Mass., where he lives with his wife Linda and two sons. Novak declines to discuss his earnings irom the Book but if has been reported that he received a $45,000 fee and bonuses that boosted the total to $80,000. Of course my fees have gone up he said with a smile. Those associated with Iacocca originally hoped it would be a big Book but never anticipated the level of ils Success Novak said. The Book now has sold something like 2.3 million copies although even one tenth of that would have been considered  he said. Novak always wanted to write a Book about o Neill and once mentioned his wish to a literary agent who happened to represent o Neill. I Don t think they came to me merely because i wanted them Novak said. They came because they wanted the Iacocca  that no Miner Novak taped about half of the 50 to 60 hours Worth of interviews he plans to conduct with o Neill for the Book which is scheduled Tor publication in the Spring of 1987. Novak found o Neill very Friendly very warm compared to Iacocca who was More intense More Businesslike More  however both have a distinctive Way of speaking and Are Blunt he said. I would Only write a Book with someone who has a real voice because my Job. After All is to capture that voice on the Page said Novak. With Iacocca. Novak spent about 40 hours which he doubted was enough Lime. But the Man uses his Lime very carefully Novak Sard. He never repeats himself. He does t make Small talk and he gets right to the  Iacocca later became very involved with the manuscript and the changes he said. It s his Book after All said Novak adding that he in t sure yet involved � Nei wiil become with his still Novak said he doubts he will continue collaborating on other people s life stories forever