European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 7, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                / today a rates do i following Are fixed rates at which Community banking and credit Union facilities will sell foreign currencies to . Personnel for personal use British Pound 1.59 dutch Guilder. 1.69 German Mark. 1.51 note the rates above apply within the Host country. Figures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other currencies to the Dollar following Are Interbank rates that fluctuate and should be re Gefded As the approximate value of the . Dollar to foreign currencies austrian Schilling. 10.88 Bahrain Dinar a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a 0.3767 belgian franc .31.85 British Pound .1.5476 Canadian Dollar. 1.3668 danish Krone a a a a a a a a a a a a 6.115 dutch Guilder 1.7325 French franc 5.2932 German Mark a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a 1.5442 greek drachma 235.20 italian lira 1,569.50 Kuwait Dinar. .0.2975 norwegian Krone 6.7887 portuguese escudo  158.00 saudi rial. 3.75 Spanish peseta a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a 128.77 Swiss franc a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a 1.297 turkish lira a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a 32,600.00 note figures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other currencies to the Dollar Gold quote $387.80 an ounce Silver quote $5.41 an ounce sources merchants National Bank amp Trust co. And the associated press German jobless rate declines in East West Bonn Germany apr joblessness fell in prosperous Western Germany and in the struggling East last month giving Chancellor Helmut Kohl a possible boost in his re election Campaign. Unemployment in Western Germany fell to 8.z percent in August from 8.3 percent in july the Federal labor office said tuesday. Joblessness in former East Germany which is starting to recover from four decades of communist mismanagement improved to 14.7 percent from 15.1 percent in july said labor office president Bernhard Jagoda. A total of 3,635,706 germans was unemployed last month Jagoda said More than 70,000 fewer than in july. Unemployment peaked at More than 4 million earlier this year a postwar record. Germany is coming out of a Long recession and Jagoda said new life in the Economy increased employment last month. Kohl i up for re election oct. 16, and the new figures Cou d help him. The chancellors poll ratings have made a turnaround since february when challenger Rudolf Scharping of the opposition social democrats held a big Lead. Kohl now leads Scharping in the polls and experts say its mainly because the Economy is improving. _ americans hitting the Road to give travel Industry a lift new York apr after years of crimping through the recession americans went on vacation this summer and broke the travel Industry out of a three year  american automobile association said the trend continued through the labor Day weekend. The Auto club said its National Survey showed More people were planning a trip Over the Holiday than any other time in nine years of surveys. Renewed consumer Confidence and opportunities for Low air fares combined for the busiest travel season since 1990. Not Only were More people travelling but they also were going farther and staying longer than before. A this was the first summer we really saw a rebound in the longer stay Distant dream Market a said James Cammisa or. Of travel Industry indicators. Europe Hawaii and Las vegas were particularly Strong he said. Dolly Powers of Leawood kan., took a once in a lifetime trip with her Mother daughters and a Niece this summer to visit Loridon and explore their family s roots in Scotland and Ireland. A we just said a lets do it and not worry about it a we just jumped in and did it a she said. A it was a Good time in that my mothers healthy the girls Are at a Nice age everybody a  United airlines packaged Tours to Europe have already met 97 percent of their goals for the year spokesman Joe Hopkins said. And trips to Hawaii have been averaging 8.5 nights instead of six he said. British airways said bookings for its packages to Britain saw a double digit Rise and bookings for its Cut rate packages grew by 50 percent in the past year. A people just took the gloves off and started spending for family travel a said the Powers travel agent Kathryn Sudeikis of All about travel. The european routes got an Early Start with a Day celebrations and the trend held up through the summer Cammisa said a a  a a a a a a a v a a. The slide in the Dollar this summer made travelling in Europe More expensive but because vacationers typically Book Well in Advance they were Able to avoid Many of the Price increases. Airline boardings Rose 7.5 percent in june and july from last year to 89 million according to the air transport association. That a More passengers than flew during the same months in 1992, when air planes were packed with travellers flying on Alf Price tickets. In Las vegas thousands of new rooms and attractions like the Mem grand Casino and theme Park helped add 20 percent to the City a bookings Cammisa said. Aaa said Las vegas was the no. 2 destination handled by its travel agents behind perennial Leader Orlando Fla. Worries about crime in Florida however continued to crimp business there. Cammisa based in Miami said attendance at Disney world and surrounding Parks was either Flat or Down slightly. Aaa forecast that 33.3 million vacationers would travel More than 100 Miles from Home during the labor Day weekend up 4 percent from a year ago. Of those 15 percent More would take a plane bus or train. Signs of unrest thousands of hotel and restaurant employees carry signs calling for better wages and benefits during a labor Day rally on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City . The Rev. Jesse Jackson addressed the marchers who Are preparing for negotiations on their contract that expires next wednesday. Visa to offer rewards for paying by credit new York apr visa International inc. Is going directly to its card holders with a rewards program aimed at enticing them to use plastic instead of a cash., a. The credit card company said monday that users will earn Points for purchases that can be exchanged for discounts at hotels and departments stores and savings on Brand merchandise. The company did not say which hotel chains airlines or merchants will participate in the program the first leg of which starts next month. Banks that Issue visa cards already offer Consumers a wide variety of Perks. But in a new twist visa is giving some of the rewards directly to card holders rather than offering Banks that Issue visa cards the option of joining the discount programs. Visa decided to go directly to Consumers with the Perks because Competition in the credit card business is so intense officials said. Lower interest rates and Competition from other card companies have forced visa to constantly come up with new programs to boost its cards vaule. A you can never rest in this business a said Gregory Holmes a spokesman for the credit card company. The program is similar to ones offered by general motors and Ford motor co., under which users rack up Points that can be used to get discounts off the Purchase of a new car. Unlike the discover cards program visa will not offer Cash Back to Consumers. The visa credits can be redeemed for discount coupons that Are Good at participating merchants. In the first leg of the program All visa members will begin to accrue Points for travel discounts. Ten percent of every Purchase charged on visa will go toward credits that can be exchanged for discounts off the Dollar value of hotel stays and other travel expenses Holmes said. Visa has worked out deals with hotel companies and e Amer s participating in the program. Holmes declined to name which firms will Honor the discounts. The names will be announced at a later Date he said. A Prosr Arn is free and open to All visa members. Visa w a in in a sequent user program next summer to All card holders under which they can earn restaurant discounts Over a three month period. Kuwait to receive . Tanks British vehicles Kuwait apr a first Batch of .-built m1a2 Abrams tanks and British built Warrior armoured personnel carriers will arrive in Kuwait in the first half of next year As part of recently concluded deals a military official said. Brig. Gen Salem Massoud Al Srour commander of the emirates land forces told the Kuwait news Agency that the tanks and the carriers were a a a distinguished improvement to the military. He did not give exact dates or say How Many pieces were expected to arrive in the delivery. Last month the official headed a delegation to the United states where he formally took delivery of 218 tanks at a ceremony at the army tank facility in Lima Ohio. The tanks produced by general dynamics Cost the emirate about $1.8 billion. The Warrior armoured personnel carriers Are produced by the British automotive defense and Industrial services group gun. It was not disclosed How Many Kuwait has bought or How much it paid for them. The Oil Rich emirate is rebuilding its Small Milit which was decimated by the iraqi invasion four years a despite a financial crunch caused by last years Slu in Oil prices and the Cost of the Gulf War Kuwait has e marked $12 billion for military spending through the it of the Century. Al Srour told the news Agency that the m1a2 Abra was chosen for its mane vering capabilities and resist i to chemical attack