European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 28, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday april 28, 19ss2 the stars and stripes c Page 17today�?Ts tip Money matters pump prices nationwide jumped nearly 2 cents a gallon during the past two weeks As seasonally higher demand for gasoline pushed up prices an Oil Industry analyst said. A nationwide Survey of pump prices conducted april 24 found that the average composite Price of a gallon of gasoline was 120.78 cents or up 1.94 cents Over the previous Survey conducted March 10. The composite Price is made up of All grades of Gas at self and full service pumps including tax. A demand always increases in the Spring and summer a said Trilby Lundgerg author of the Lundberg Survey. A a it a a Normal upward  rates London up mondays rates for the . Dollar to other currencies. Figures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other local currencies in dollars Gold was quoted at $336.50 an ounce Silver at $3.98. April 24 april 27 British Pound.1.7720 1.7797 German mark.1.6520 1.6520 French franc.5.5325 5.5755 dutch guilder.1.8578 1.8600 belgian franc .33.98 33.98 italian lira .1,241.45 1,242.50 Swiss franc .1 5325 1.5295 greek drachma. 193.00 193.60 turkish lira .6,511.90 6,541.30 saudi arabian Riyal 3 7495 3.7492 Spanish peseta. 103.77 103.57 portuguese escudo 140.04 139.57 Canadian Dollar. 1 1860 1.1907 austrian Schilling 11 630011.6550 norwegian krone6 4600 6.4535 danish Krone .6 3870 6.3905 these Are commercial rates and can be related Only to the use of foreign currency by . Forces for official business. The Only official rates concerns the Sale of German Marks and British pounds to . Personnel for personal use and these will be 1.61 Marks to a Dollar and $1.82 for a Pound through tuesday based on mondays noontime  ii getting Sweet reviews Atlanta a coca cola co. Has finished its two year testing of a disguised new Coke and is ready to sell the product in two Midwest cities. Coke tested the Brand with the same sweeter than Pepsi formula but now called Coke ii for two years in Spokane Wash. It now has Coke ii in stores in Chicago and fort Wayne ind., a move that beverage consultants say signals imminent nationwide sales. A a it a Likely it will go to other markets As Well but we Haven to confirmed that it will be nationally available a Coke spokesman Randy Donaldson said. In Spokane sales of the soft drink doubled after the name change from 0.6 percent share of the Market to 1.2 percent. Pepsi a share in Spokane is 19 percent. The company introduced new Coke in 1985, but Consumers revolted. Three months later Coke reintroduced its original cola As coca cola classic which regained its status As the nations no. 1 soft drink. Some analysts Are confident about the Outlook for Coke ii. A a in a put big time Money behind the idea a said los Angeles beverage consultant Tom Pirko. A a it a a coca cola that tastes better than Pepsi with All the Pepsi youth themes behind  7 wealthiest nations Promise $24 billion in Aid to Russia Washington a officials of the worlds seven richest Industrial nations have pledged to support a $24 billion Aid package for Russia but warned that Western assistance is contingent on Progress toward free Market reforms. Officials of the United states Japan Germany Britain France Canada and Italy made the commitment sunday after a personal Appeal from russian Deputy prime minister Yegor Gaidar the chief architect of the Reform program. Gaidar a Campaign for Western support continued monday with scheduled appearances before the . Chamber of Commerce and meetings with officials of the International monetary fund and the world Bank. The if and the world Bank were expected monday to announce approval of the applications of Russia and the other former soviet republics for full membership in the two multinational lending organizations. Membership in the if and world Bank capitalism a Premier clubs is a necessary first step before much of the pledged assistance can begin. The Aid package for Russia received a significant boost sunday night when the United states and its major economic allies agreed to provide $18 billion in assistance to help Russia finance needed imports this year and another $6 billion to create a stabilization fund to Back the Ruble. The commitments followed the Broad outlines of a proposal unveiled earlier this month by president Bush. However the Aid package had been put into some doubt by events at the recently concluded russian Congress of Peoples deputies. Russian president Boris n. Yeltsin was forced to modify his Reform package in the face of serious political unrest. Western