European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 30, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 14 the stars and stripes Money matters monday May 30, 1994 today a rates following Are fixed rates at which Community banking and credit Union facilities will sell foreign currencies to . Personnel for personal use British Pound. 1.55 dutch Guilder. 1.79 German Mark 1.61 greek drachma. 237.9165 note the rates above apply within the Host country figures Ere expressed in dollars to the British Pound other currencies to the Dollar following Are Interbank rates that fluctuate and should be regarded As the approximate value of the . Dollar to foreign currencies a. / i austrian Schilling 11.5825 Bahrain Dinar. 0.37675 belgian franc 33.94 British Pound .1.5093 Canadian Dollar 1.3855 danish Krone �,.445 dutch Guilder 1.8477 French franc 5.6275 German Mark. 1.6475 italian lira Kuwait Dinar 0.2975 norwegian Krone 7.1345 portuguese escudo 171.20 saudi rial .3.7501 Spanish peseta 135.67 Swiss franc a i. 1.407 turkish lira. 31,000.00 note figures Ere expressed in dollars to the British Pound other currencies to the Dollar Gold quote $383.40 on ounce a Silver quote $5.46 an ounce. Sources merchants National Bank amp Trust co., the associated press United press International recall announced for Remote control child safely seats Washington a Remote control Reno Lux child safety seats Are being recalled because the seat wiring could overheat the National Highway traffic safety administration announced. The recall involves 891 Reno Lux Gt-7000 scats made by lbs inc. Of Greer . The seats use a wireless Remote control system to make them recline. Replacement seats can be obtained by contacting lbs at 800 476-5273 or by writing lbs inc., at 11 Freedom court Greer . 29650. E co n o m i c co Nee is drive Clinton s foreign policy by Rick Gladstone a business writer new York a he capitulated to the chinese compromised with the japanese and confronted the British. In All three instances last week president Clinton struck a common theme in a global Economy . Business profits and american jobs take priority in his administrations foreign policy considerations. Quot a a a a a making one of the biggest political retreats in the american relationship with China Clinton renewed that country a preferential trading status with practically no conditions. In so doing Clinton essentially aban domed an earlier pledge to punish the chinese government with Trade sanctions if it did no tease repression of dissidents a we have reached the end of the usefulness of that policy a Clinton said. . Businesses and China welcomed the news. For american corporations it removed a threat of Trade sanctions with the worlds fastest growing Economy that Dutta have Cost them enormous amounts in lost business among industries ranging from telecommunications of jetliner manufacturing. For the chinese the Extension of preferential trading privileges Means an uninterrupted flow of their goods to the United states which. Has emerged As China a most important Export Market since relations were normalized in 1979 Clinton also recognized global co nomic realities in a breakthrough on Trade differences with Japan which Sells much More to the United states than it purchases. After extensive bargaining both sides agreed to revive talks stalled for three months a rift that had rattled global financial markets and contributed to a drop in the Dollar s value. The United states compromised by dropping its insistence that Japan Promise to buy predetermined amounts of foreign goods. In contrast to conciliation the Clinton administration also showed its aggressive Side on representing american interests in Trade matters this past week the Justice department won an agreement from Britain a Pilkington pc the worlds leading Glassmaker to quit obstructing . Competitor efforts in a $15-billion-a-year Market. It was the departments first formal action under a 1992 policy aimed at target my foreign companies that restrain . Corporate participation in world markets. Attorney general Janet Reno who announced the action said the settlement a will open hew markets abroad for american businesses exporting High tech services and thereby create additional Well paying jobs for highly skilled american workers and professionals Here at  development of microwave dryer really keeping close watch Krista m. Weaver of planar systems inc. Checks an electroluminescent display for defective spots at the company s Beaverton ore., Plant. In april the department of do tense unveiled plans to invest $180 million in Flat panel display technology that will be used by soldiers in the Field. London apr Sparks arc flying in the Long quest for a Universal electrical plug and socket system to replace the 20 varieties in Europe and150 around the world. The goal is simple a a Small easy to make and Safe system that does no to give a commercial advantage to any country. But the search for a remedy has progressed slowly and any conversion would be Long and expensive. A everyone was in favor of the Universal system provided it was their own a said Bjorn Folcker chairman of the International electro technical commission committee that has struggled for More than 20 years on a design. International travellers now Cope with an array of plugs and sockets from plugs with pins that arc Flat or round fat or thin to sockets with variously placed holes so that even plugs with the Sam shaped pins done to fit. Its As if a . Traveler needed differ ent plugs in Washington Oregon and California. Adaptors can solve the problem if you pack the right gear for your destination a or destinations. But adaptors Are weighty addition no bags. Two Universal standards Are actually needed a one for 250-Volt electricity systems covering Europe Africa the Middle East and South America and another for 125-Volt systems in the United states Canada Japan and a few other countries. Standards for the Universal 125-Volt plug and socket system Are still being written. Two have been proposed for the 250-Volt parts of the world. First came the Model invented in 1986 by the dec representing 80 percent of the worlds population. Recently the Brussels Belgium based european committee for electro technical standardization known As Cen elec offered its own. The committee initially judged that a system for its 18 member countries Wasny to Worth the expense which it calculated at $125 billion. But standardization a from cheese to tax rates a is the coming thing in the 12 nations of the european Union and the european parliament encouraged the committee to reconsider. A technology has moved on and so should we a said Simon Hossack inventor of an adaptor that would simplify Britain a transition to a Universal plug. Folcker of the dec added that costs can be curbed by phasing in the changes Over 30 or More years a putting the new Standard into new houses and buildings and into old places that Are rewired. Both the dec and the european models use folded plugs w Ith two round pegs a or three for Large appliances such As washing machines that need to be grounded. Cen elec is slated to decide on the process for adopting a Universal Standard for its members beginning tuesday in Dublin Ireland. Arlington Texas a there Are still some problems to be worked out with a microwave clothes dryer now being developed. Like How to Deal with Bobby pins and pencils that can actually Burn the pockets they re left in. But creators of a prototype say the microwave dryer could be a reality within the next two to three years. It can to dry a Load of jeans in the time it takes to pop a bag of Popcorn hit it can do a full Load of towels in Abonit a half hour said Richard Mace in to Iceni Cal support for Aster gerling Labrato Ries inc., the Modesto  com Pany doing research and development of the dryer. A a a a a a a a. A we wanted to build a dryer to keep up with a washing machine Mace explained thursday. A people want the Shorter time a he said a a a a a a a a. A the manufacturers have been taking the prototype residential dryer on a spin through several . Cities since late March including a Stop in Arlington on thursday. The dryer looks familiar with a drum from a conventional unit inside and a microwave oven door on front. Essentially engineers have Only added a microwave to a traditional dryer Mace said a a there a no new technology Here. Its just a new application of existing technology a he Saia. The appliance uses about double the Power of a Home microwave oven. Different settings utilize Only microwave Power for More delicate fabrics or Combine microwave and the traditional resistant heat method. The dryer which has been about four years in the making is being developed by Thermo Energy corp. Of Palo Alto calif., under the sponsorship of the electric Power research Institute and a consortium of electric utilities. Peri based in Palo Alto is a nonprofit research and development organization for the . Electric Utility Industry. According to Peri estimates the microwave dryer would Cost about 20 percent More than conventional Premium dryers or around $600