European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 12, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday february 12,1993 the stars and stripes b Page 3sears pullout hits americans overseas by Kevin Robinson staff writer maj. Donald fipps and his wife Donna wanted to buy a super Nintendo video game Cartridge but there Wasny tone to be found at Patch Barracks in Stuttgart Germany. So when their Sears 1993 Spring Catalon recently arrived through the mail they tried to order the video Cartridge from the Book. But that too proved to be a wrong turn because Sears refused their order. That put the Fipp ses in the same boat As other americans in Europe who recently discovered that Sears because of merchandise shortages in its warehouses is no longer accepting Catalon orders for shipment to overseas addresses. And that action goes for orders for military Apos and pos a Sears customer service representative said this week. Sears recently announced that it plans to close its Export division now referred to As Sears International. And that message is being repeated through a German toll free number that begins with a recording and ends with a live customer service representative who will answer questions about customer accounts or any orders placed before feb. 1. The number is 0130-819-831. It was unclear thursday whether Sears has toll free numbers that operate from other european countries. A we just done to know How Long we will have merchandise in our warehouses a Janice Medlin a customer representative said by Telephone from Sears International in Wichita Kan. The closeout of overseas orders a gives us time to ship previous orders Stop other orders and process any  Sears customers in the states will be Able to order remaining merchandise from its warehouses until 1994, officials said. The halt of Sears overseas Catalon shipments comes less than two weeks after the company announced it was cutting 50,000 jobs closing 113 stores and dropping its mail order business. Over the past three years Catalon sales had lost $500 million. On tuesday Sears also reported a $3.93 billion loss for 1992. These losses follow the company a fall in 1991 from the no. 1 . Retailer to no. 3 behind Wal Mart and Kmart. Scars decision to Stop processing orders from its overseas customers immediately changed the Way the last shipment of Sears March 1993 Cata logs will be sold in eur Tope according to Tony Delisa the owner of the Good ideas Catalon distributor based in Numberg Germany. Now the recently arrived shipment of 10,000 Cata logs will be affixed with a special sticker that Calls the books a collector s items a Delisa said. The stickers also will Tell buyers they cannot order or Purchase scars merchandise from the Cata logs. The special $5 Cata logs Are expected to be on sate in about two weeks said Jerry Wigan merchandise manager for stars and stripes Bookstore operations. A there is a nostalgic value of having the Cata logs a Wigan said. A the last of anything becomes rare and valuable. However a family member in Hanau Germany feels that the last Ca Talog a value As a collectors item wont erase How scars discarded its overseas customers by suddenly pulling out of the mail order business. A a in a very Hurt. In a mad a said Roselyn Myers about scars decision to discontinue overseas orders. Well suited a amps Vine Crowley Marine Chi. Joseph Mcdonald plays cards in Mogadishu with shuts dilapidated Airport terminal managed to communicate Osman a somalian boy who understands the game but can t Well in teaching his american Friend the basics of the somalian speak English. The 10-year-old african who lives in Togadi card game. Course trainees receive unexpected lesson in crisis work by Mark Kinkade Start writer american soldiers on their Way to a leadership class got a crash course in crisis management last week when they discovered a wrecked semitrailer off Highway 27 near Wil Flecken Germany sgt. Patrick Miller and spec. Brett Meadows both from the 2nd so of the 11th army Cav regt in Wil Flecken said they were driving nine soldiers to a platoon Leader development course in Fulda Germany when they came upon the German Semi Jackknife Between Vollbach and Rothemann Germany about 4 . Feb. 5. The truck was in a ditch beside the Road Miller said. It was towing two trailers at the time of the Accident and one trailer partially blocked the Road. The Driver and a passenger were trapped in the trucks cab. Miller who Speaks German said the Driver told him that a Fox darted across the Road in front of the truck. The Driver tried to swerve around the Fox lost control of the truck and Slid into the ditch. When they reached the truck the soldiers heard diesel fuel gushing from the truck s ruptured fuel tanks. Police said Between 150 and 200 liners of diesel fuel had leaked. Miller and Meadows divided the students into four groups a team to control traffic another to help pry open the Drivers door with a pry bar from the Drivers tool Box attached to the outside of the cab a third to help keep the passenger Calm until an ambulance arrived and the fourth team to Man fire extinguishers in Case the diesel fuel ignited. While Miller calmed the Driver Cpl. Daniel Sellers checked on the passenger who appeared to have a broken leg and was bleeding from numerous cuts and scrapes. The soldiers tucked a Blanket around him and cushioned his head with another Blanket. They freed the Driver from the cab As German ambulance a fire police and Rescue teams arrived. The germans took Over trying to free the passenger. After the germans arrived Miller and Meadows gathered the students and continued to Fulda. They were 10 minutes Early for the class. German police officials said they could not release the names or give the medical condition of the Driver or passenger. But they did say the Driver was 21 and from the Eastern German town of Schma Kalden. The police said the passenger was a 16-year-old member of the family that ran the trucking company also from Schma Kalden. A police spokesman reported the passenger had a very bad injuries. Miller said the soldiers response to the Accident will serve to show How army training pays off. A everything we did a Miller said a we Learned from army training. The army teaches you not to panic and the students worked without someone standing Over them checking them out.  have Good examples for the  tax caused judge s order by Gary Miller Mediterranean Bureau pozzuol1, Italy years of frustration linked to garbage collection taxes in the Naples area prompted last weeks order by an italian judge that froze $2.7 million in Navy Money a City official said thursday. The official who requested anonymity said some Navy officials agreed years ago to pay the local garbage collection tax but that it was never paid. The official works for the City of Pozzuoli Home to naval support activity Naples Headquarters Ana several other Navy units. The judges action froze two Navy accounts which contain italian currency. The accounts belong to the Naples Navy Exchange and the personnel support detachment Naples. They arc the Only accounts affected by the order according to it. Jon Smith Public affairs officer for Asa Naples. It. Dave Lee Fleet air Mediterranean Public affairs officer said thursday he was unfamiliar with details involving the dispute. The Pozzuoli official said the City con suited with an International Law expert prior to taking the Case to court. The expert contended that although the . Navy is a Branch of a foreign government it remains liable for the tax he said. Under italian Law garbage collection is a local monopoly and the use of private garbage collection services a such As the Navy uses a docs not exempt organizations from the local tax the official said. Italian Law also requires that government officials make every attempt to collect taxes and can be liable for uncollected revenues he said. Pozzuoli officials tried to Bill the Navy for garbage collection taxes a few years ago out were blocked from entering the support activity the official said. City officials eventually mailed the Bill to president Bush he said. In 1990, representatives from the base met with Pozzuoli officials and both parties agreed that the Navy owed the City taxes for garbage collection the official said. But a Navy official later called the City and said the service  pay the tax because the matter was a political Issue Between the . And italian governments the official said. And because Italy scentral government is not involved in refuse collection there is no Way for it to reimburse Pozzuoli the official said. A in accordance with International Laws and accords Sovereign nations do not impose local taxes on other Sovereign nations a Lee said. The $2.7 million of Navy Money Frozen by a court order is out of proportion to the actual tax for garbage collection services the Pozzuoli official said