European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 3, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 o the stars and stripes saturday May 3, 1986 Volunteer air National guardsmen work to restore the Memphis Belle in Memphis Tenn. The plane was the first . Bomber to Fly 25 missions Over nazi Europe. Memphis citizens work to save Wii bomber Memphis Tenn. A the Man who hew it and the Cornier sweetheart he named it for say a crumbling world War ii bomber called the Memphis Belle is a piece of history that should be saved. The Boeing b-17 was the first . Bomber to Fly 25 combat missions Over Ger Man occupied Europe and it came Buck from those Battles to sell War Bonds and Star in a propaganda film directed by Wil Liam Vyler. Footage from that Short was used in the movie "12 o clock  Robert Morgan now a real estate agent from Ash Villa n.c., was the plane s first Pilot. He named the Belle in Honor of mar Garet Polk his wartime sweetheart. It just tears your heart out to Sec it going to wrack and ruin said Polk. They were both on hand wednesday when Richard Uppstrom commander of the . Air Force museum gave a local citizens group until july 31 to raise enough Money to build a shelter Tor the Belle. If that deadline is missed the plane will be reclaimed by the air Force museum and Memphis officials will not squawk about it said mayor Dick Hackett. That s our half of the bargain Hackett said. The deadline Extension is the second granted by Uppstrom while the Memphis Belle association tries to raise $500,000 to build a shelter for the plane at a City owned tourist Park along the Mississippi River. Park director Jimmy Ogle said a third or the Money has been raised. The Belle has been in Memphis since 1946 when it was set up at a National guard armory. But Over the years the plane has been treated roughly by the weather and vandals. The plane is parked now at the Memphis International Airport and Morgan said he went there to sit once again in its cockpit. The visit he said brought Back Mem ories of the plane s 10-Man Crew All of whom survived the War. It could have been our coffin but she turned out to be our Savior he said. She got shot up pretty  Polk a lifelong resident of Memphis said she found out the plane was to be named for her after Morgan had left for the War. He wrote me from England that he was going to name it the Memphis Belle she said. After the War she said she and Morgan broke off their engagement. You know How Young people Are. I was 20," she said. It s probably just As Well. We re still Good  Economy heading toward rebound Commerce department Index shows Washington a the govern ment s main forecasting gauge of future economic activity posted another Strong gain in March As the Economy continued to Send signals of a coming rebound in growth. The Commerce department said its Index of leading indicators Rose 0.5 per cent last month following an even More robust 0.9 percent february increase. The february performance was revised upward from an originally reported 0.7 per cent Advance. The biggest economic Factor pushing the Index up was the surge in Stock prices Dur ing March a month when the Stock Market soared to record Heights. With the latest Advance the i oth in a Row without a decline the leading Index now stands at 176.6 percent of its 1967 base. The Strong gains in the past two months have Given analysts Hope that the Economy will rebound substantially in the second half of this year following two years of slug Gish growth. They base this Hope on a belief that a dramatic plunge in Oil prices the lowest interest rates of this decade and a weaker Dollar will All contribute to stronger growth in the . Economy. The government reported two weeks ago that the Economy As measured by the Gross National product was expanding at an an Nual rate of 3.2 percent in the first three months of the year. While this growth rate was four times faster than october december activity Many analysis discounted the Rise saying it was based primarily on a temporary improvement in the country s foreign Trade performance. Many analysts Are looking for growth to weaken again in the current april june Quarter As cutbacks in Auto sales and production and weak Trade numbers hold Back Overall activity we arc in a sluggish period right now. The lower Oil prices arc hurting As much As they arc helping particularly with layoffs in the Energy industries said Joseph Hurd senior economist at Crocker National Bank in san Francisco. Hurd predicted growth in the first six months of the year would average around soviet playwright Dies Moscow up soviet playwright Alexei Abusov has died after a Long illness a soviet writer s Union source said. Arbu Sov was 78. 2.5 percent Little better than the weak 2.2 percent rate turned in for All of 1985. But by the final six months of the year Hurd predicted the Economy would be expanding at close to a 4 percent annual Rale. Kathleen Cooper chief economist at Security Pacific National Bank in los an Geles said the leading Index was giving just one More signal that we arc going to have better growth later on in the  i am confident that the second half is going to be Strong she said. By then i have to believe that lower interest rates As Well As the growth in Consumers discretionary income because of the lower Oil prices will give us belter  for March the leading Index received most of its lift from the surge in Stock prices and Strong growth in the Money Supply. Four other factors that made positive contributions were an increase in building permits changes in delivery limes on Busi Ness orders growth in the average work week and growth in business and consumer  biggest negative Factor came from a drop in manufacturers orders for consumer goods followed by a decline in orders for business equipment changes in materials prices a climb in weekly unemployment claims and a decline in net business forma Tion. News updates vets meet in  Washington a soviet and american world War ii Veter ans or the april 1945 Elbe River crossing held a reunion in washing ton marking the 41st anniversary of the linking up of american and soviet forces in the final Days or Battle against Adolf Hitler. Eight soviet War veterans Here on a two week tour of the United states were met at the Lincoln memorial by about 20 american War veterans and a group of elementary school Stu dents who presented the soviets with Flowers and a song in russian. Suit settlement of d Morristown . A a judge has approved a settlement or a class action lawsuit filed against Gen eral motors corp. More than five years ago on behalf of 8,552 people who owned problem plagued Cadillac. Under terms of the agreement approved by Superior court judge Arnold m. Stein people who registered to participate in the lawsuit Are Clingi ble to submit claims to pm pertain ing to engine malfunctions. The company will try to satisfy the claim or repair the car but those still dissatisfied May submit the matter for review by a pm mediation panel