European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 03, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 18 the stars and stripes business Nevis Buck striving for that magic 2-Mark height the Dollar resumed its assault on the 2-Mark level last week As currency experts continued to express optimism that the United states econ omy will remain on a Safe course Between the twin evils of inflation and recession. We re in a Nice solid Bull trend at the moment said Andrew Ellott. International economist with the Chase investment Bank in London. The question for Many currency traders though is How Long that Bull trend will be Al Lowed to go on before Central Banks in european the United states take arms against it. Earlier this summer when the Dollar last lopped the 2-Mark Barrier Central Banks across Europe and the . Federal Reserve lashed Outwith a massive dose of Dollar Selling to drive the Buck lower. Selling dollars sometimes several Hundred million dollars at a time floods the Market with the . Currency and depresses it value Courtesy of the oldest economic Law on the books Supply and demand. Two months ago the Central Bankers strategy was remarkably successful. On june 16, the . Military Exchange rate in West Ger Many hit its summertime High of 2.01 Marks. Within two weeks the world s Central Bankers had managed to drive the by Randy Mcclain Buck Down to 1.93 Marks. And by Early August the military Exchange rate was Down to a paltry 1.83 Marks. Surprisingly that s when the Bock started a neurally on the strength of a drop in the . Unemployment rate and an improving . Trade picture. Over the last month the Dollar has risen 12pfennigs in terms of the military Exchange rate offered service members. The latest rate was set Friday at 1.95 Marks for a Dollar based on  Price fixing in Frankfurt West Germany. That higher rate will be in effect through the Long labor Day weekend. On major of icing currency exchanges in Europe the Dollar was trading at 1.9715 Marks at midday Friday up More than three pfennig from the week s Low Point and up i a pfennig from thursday s close. In London one British Pound was Selling for $ 1.5650. Ellott said he thinks the Dollar will reach two Marks but he s getting a bit jittery Over the Prospect of another confrontation with those Central Bankers. We re not far away from the Point where the Central Banks tried to Cap the Dollar s rally last time he said. But it appears that traders Are keen to push the Dollar a Little higher to try to find out the Point where they will come out to play this  Ellott said the publication of August unemployment and Job growth data in the United states on Friday is unlikely to have a big Impact on the  nation s unemployment Rale held steady at 5.2 percent and non farm Job growth was officially 110,000 new positions for the month. Analysts said Job growth was held Down Only by a Large scale Telephone Industry strike in the United states since those workers Are considered out of the work Force while on the picket line. The figures Are not Likely to be Strong enough to push us three pfennig higher the amount needed to hit that magic 2-Mark level. Two willbe something for people to look for after labor Day Ellott said. One thing to keep a close watch on in the week ahead is a meeting of the West German Bundesbank s Board of directors. Some economists arc speculating the germans will us thursday s gathering to announce an increase in that country s Basic interest rates. Such a move would Likely steal some of the Dollar s Thunder. Countries with interest rates on the Rise tend to attract investors Money away from nations where interest rates Are holding steady As is the Case in the United states. Tin uti ind set pm hurdles face . Salesman for soviet space program by Dick Stanle Cox news sen ice Austin Texas Buckner Hightower a fifth generation texan and a great great grandson of Sam Houston is thrilled to be a Salesman for the civilian space program of the soviet Union. Our philosophy is evangelical capitalism he said in his modest office in North Austin where the Walls Are decorated with posters of soviet rockets and the logo of Gla Kosmos the soviet civilian space Agency. But the new soviet american entrepreneur who jokes that he spends his Days under the Hammer and sickle acknowledges there arc a few obstacles to be overcome. First there arc the Giveaway baseball cans. The soviets have no experience making them and their first attempt was pathetic. Then there Are the Metal models of  and spacecraft for retail sales. Like much of soviet design the models Are rather Clunky looking handsome arc permanently attached to Bulky Metal stands. But. As the 47-year-old Hightower puts it the major problem is detoxifying people s attitudes about America s longtime adversary lately turned  All it was t so Long ago that former president Reagan was calling it the evil  Hightower came to his current business incarnation via an investment. He is a minority stockholder in space Commerce corp. Of Houston. Earlier this year space Commerce signed an exclusive agreement with Gla Kosmos to Market civilian and scientific services hardware and data of the soviet space program. Hightower and Austin partners Robert and Bill Brandes formed their firm aerospace marketing group which Gla Kosmos has designated As its North american licensing agent for non technical space products Tours and advertising. Hightower Hopes to gel some thick and Clunky cosmonaut watches with Little red stars on the faces into the stores by Christmas. He s showing toy suppliers the Metal models with the big red flags with the Hammer and sickle on the Box. He s writing Fortune 500 companies seeking a corporate sponsor for a $4,000-a-Pcrson, 10day private Lour in november of formerly secret soviet space facilities such As Mission control near Moscow. We d Wear their corporate Hals on the tour an they could Send their cameras with us he explained. The russians would like us to bring a group this fall but i have a feeling it will be april before we can line up a  in mid september when soviet cosmonauts resume visiting the soviet space station Mir they will become available through High lower to advertise Wester products from space from sport shoes to Candy bars and soft drinks. We re making phone Calls and offers Hightow Craid. We re finding a lot of people want to talk. But they re also assessing How they think people will feel about them carrying soviet  Hightower says he sees what he s doing As a Chanceton do something important for world peace. If nothing else he said we re having fun. But i d like to think some of it will help the two countries establish Friendship and a working Trade  space Commerce is battling its own obstacles including . Government reluctance to allow Export of american made satellites to the soviet Union for launch aboard soviet rockets. Art Dula a Houston lawyer who is president of Spac Commerce recently upped the political Ante with a startling offer to help the soviets turn their ss-20 intermediate Range nuclear missiles into benign launchers for Small scientific and commercial payloads. A rocket carries a manned soyuz space capsule into orbit during a 1979 soviet launching. That s a major happening in the world Hightow or said. Hightower can t forget the tears running Down the faces of some of the people he met at the Paris air show in France in  was there at the soviet s Trade Booth helping sell to shirts emblazoned with Wing shape american and soviet flags and the words partners for the  of the people who came by Hightower said especially the europeans who have lived their whole lives at ground Zero with american missiles lined up on one Side and soviet missiles on the other were literally weeping with Joy to Sec us finally being , Hightower has his own measure of geopolitical  consented to pose for a picture holding one of the to shirts his firm has licensed an Austin company Lin Tex marketing to make and sell. But he flatly refused to be photographed wearing a red baseball Cap with the Gold letters  the initials for ".s.r" in russian s cyrillic  in Texas he said shaking his head. U.s., w. Germany sign tax pact Bonn West Germany is the . And West German governments signed a proposed income tax treaty last week that would allow More generous social Security payments to West German spouses of retired or deceased . Service members. In the Pas . Social Security benefits due West German residents were subject to a 15 percent with holding tax by . Authorities. Under the propose treaty such social Security payments would not be subject to . Withholding a spokesman with the internal Revenue service in Bonn said. The payments would be taxed in West Germany however under the same rules that apply to West Ger Man social Security payments. The treaty which is subject to ratification by the . Senate would take effect Jan. 1. Irs officials said the new lax rules should have Little Impact on . Scricc members and civilians working for the american government in West Germany. How Ever one aspect of the 61d tax Law to be retained under inc new treaty is the stipulation that . Civilian or military retirees who remain in West Germany and who receive a . Government pension can escape West German lacs on that income. The tax treaty also includes mechanisms for the United states to Exchange information Wilh the West German government and 19 resolve issues of double taxation affecting taxpayers in each country