European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 9, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday March 9,1990 the stars and stripes a a Page 7 $28,000 later congressmen cancelled junket Washington apr a group of House staffers spent More than $28,000 travelling to London Paris Rome and other european cities planning a trip for lawmakers who then decided to stay Home. Rep. Frank Annunzio d-ill., who planned and then scrapped the congressional trip says he did no to want to use a military plane during the . Invasion of Panama which began while the Advance team was in Europe. But rep. Doug Barnard jr., d-ga., says he suspects a cold feet among House members worried about cold Winter weather in Europe and bad publicity Back Home. According to House records the six member Advance party for the trip spent More than $28,000 for lodging meals commercial air transportation and other expenses Between dec. 13 and dec. 20. The lawmakers were to have followed in january travelling by military Jet to gather information on Europe a move toward a unified financial system. Curtis Prins staff director of the Annunzio led House banking subcommittee on financial institutions said the military Jet would have taken members Only to Strasbourg France London Brussels Belgium and Rome. Those were the cities visited by Annunzio a staffer on the Advance Mission. Five House government operations subcommittee staffers made the Advance trip for Barnard holding meetings in Paris Brussels and Madrid Spain. Barnard bristled Over Annunzio a decision to cancel the trip maintaining it is vital lawmakers planning to restructure the . Banking system learn firsthand about Europe a movement toward unified financial services by 1992. Annunzio said in an interview that he cancelled the trip because a i could not in Good conscience justify using military personnel and equipment when . Forces a were fighting and dying in Panama. He said the military Jet transport a might have been needed in Panama and i wanted to make sure it would be available for that  Barnard said a i doubt if we re that limited in military equipment. Barnard added that he knew of previous trips where a at least a minority of people got cold feet because of potential Adverse publicity. Sounds alluring to go to London Paris and Madrid but when it gets Down to going in wintertime its not As appealing and they change their minds a he said. A congressional staffer on the Advance trip said useful meetings were held with foreign tax authorities . Officials involved in tax enforcement representatives of the european Lorn Unity and . Chamber of Commerce officials. We be been doing serious and hard work a he said. Big macs to follow in Wake of big changes in East bloc in billions of dollars Mcdonald s Burger King Hardee s pizza hut Wendy s Domino s Dairy Queen Taco Bell a 1.7 Shoney s 1.4 Chicago apr the Berlin Wall is coming Down and the Golden Arches Are going to Start going up Mcdonald a corp. Plans to expand its fast food Empire in Eastern Europe. A a we be been in Eastern Europe so we re not reacting to recent political developments there. We be been planning for this area for years a Mcdonald a spokesman Chuck Ebeling said wednesday. A but political developments there open up promising prospects for  the . Burger and Fries giant opened one restaurant each in Hungary and Yugoslavia in 1988, began second outlets recently and Hopes to have three More restaurants in each country soon Ebeling said. The company also is considering East Germany and Czechoslovakia and Poland is in its Long term plans he said. A East Germany and Czechoslovakia Are Likely for the next step in development but not necessarily this year a Ebeling said in a Telephone interview from company Headquarters in Oak Brook 111. The restaurants in Hungary and Yugoslavia As Well As the first soviet Mcdonald a which opened Jan. 31 in Moscow have been doing Well he said. A a there slots of pent up demand for consumer goods a said Ebeling. A a Mcdonald a is a Welcome addition something not otherwise  Ebeling did not give any figures on Eastern european or soviet sales. The Eastern european restaurants serve the Mcdonald a Staples hamburgers French Fries Coke and milkshakes. But the menu is a simpler than the . Menu a said Ebeling. A break fast is not served in Eastern Europe and there a not the same Range of  he denied a report published feb. 17 in Tribuna the newspaper of the now dissolved polish communist party that said Mcdonald a does no to want to invest in Poland because of economic problems there. A a it a not