European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 24, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Vegemite  love it or leave it by Nicholas d. Kristof new York timezone of the mysteries of Australia 1o an american is the australian fondness Lor a Black yeast spread called vegemite ii sometimes seems virtually the National food spread on Toast mixed with hot water la make a drink or added to slews. Veg Emhe is not just a food to Many australians it is a Symbol of the country a venerated Par of the culture there is no american equivalent although the relation strip of some Civ yorkers to the Cream cheese on their bagels is suggestive the Peculiar thing about vegemite. However is Hal most americans appear to hate it. Jane cull son a Melbourne housewife cells of a typical encounter Between americans and vegemite. When i was living in new York a Tew years ago i decided to be really Nice and share my vegemite with the blokes upstairs so i spread some vegemite on Toast for them. Bui they took one bile and virtually fell under the table in disgust. They spal it  vegemite was developed in Melbourne in 1923. And by world War ii it had become so popular thai it had to be rationed it is a thick Black pasta full of a Complex vitamins. It has a tangy Salty taste that even the Manuia Clurar says is Best acquired in childhood. We re brought up on it  appear to be Ifie Only ones who can eat it said Gary r. Pea co a prominent Perth businessman. My advice to americans is to spread it thinly americans May shortly gel a Chance to iry vegemite because of a renewed Colfort to Export Illo America although the  the australian subsidiary of Kraft incan american concern vegemite has Beon difficult to find in America we probably gel half a dozen Calls a week from people wanting of know where they can buy vegemite said Michael sleaze Deputy Consul general of the australian consulate in new York. We always Lake a Jar of vegemite and dry biscuits when Raveling said Malcolm j. Bryce the Deputy Premier of Western Australia. At a banquet on an official Lour of China. Bryce even pulled Oul a Jar of vegemite and uttered it to his chinese hosts they were polite about it Bryce recalled. They did l say  Kraft test marketed be gentle in the United states in 1970, bul the Campaign failed despite a substantial promotion Effort. Now the australian subsidiary of Kraft is trying to introduce vegemite to America initially in California bul it is being marketed nol As a spread which is How it is usually consumed in Australia but As an enhancer for anything from soup to spareribs. Vegemite has Only a Small following outside Australia and new zealand. Orf Tain has a similar yeas extract Marmite but Marmite lacks the Aura in Britain thai vegemite possesses in Australia. Ninety percent of australian Homes contain vegemite and australians consume some 5,000 Molrice ions of in a year. Ii is part of 1,1-e australian army s ration Kil and a popular australian economics textbook contains two pages on vegemite. The australian Rock band men Ai work has a song featuring vegemite. When Olivia Newton John opened an Australia shop in los Angeles she christened in by smashing a Jar of vegemite against the Wail the Australia National Galen in Canberra contains a necklace titled australian fetish with a vegemite car dangling from it them Mam to be no end to the uses of vegemite. A prison official in Perm said prisoners sometimes inject a vegemite solution into their veins in the belief thai they will gel High. Kraft denies that vegemite injections would have such an effect and Al Murdoch University in Western Australia scientists Are trying to make a dog food Oul of vegemite. Yel nol every australian ikes vegemite John w. Howard the Leader of the opposition Liberal Patty who Hopes to become prime minister later this year confessed in an interview that he is a Iron vegemite  i never liked it As a hid Howard explained. But he recognizes his political duty when he is campaigning i be had vegemite thrust at me while visiting schools. I eat it. I Don t object Loil Hal muck Toms Harley a Melbourne businessman and political commentator is More Passio nals in his distaste or vegemite. Hartey said that he once was planning to stay Al a Friend s House in Sydney and had been told the key was under the Doormat. He listed the mat and discovered that his friends As a joke had smeared the key Wilh vegemite. In was disgusting Harley related. I refused to touch the key and walked away to Check Mlo the nearest  the party s Over for Australia new York times once Australia was known As the Luck country and australians were conf Dellha choir vast nation would Prosper on  of Gold Oil. Coal and Oloc resources bul a Caiado of economic difficulties including a foreign Debl that is rapidly becoming one of the world s largest has eroded that Carefree optimism. Concern has Beon building particularly since the plunge of the australian Dollar on currency markets last year and since the much publicized warning in May by the Federal treasurer Paul Keating that Australia risked becoming a banana  prime minister Bob Hawke added his own caution a few months later. The party s Over Finizio Hawke said and australians have to understand it  John w Howard the Leader of the opposition Liberal party said m a recent interview the problems Are structural not cyclical. This is unlike any economic Challenge we be faced since world War  such Bleak assessments Are based on plunging commodity prices a yawning Trade a elicit and the Munung foreign debt australians sometimes refer to the australian Dollar As the peso because of its Sharp fall Over she last year. Mob economists and Bankers strongly doubt Australia s predicament will follow the path of latin America where a similar accumulation of debt and plunges in the values of local currencies helped spark a debt crisis in late 1982. Bul there is no doubt that Australia has suffered an economic decline. A Century ago Australia had perhaps the highest per capita income in the world. Today it ranks about 16lh. And once indigent neighbors in the Pacific Are last approaching ils level. Singapore for example has a per capita income of about $7,000, compared Wilh $10,000 in Australia. Australia s growing foreign debt is one of its most vexing problems at last count in june 19b6. It stood at about $60-billion in . Dollars up from about $18 billion in 1981. As a debtor Australia ranks below Brazil and Mexico each of which owes about $100 by lion but above Argentina which owes about $50 billion. And Australia has just 16 million people Hall the population of Argentina officials concede that the Structure of the Economy will remain much the same. Commodities will dominate and commodity prices Are depressed Donald Home a Sydney political scientist says the problems of Australia s Economy Are derived Tram an Over Reliance on the Bounty of the Earth instead of on technology and ingenuity. That was Why he chose Wilh considerable irony Trio title the Lucky country Tot his classic 196-4 study of Australia. Home s purpose was misconstrued however and Australia soon acquired the nickname tha Lucky  while Hawke and his labor party colleagues stress the severity of the difficulties that arc testing Australia they also add that important corrective actions have been taken. For example the flotation of the australian Dollar led to its plunge on foreign Exchange markets from $1.16 five years ago o 67 cents today. Against other currencies the change is even More starting. Decade ago he australian Dollar was Worth 330 yen today in is world about 100 yen the lower value of the currency should help Australia s balance of Trade making exports More competitive and imports More costly. Meanwhile tourism is enjoying a Boom As japanese and americans f Locc to Australia attracted in part by reduced costs resulting from the fall in the Exchange role Auto Rallon Prim Man Lottor Bob hts Tea. Appt nto Page 16 the stars and stripes tuesday february 24,19b7