officials had warned that any serious backsliding would jeopardize foreign assistance. But Gaidar in explaining the Modifica Treasury Secretary Nicholas f. Brady Speaks sunday night in Washington following a meeting of the worlds seven key industrialized nations. Tio Jis to the finance ministers and Central Bank presidents of the seven Industrial countries was Able to convince them that the russian Reform Effort remained on track despite the modifications. Treasury Secretary Nicholas f. Brady described Gaidar As an a enormously convincing  German finance minister Tho Wai gel said Gaidar had assured the group that although the political debate had resulted in several lost weeks Yeltsin a government was ready to press Forward in implementing its Reform program. The seven industrialized nations pointedly noted that a there is no More productive alternative to establishing a Market Economy in russian than Strong and comprehensive reforms. They listed six Reform goals including reducing the government budget deficit curbing the growth of the Money Supply to fight inflation and establishing private property rights. Although specifically endorsing a $24 billion Aid package for Russia the finance ministers were less specific on their commitments to the other 14 former soviet republics. Japanese finance minister Tsutomu Hata said the ministers agreed that should the other newly Independent states of the former soviet Union a implement comprehensive reforms we Are prepared to provide  if managing director Michel Ca Dessus suggested last week that the other new states would need $20 billion in Western support to get through the year and similar amounts Over the next several years. Gulf War gadgetry pitched to police by Ted Shelsby the Baltimore Sun Baltimore a some of the sophisticated electronic equipment used in the persian Gulf War last year May soon be available to Aid Domestic police departments in their War against burglars drug dealers kidnappers and car thieves. A local division of Westinghouse electric corp. Filled a hangar at its Plant near Baltimore Washington International Airport last week with about a dozen systems it developed to help officers do their Job with less risk to their lives. The display attracted police officials from 15 states who marvelled at the advanced technology that included a a smart patrol car armed with a video camera. The camera would be used to transmit live coverage to a control Center when an officer pulled a vehicle Over. Also on display was a twin engine plane equipped with radar from an f-16 fighting Falcon and infrared equipment tucked into its nose that could be used against drug traffickers on the Highway in the air or on the water. Westinghouse engineers also touted another radar system that can a see through Brick Walls to help find burglars or pinpoint hostages As Well As an electronic scanner that can spot a stolen car by Reading tag numbers of vehicles zipping by. A i see this As a fantastic advancement for Law enforcement a said it. Col. . A a Sonny Hayman chief of Field operations for the Maryland state police. A i would Hope we could find enough Money in the state coffers to buy some of this  Westinghouse executives see the company a new thrust into the Law enforcement Market As a major move in its diversification away from defense contracts. Business general dynamics lobbying to save sea Wolf submarine from wire reports Washington a general dynamics Cor Ull p. Is do ing out All stops in its Campaign to save the $2 billion sea Wolf submarine. It has hired the High powered Washington Public relations firm of Powell Tate and is relentlessly lobbying to keep the sub program alive. General dynamics brought executives from its electric boat division which builds the sub to Washington Foi interviews and then trotted out the former chief of naval operations adm. Carlisle . Trost. The emphasis is on jobs a 60,000 of them in 37 states a and the need to preserve military manufacturing. However defense Secretary Dick Cheney responded a cutting the defense budget Means cutting the defense , Cyclops of merger Parsippany . A Aramco inc. Has completed its acquisition of Cyclops industries inc., making Aramco the nations second largest stainless steel producer. Aramco and Cyclops shareholders approved the $215 million merger Friday at army of a offices in Parsippany and Cyclops Headquarters in Pittsburgh. The new company will have sales of $2.7 billion annually and rank 175th among the largest . Industrial companies. It will employ 15000 people worldwide including 5,600 from the former Cyclops units. Its Domestic plants Are in Ohio Pennsylvania Maryland and Kentucky