European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 16, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 14 the stars and stripes Money matters monday january 16, 1995 re today a rates following Are fixed rates at which Community banking and credit Union facilities will sell for sign currencies to . Personnel for personal use British pound1.61 dutch Guilder 1.67 German mark1.49 note Trio 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 Gard cd As the approximate value of the . Dollar to foreign current pics a a a a austrian schilling10.75b Bahrain Dinar. Q.37675 belgian franc.31.51 British Pound .1.5725 Canadian Dollar 1.4182 danish Krone .6.031 dutch Guilder 1.7151 French franc 5.29 German Mark 1.5292 greek drachma 237.88 italian lira 1,624.50 Kuwait Dinar .0.2986 norwegian krone6.6975 portuguese escudo.158.10 saudi Royal. 3.7507 Spanish peseta.133.50 Swiss franc .1.2825 turkish lira .39,900.00 note figures Are expressed in dollars to the British Pound other currencies to the Dollar Gold quote $379.00 an ounce Silver quote $4,85 an ounce sources merchants National Bank amp Trust co and the associated press Coke eyeing n. Korea paper says Seoul South Korea a could North koreans soon be quaffing Coke that most american of soft drinks the  soda maker reportedly is negotiating a possible entry into the communist country one of its last untapped markets North Korea s ambassador to the United nations Park Kil Yon visited coca cola co. Headquarters in Atlanta last week to discuss a joint venture in the isolated communist state the Joong Ang daily news reported. The Story attributed to officials at coca cola Korea said coca cola invited Park to the meeting. Company spokesman Randy Donaldson said in Atlanta on saturday that he knew nothing of a possible Deal. He said the company would abide by . Laws that forbid economic transactions with North Korea. Several american firms based in Seoul a including ism at amp to and american express a Are reportedly interested in investing in North Korea but have been blocked by the . Ban. The United states and North Korea however pledged oct. 21 to improve economic and political ties As part of an agreement aimed at dismantling North Korea s nuclear program. North Korea announced a week ago that it will end a ban of Trade and financial transactions with the United states and Washington is required to begin easing its restrictions by next saturday a three months after the nuclear agreement. The . Embargo has prohibited american companies from shipping commodities or discussing joint ventures with North Korea since the korean War in the Early 1950s, in which the United states fought on South koreans Side. North Korea Iraq and Libya Are among the few countries that have blocked the entry of Coke which the rest of the world considers one of the most american of products. Companies feel squeeze of Mexico s economic crisis Mexico City apr Mexico a economic crisis has left companies hurting from higher prices for imported parts and technology and facing huge losses on Dollar denominated debts. An increasing number of businesses arc cutting staff and production. Among their woes Are a devalued peso rising interest rates shrinking credit inflation and the threat of recession. Quot for 1995 the perspective is Uncertain especially with an unstable Exchange rate a said economist Eduardo Godinez Quezada Quot its certain there a going to be a reduction in internal demand and first Quarter results Are going to be  some recent announcements a Gruppo Dina a truck and bus assembler said it expects a 1994 foreign Exchange loss of about 600 million pesos or $107 million. It May Cut investments and was talking to unions about cutting operations. A a Dina had a Long term Dollar debt of about $314 million at the end of 1994, and $15 million in Short term debt maturing in the next 60 Days. It said it was negotiating with its Banks to extend the terms.  de Mexico said it would Stop production for the week of Jan. 23 because of Quot the contraction of the Market in Mexico. V a Ford motor co. And Nissan motor co., the Only japanese automaker with a Plant in Mexico have both said they would raise car prices in Mexico by 10 percent. Nissan expects the devaluation of the peso a it has fallen by roughly one third since mid december a to Cut its mexican earnings because of lower sales 1 a Ingeni Cros civics asocial of or Ica Mexico a largest construction firm expects a foreign Exchange loss of about 1 billion pesos or $174 million. 1ga also said it was being forced to re View All pending projects but would go ahead with an $80 million 30-mile bypass toll Road around the Western City of Guadalajara. The mexican currency closed at 5.3 pesos to the Dollar Friday three weeks after the government surprised investors and markets by deciding to let it float. Quot there a no question it was very disruptive a said Ford spokesman a Chambers. But Quot you have to put it into perspective. We be been in Mexico for almost so years and we be been through this sort of thing several times  president Ernesto Zedillo took office dec. T for a six year term his revised economic forecasts Call for growth of 1.5 percent for 1995 and 19 percent inflation compared with 1994 inflation of 7 percent. But analysts said there would be Little or no growth and that inflation would be closer to 20 percent or 25 percent. 4ssiss Moss a a Fie idea Barf dolls a quoth in Csomo Mem us he a a a a a a a a it it a a revolting deformed dolls have no takers Nat kids and to treat them with love am care Quot said Lau. He said he let his 13-year-old daughter and 9-year-old son play with the dolls. Lau said that during the show a Ger Man buyer asked about the dolls. Whir the buyer heard about the dolls nationalities he said  god none of then is from my  toy buyer Juan Carlos Fernandez of Argentina said he was not interested in the dolls because he did not think Par coils would buy them for their children. Michel Kate a belgian buyer said i was shocked by the dolls Quot toys arc children a Best friends am they Are important for the mental development of children Quot he said. Anna Ului a psychologist at Hong Kong a Baptist University said she a worried that the toy would give child scr nightmares. Hong Kong a a Hong Kong toy maker has come up with a shocking idea he wants to sell dolls with gruesome deformities that Are known As Quot handicapped  at the toy and games fair that ended saturday at Hong Kong a convention Center toy manufacturer Victor Lau displayed among his Barbie like dolls several 16-Inch-tall dolls that some visitors described As  Lau called them handicapped dolls and  nationalities. There was Heusen a 3-year-old Tod dlr from Malaysia who has a huge nose like the trunk of an elephant. Next to him was dumpy from Taiwan who is supposed to be 9 years old and has split lips that make him look like a Rabbit. If that were not gruesome enough there was Johnny from China who has a Green snakelike face and american Tod Dler Gower with a bloated face. Lau said the ideas for the dolls came from real life tragedies that he had read about in newspapers. Quot the idea first hit me last year when i came across a chinese newspaper article describing Ai Snake Man in China a said Lau. The article did not include the picture of the Snake Man who reportedly the chinese province of Sichuan so Lau ived in relied on his imagination to make the doll. A the malaysian boy is another Well known Story. He has just had his big nose Cut off by surgery a said Lau. The toy maker said he wanted to let people know the tragedies by bringing out the realities in dolls. So far he has not received any orders. Quot toys Are educational. Parents should teach their kids to accept these info Stu