European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 30, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Monday november 30, 1987 the stars and stripes Arm Landers Paga 11 letters dear readers to following letter is from Sens. Bill Bradley a no and Robert to Stafford rvs and congressman a on k. Panella a cull. Dear Ann Landers in your column recently it be came apparent thai a great Many people Are under the impression that new Mexico is a foreign coun try. The situation is worse hum that ninety five percent of some of our brightest College students can not locate Vietnam on a world map. In january a Survey of 5,000 High school seniors was conducted in eight major cities. The results could not be More depressing. In Boston 39 percent of the s1u-Dent could not name the six new England slates. In the Minneapolis St. Paul area 63 percent could nol name All seven continents. In Hartford 48 percent could not name three countries in Africa. In Dallas 25 percent could not identify the country that Borders the United states to the South. A Survey conducted by the Washington Post and lbs revealed that 63 percent of the americans ques i one could not name the two nations involved in in Salt talks. We have introduced a Resolution in the . Senate and the . House of representatives 10 declare the week of nov. 13-21, 1987, As geography awareness week. While designation of a week won t solve the problem it will we Hope help draw attention to the need to improve our knowledge of geography. Sincerely yours sen. Bill Bradley sen. Robert t. Stafford rep Leon e. Panetta gentlemen thank Jou for letting me know. I am pleased to print your letter As another reminder that we must not neglect the subject that Are essential if we Are to be an in formed functions nation. Since Yon wrote to me and the time this column went to press the Resolution was passed unanimously by he i Louse and Senate and signed into Law by the president. Cheers dear Ann Landers every now and then you have a letter in your column from someone who is having a fight with a rela Tive. You always say something stupid such As find Middle ground Ana resolve the problem. Family rifts make everyone obviously Ann you have never had to Deal with a impossible relative. If you had been through the Mill you would t come up with those dumb platitudes. Every time you take on the role of peacemaker my husband shoves your column in my face and says see look at what Ann the Thorn in my Side if you haven1 guessed is my Mother in Law. Even though my husband says she is impossible to get along with he insists that i try to get on her Good Side. The i Mulji is that she has no Good Side. At family gatherings she cuts me dead. The woman will not look at me or speak to me. She got mad be cause she claims i refused to answer the phone when she called. 1 said i did t answer it because it did t ring. She called me a liar and said i did t answer i became i knew it was her calling. After 20 Yean of this bizarre behaviour 1 have Given up. My husband says i should just keep trying. What do you say Elaine Dwe utne one of my favourites proverbs is be Nice to your Trueit. Ii Bill drive Era dots enough said a to Wii tiny syn cum mum i Lundn Wuco Nih of Totton you on a t in in aim a tin Sun ind Sylph. Apo 09211. U.5. Fat writer Hopes for better banking service this is a copy of he Teller 1 sen 10 James Massy chairman of the Board. Merchants Bank and Trust co you cannot imagine the unbridled Joy with which i received the news of your Bank s impending replace ment of american express at the base banking facilities in Germany. With glee i listened and watched you on an As you described the expected improvement in of vice Inave not s yet however heard or read your banking philosophy. I am wailing to hear that your Bank has and will display a philosophy different from american express. Theirs for 40 years has been the three Point philosophy As follows 1. We have an absolute monopoly and captive customers so we need not be concerned with providing them Good service. 2. They Are just a Bunch of dumb gis who won know the difference anyway. 3. They have very Little Money so incur business minimally affects our Bottom line. I would like to explain Why i feel so strongly. My first Lour in Europe was from january 19s5 through december 1958. Amex at that Lime acted As if each base Bank was completely unconnected to any other. It was nearly impossible to do business when on Tempo Rary duty at a local Ion away from Home base. I was on temporary duly a lot. Whenever i wanted to Cash a Check they had to Call my Home Bank and charged me for the Call. Macx personnel had an absolutely audio cratic attitude and were already Well rooted in the three Point philosophy. I became so incensed during my four year tour thai i vowed never to Deal with american express again. For28 years i kept that vow. 1 would not take one of their credit cards. I would not use their facilities. I would not even buy Macx travellers checks. In january of this year i came Back to Germany to work. American express is Slit the Only game in town. I had a Long talk with the manager of ire local Branch and he assured me that there had been great