European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 23, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 2 c the stars and stripes thursday january 23, 1992 at a glance a demonstrator holding a picture of Joser Stalin seeks donations to preserve Lenin s mausoleum in Moscow. See Story on Page 9.new formula hailed in a development heralded As a major breakthrough in protecting the Ozone layer Hughes aircraft co. Said it has developed a formula to replace Ozone depleting rfcs. A Page 4aerospace firm to Cut Back United technologies corp., the huge rocket and aircraft builder said it will eliminate 13,900 jobs and take a $1 billion loss for the year As it moves to slash costs. A Page 18 Index i Vvs . Abby Ann Landers. 15 comics. 15-17 commentary. 13 crossword. .15 faces a no places. 14 letters. 12 Money matters. .18 sports. 19-24 to listings. 23 weather. 91 housing construction plunged to 46-year Low Washington apr housing starts plummeted 14.9 percent in 1991 to the lowest level in 46 years the government said wednesday. Activity declined in every Region As builders waited for an improvement in the Economy to Spur sales by recession wary Consumers. The Commerce department said builders began construction on 1.015 million single family Homes and apartments last year Down from 1.193 million in 1990. It was the smallest number since 325,000 units in 1945 As world War ii was drawing to a close. Starts soared to 1.023 million units in 1946. Housing activity in the 1980s had peaked at 1.81 million in 1986. Still in december 1991, starts jumped 2.6 percent to 1.103 million at a seasonally adjusted annual rate the highest level since 1.130 in november 1990. And the 1.4 percent decline in november 1991 was not As Steep As the 2.1 percent drop first estimated. But new construction in both months was entered in single family units. Multi family starts declined in both months. Applications for building permits a often a barometer of future activity a also improved in december jumping 5.8 percent to a 1.051 million rate after falling 3.4 percent a month earlier. By Region construction was mixed last month advancing in the Northeast Midwest and South but falling in the West. The recession in the housing Industry hit Bottom in january 1991 when starts dropped to an annual rate of 847,000, but despite mortgage interest rates at their lowest level in 18 years sales and building activity has remained sluggish As Consumers worried about their jobs and incomes. The department reported earlier that sales of new Homes were unchanged in november after a 3.8 percent Advance a month earlier. Fixed rate 30-year mortgages averaged 8.7 percent As december began and fell to 8.35 percent by months end according to surveys by the Federal Home loan mortgage corp. Mortgages began the 1991 year at 9.56 percent and peaked at 9.75 percent in mid january before beginning a gradual decline during the remainder of the year. Libya bound nuclear parts seized Bonn Germany apr German customs officers have seized a Load of american nuclear components being shipped to Libya through Germany a government spokesman said wednesday. Dieter Vogel the spokesman would not specify what was in the shipment other than saying the components were a dual use items for a nuclear program. He would not say whether he meant a civilian or military nuclear program. However the government appeared to act quickly and to consider the shipment sensitive. Libya is widely thought to be trying to develop nuclear weapons although its government has denied that. Vogel would not say where the components came from in the United states but he said they would be returned there. He said intelligence agencies tipped customs officers to the shipment. Vogel would not say when the shipment was seized. However he disclosed it while informing reporters that the Cabinet voted wednesday to approve a change in Export regulations aimed at Libya. The new Rule prohibits a a sensitive items from being transported through Germany to Libya a when the government has reason to believe these items Are to be used for arms  asked Why Libya had been singled out Vogel said a because its a special  the government is still smarting from the 1987 scandal in which germans were found to have helped the libyans build a Poison Gas factory at rata Bush from Page 1 and Western Europe the president needs to focus on coordinating the bureaucracies of his own administration which have been dormant in responding to the growing threat of political backlash and nuclear  tension already has surfaced among Western allies. French president Francois Mitterrand criticized the meeting As a a bit superfluous a Germany has pressed the United states to boost its contributions. It also wants the United states to address the threat of anarchy or fascism if food and medical supplies fall Short. Germany has pledged $2.5 billion to Russia alone. According to some estimates Germany has offered $35 billion or an estimated 80 percent of the Relief to go to the former republics though the figure is bloated by including contributions to resettle 370,000 soviet troops now in Eastern Germany. Bush said the Success or failure of the Commonwealth rests with the new nations that emerged from the old soviet Union. A the Battle is really theirs to win. But they cannot win alone. These 12 new countries will need the hard work creativity and Good will of All of our countries from every continent a Bush said. A a we should not underestimate the enormity of this Challenge and the difficulty of unravelling economic dislocations resulting from Over 70 years of communist  announcing the new contribution Bush said the United states a cannot and will not falter at the moment that these new states Are struggling to embrace the very ideals that America was founded to Foster and  he told the gathering that All nations need to demonstrate to the new states Quot that the International Community cares about them and supports their hard struggle to build new societies on the ruins of  a let us join together a Bush said a to give these people a reason to Hope. Let us commit ourselves this morning to work in full partnership As we  corrections the associated press erroneously reported tuesday the average income figures in a Story comparing the average incomes of people who earn a High school equivalency diploma High school graduates and nigh school dropouts. The figures quoted were based on the value of the Dollar in 1967, not current Dollar values said University of Chicago economist James Heckman who directed the study. The comparison in current dollars would be $15,438 for people who earned a ged $13,398 for High school dropouts and $20,015 for High school graduates Heckman said. Because of a source error an article in tuesday s paper provided incorrect information about How the Basic allowance for quarters affects school lunch eligibility. Housing allowances paid to those renting Economy quarters will still be considered family  from Page 1 Cess Ful shuttle Send off since the Accident. Discovery a seven Day voyage is nasal a 45th shuttle flight and the first of eight missions planned for 1992. The International Crew consists of commander Ronald Grabe and fellow Ameri cans Ai Penen Uswald William Readdy David Hilmers and Norman theard German physicist Ulf me bold and Canadian neurologist Roberta Bondar. Tucked away in the shuttle Are boxes containing billions of organisms prepared by researchers from around the world. Scientists want to measure the effects of weightlessness and space radiation on plants insects and humans. The cargo includes 72 million roundworms 32 million mouse Bone cells 3 Bil lion yeast cells 180 oat seedlings wheat seedlings and 360 oat seeds 120 wheat seeds to be planted in of there also Are stick insects fruit f Frog eggs and sperm slime Mold be roots bacteria and human blood cells. More than 225 scientists from 14 cd tries Are involved in the experiments. A it is the most International Misi that we have Ever undertaken a said i Nard Fisk nasal a chief  from Page 1 budget submission the next Day a a in a confident it will be Well received by the american people Quot Bush said vowing that a a we re transcending politics and Quot we re going to eschew some of the pure political  cards selection was the second recent Cabinet appointment. Bush nominated Barbara Franklin last month to be Secretary of Commerce succeeding Robert Mosbacher now the general chairman of Bush s re election Campaign. Us  card As a Loyal member of his White House team. Quot i have valued that experience often in the last three years Here in Washington a Bush said. As Deputy chief of staff he has offered Wise and Loyal counsel scores of people from ail walks of life know him As the White House manager who can get things  card served in the Massachusett House of representatives from 1974 to 1983. He was an Early Bush supporter helping his 1980 presidential Campaign in Massachusetts. During the 1988 presidential race card was Bush a Campaign manager in the new Hampshire primary a critical win for Bush. Before that card served in the Reagan White House first As an assistant to the president in the intergovernmental affairs office and later As director of that office