True a said Ebeling. A a in be spoken to the a a in a always in Awe of Mcdonald a management. They Are Able to do things other people say you can to  a Michael Kennedy president of Mcdonald a International about Eastern Europe and Poland is in our Long term plans but i can to be More specific. We done to discuss  Back Home some investors have been leery of the risk involved in such expansion. A Wall Street wants overnight Success. They want to top 10 restaurant franchises Kentucky Fried Chicken i units in thousands Mcdonald s Kentucky Fried Chicken pizza hut Burger King i i Dairy Queen amp a m Domino s Wendy s 491 Baskin Robbins Hardee s subway a Lii sources Chicago Tribune restaurant business 10/23/89 Krten Inlo graphics John Hancock know a Why does it take three or four years for a profit a a said Michael Kennedy an ids financial services analyst specializing in consumerism and the restaurant business. A a Mcdonald a invested $50 million in Russia and Only has one store but five years from now they will have a major position and others will be left out in the cold a said Kennedy. A there Are 350 million people in Eastern Europe and your eyes get big when you look at the consumer Market Over there. But these people done to have any Middle class spending Power and it will be a Long Long time until anything of significance comes out of it a Kennedy said. He said he believes Mcdonald a has tremendous advantages Over other Western companies venturing into Eastern Europe. A a Mcdonald a started in Hungary and Yugoslavia so they Are ahead of the game when it comes to dealing with a closed society a he said. In addition Kennedy said Mcdonald a officials Are an innovative Bunch. For example to be assured of French Fry supplies for their Moscow restaurant Mcdonald a took seedlings for a new Strain of potatoes from Holland and planted them in the soviet Union. A a in a always in Awe of Mcdonald a management. They Are Able to do things other people say you can to do a he said. A they Are awfully Bright and they Sec opportunities others  accepts $ 1.2 billion buyout offer from Pathe Lions Saih a a Mem a common Tea b Fedones a u had accepted a $1.2 billion italian crore Pathe communications corp of an financier Gwancarlo Parretti. To Liffin ols0 wil1 take Over $4�0 minion junk scene of i i part a Dea a which May be the final of thoiknnh8"��?�?1118 drama which a virtual cast y Mou Sands considered Oil a th7c�m�us�?~d?red buying All or part of Mem years. N on be auction Block for two Quot a by div Calm prope Niesch Man is he Dine  in a East ass a leading purveyor of Quot american upcoming releases such As Mem u on?tu4 n and a lambada the  such outstand Hollywood a jewels responsible for a rain  films As a the wizard of a Zand �?�5 billion buyout of Mem was aborted last year when the suitor australians sintex group failed to make a $50 million Down payment. Mem a chairman Jeffrey c. Barbakow said Mem already had commitments from Pathe Worth $100 million to distribute Pathe movies. The Deal also requires Parretti to come up with $200 million a Earnest Money a with the first $50 million Deposit which was due on Friday. A if for whatever reason this does no to close then we have the Money for damages a said Barbakow. He said he was confident Parretti could arrange financing for the Deal but declined to say where. Parretti was travelling wednesday and could not be reached for comment. In the past he has financed deals with help from credit Lyonnais group the International financial giant. The Deal is the latest step in the globalization of Hollywood. Sony corp. Acquired Columbia pictures last year australians news corp. Owns Fox and the lbs Ria and a amp a record labels Are owned by japanese German and dutch companies respectively. England a television South pc owns televisions atm productions. Mem a has profitable to and Home video divisions and a film distribution system in place. It has been trying to Start producing films again after a two year Layoff during which its controlling shareholder Beverly Hills billionaire Kirk Krkorian sought a buyer. Mem a communications has lost Money in four of the last five years. The studios Only major release of 1990, a Stanley amp Iris a with Jane Fonda and Robert de Niro was a critical and commercial disaster. Pathe which grew out of Parrettie a Purchase of Cannon group in 1987, produces and distributes movies worldwide and controls More than 1,000 theater screens in five countries. It has film production facilities in Italy a processing lab in France and the rights to 500 movies and 2,000 newsreels