improvements in amex service i want to give him and his people kudos for their efforts. They have done their Best to satisfy my requirements and to solve the prob lems that have Arisen but they Are working with antiquated facilities and equipment and arc obviously still severely hampered by the now ingrained amex three Point philosophy. Well sir i Hope and Pray that your Bank s philosophy will be a great change from american express. At East you Are starting with the knowledge thai if you could under bid amex then perhaps another Bank could do the same to you but what we need Here is nol the lowest Bidden it is just some decent treatment and reasonably Modem banking service. The pronouncements so far have been that you will use All the same personnel. I will be pleased to work with the people at this Branch thai have tried so hard to help bul i Hope you will Lake a hard look Al the higher executives who Are so grounded in the amex three Point philosophy that they May never be Able to change i wish you the Best in your Endeavor. Sincerely William a. Mccollum Sembach a Germany editor s note Junta a Massey. Chairman of the Board. Merchants Bank and nut co., Indiana Polis replied while an Appeal by american express Wax still pending. A Coort last week re Jed the Appeal by american . Massey s response is As follow first i apologize for nol responding la your original letter at the time we to awarded the contract to nun age military bonking fad Liiri in Germany. By now t am sure you an aware that american express has protested lie award As made by the department of defense i am also Jure that since you have spent Many of your Yean working for the thai Job understand right now we Are in a procurement sensitive position. With regards la our particular banking philosophy i was in great Hopes that Noil of the military saw some of the Many articles by the stars and stripes to appear ances newspaper articles and or radio Interr teen. We tried to make a particular Point in those Interr Teri thai tar philosophy was one of customer service. We have been in retail banking since 1867 and Pride ourselves on our ability to respond both Eric twice and product wisc to our Many different Public whether they be urge or Small depositors. Wilb regard to your proposed american express three Point philosophy we realize that we do nol have a monopoly in that future contracts can be awarded nol Only to Low bidders but 65 percent of these awards Are made on the basis of service technology Etc. With regard la Point to. 2, ire Hare bad two Branch Hanks Here at fort Benjamin Harrison and Bare worked with the army for Over 70 years. Vve have always prided ourselves on this relationship and have hired several retired army military people to work for us throughout the organization. We Hare also provided Bank training for military personnel Here in Indianapolis. A fun As Point no 3, our contract u a management contract to serve the military their spouses their dependents and other civilian personnel an the bases. The Only Way we can maintain this contract is to provide the Bell service possible to All Levels of depositors. We plan to keep Ibe contract for a Long Lime. Yon note thai we plan to retain most of he existing personnel and appear to question Bow we plan to give better service using the same people. One of the theigs we treat continually is training. We believe that by providing adequate training through All Levels of person Nel that our service Over Lime can easily be upgraded from its current level. Please Don t expect miracles overnight bul i Aisne Yon when the contract is finally awarded we will do our Best to nol Only provide the service demanded by Normal retail banking customers bul also an entire upgrading i product and technological advances that Are Avail Able in a state of the Art 1980s retail banking Environ ment. If this does not happen after we take Over i would appreciate hearing from you again. Golden girls Are coming soon to an could someone please Tell us Why an has not yet received the show Golden girls this show again won emmy and i would like to find out when we in Europe May be Able to see this show. Bread Fields darn tall ctn any editor s note Paul d. Van Dyke program director a an Europe replies after to Yean of negotiations the armed font radio and television service was Only recently Able to obtain the broadcast rights from the distributor of the Golden girls program. Arts projects an will receive the lint episode of be series during the week of Dee. 6. We will carry the program when it become available prime time Mailbox promotional on an to and he interest of listings in to Stan and Stripe will list the Day and time the Gou in girls will or. Cuoq pah of two it cols Lumc l Philips. Huttt dewy con Wundt Edmor m chid him irn Micili Mph Nero Mac t us Ouuor imaging ear cram inn a Mig the re wimp a ii Lutfi Otom pal cretan for own twi or0 to key in Tiff clip. Canum at to Suri and blk i if t not Man Fri oft1" Towi of my aim Fri Al . Gaw Rantt in dip Imol my 0 1 a s i Kumh comm tin. Tow App wine of my Ling i m Puthuf town. Nut Tonj in h m Fps by objj1. Tii Elloul Wio 0. 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