European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 26, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday january 26, 1992 the stars and stripes Page 15 Money matters Dollar watch shown below Are the highest Dollar Exchange rates for the week of Jan. 20 26 compared with Dollar rates for the same period one year and five years ago. British Pound one Pound would Cost you $1.83 $1-96 1992 1991 $1.51 1987 German Mark one Dollar would buy you 1.58 1992 1.48 184 j9jhj a military Exchange rate French franc one Dollar would buy you c 5.42 5.15 617 1992 i 1991 i 1987 i a amps magnate s bid to buy Macy is rejected new York a billionaire Laurence Tisch broke off talks late Friday for the possible acquisition of debt Ridden . Macy amp co., apparently ending a bid to save one of the Best known names in retailing. Tisch a Macy a director and head of lbs inc. And the Loews corp. Tobacco hotel and insurance conglomerate had made one of several proposals that the Macy a Board was said to be reviewing. But Loews said in a statement that it had ended discussions with Macy a. A the Loews proposal was conditioned upon the cooperation of various other parties but was rejected by a major Macy a creditor this afternoon a the statement said. It said talks had taken place Over the last several Days. The planned Deal called for a Large Cash infusion by Loews the statement said. Loews also said the proposal would have paid All of Macy a Trade creditors once the Deal was closed. Tisch who holds a 15.6 percent stake in Macy a was expected to inject As much As $1 billion to buy out stockholders and Bond owners at prices Well below the face value of their investments. The purchases would have removed a big portion of Macy a crippling interest payments allowing it to focus on retail operations. It was not Clear whether the collapse of the talks ruled out a possible future Deal by Tisch. A spokesman for Macy a Michael Freitag declined to comment. A Tisch spokesman did not immediately return a Call. Tischl a emergence As a possible Savior helped lift the prices of Macy a junk Bonds Friday and gave a shred of Hope to nervous suppliers. But Many still doubted they a get paid for Christmas merchandise by a saturday deadline. Tisch has a reputation of buying troubled properties at bargain prices and turning them around. Macy a which operates 251 stores nationwide reported a $155.4 million loss for the Quarter that ended nov. 2. It has conceded that sales during the crucial Christmas season were  Vito Coupon program clips grocery Bills of military families by Gary Miller Naples Bureau san Vito Dei Normanna Italy a project budget Booster seemed to be a simple Way to help Junior airmen save on grocery Bills. But the idea of sending discount coupons to the air station in Southeastern Italy has since caught on in the states a really caught on. Members of the 7275th civil engr so at the san Vito air station began writing family and friends in the United states in november 1990 requesting coupons. Volunteers at san Vito then sorted and taped the coupons they received to products in the air stations commissary. In 1991, the coupons saved san Vito commissary shoppers about $72,000, said Paula Jones the Squadron commanders Secretary. But the project grew to the Point that the savings san Vito shoppers realize is Only a Small part of the picture. Each week budget Booster volunteers now receive about 1.2 million coupons far More than san Vito needs so they ship about a million coupons a week to other bases said Jones who helps administrate the project. Volunteers ship coupons to military and embassy commissaries in Germany England Belgium saudi Arabia Egypt and Turkey. They also have recently started sending them to the far East and Australia Jones said. Project founder maj. Gilbert Pohl the Engineer Squadron commander estimated that savings for military shoppers in Europe will total $1.3 million this year. When volunteers began taping coupons to products about a year ago they had about $5,000 Worth. But suddenly the volunteers were swamped with coupons from the United states. A word of Mouth explains How some of those people heard about us a Pohl said trying to explain the surge in contributions. For a amps Cap. Lawrence Cox maj. Gilbert Pohl tapes coupons to products at san Vito air stations commissary. The influx was probably helped by Jan Leisure who writes a syndicated super Saver column published in 190 newspapers throughout the United states. The columnist mentioned san Vito a program and things took off Pohl said. The projects volunteers Are receiving coupons from 250 to 300 people each week and some of them Send huge packages containing hundreds of coupons Pohl said. A if coupons Are from a new contributor we Send them a thank you letter and a newsletter every six months to let them know what we re doing with their coupons a Pohl said. There Are Between 25 and 50 new contributors each week Pohl said. Jones said there Are More than 2,000 people donating to the program. Market declines slightly As it awaits Bush plan new York a the Stock Market closed out a cautious week with a slight decline As traders awaited president Bush a economic proposals. The Dow Jones average of 30 industrials Rose 6.04 Points Friday to 3,232.78, trimming its loss for the week to 32.20 Points. Advancing issues outnumbered declines by about 9 to 8 on the new York Stock Exchange. Volume on the big Board came to an estimated 213.60 million shares As of 4 p.m., compared with 229.68 million at the same Point thursday. The Market averages have been zigzagging in recent Days following their Sharp run up from just before Christmas through the Early sessions of the new year. Analysts said they think the Market has gone a great distance toward anticipating an economic recovery and has settled in to await evidence whether its judgment will prove Correct. Traders also were looking ahead to Bush a state of the Union message on tuesday. Among other things the president is expected to propose tax measures aimed at improving business conditions. Interest rates showed mixed and generally Small changes in the credit markets Friday. Yields on Long term Treasury Bonds hovered around 7.71 percent. Uniss led the Active list up 1 at 8 on top of a 1 a Point jump thursday when the company reported fourth Quarter earnings of 31 cents a share. American Telephone amp Telegraph also heavily traded fell 1% to 38%. Exxon Rose 1%, to 60 /4. International paper gained 1, to 723/4. Other gainers among the Blue chips included Walt Disney co., up 2vi at 133vfe Boeing up i at 52% Mcdonald a up vat 42% and Procter amp Gamble up a at 98%. Phelps Dodge Rose 2 to 75%, although the company estimated a decline of 33 percent in its earnings for the fourth Quarter. Century Telephone enterprises was unchanged at 33%. Market update activity for the week of Jan. 19-24,1992 Dally Dow closes 3300 3250 3200 3150 3100 3050 3000 3,232 it m highest close weeks High lowest close week s Low weeks change w the 3,255.81-wed. 3,283.32-Mon. 3,223 39-tue 3,190 97-wed. Down 32.20 aps amps