November 14, 1990

Move on Antarctic Mining The United States will seek a legally binding moratorium on mineral development in Antarctica, and other nations are likely to agree, Bush Administration officials said. Page A10. Harsh Words for Thatcher The former Deputy Prime Minister of Britain, Sir Geoffrey Howe, defended his decision to leave Margaret Thatcher's Government and invited others to follow suit. Page A3. East Europe's Dark Winter As Moscow's most faithful ally, Bulgaria had always expected to be taken care of. Now, with its neighbors, it finds Soviet largess drying up. Sixth article of a series, page A12. New Life on Death Row The Supreme Court ordered Louisiana courts to reconsider whether a psychotic inmate on death row can be forced to take medication. Page A30. Accident Disrupts 'Shogun' The lead actor of the Broadway musical was injured by falling scenery, halting a preview and putting the official opening in doubt. Page C24.

A group of business, political and religious leaders failed yesterday to raise the $6 million needed to save the Freedom National Bank in Harlem, and Federal regulators began paying off its depositors and settling its accounts. Depositors started lining up outside the bank along West 125th Street at 4 A.M., exchanging advice about where to deposit their savings now that they were losing the neighborhood bank. By shortly after 9 A.M., when the bank opened for withdrawals, several hundred people, wearing layers of sweaters under thick coats and with scarves under hats in a feeble attempt to fend off the frigid wind, stood quietly in line waiting for their money and paying last respects to the bank that was a symbol of black enterprise, tenacity and hope. 'Sort of Hard to Believe' "After 25 years, it's sort of hard to believe this," said Earl Dicks, a building manager who bought eight shares of Freedom stock shortly after the bank opened in 1964. "This bank was something for blacks to be proud of, something we did for ourselves, something we believed in."

Four Democratic Assemblymen called today for the repeal of a major aspect of Gov. Jim Florio's $2.8 billion tax package, in the latest indication of legislators seeking to distance themselves from the Governor's plan. In a public letter, the four told Assembly Speaker Joseph A. Doria that they planned to introduce a bill when the Legislature reconvenes on Monday to have the state take back responsibility for paying teacher pensions, a major part of the Florio program involving hundreds of millions of dollars.

DELBERT BLAND didn't have to go to college to learn the law of supply and demand. All he needed was to hoard some onions.

As the first of a series of high-level meetings leading up to global trade talks was being held today, the Bush Administration sought to quash speculation that it planned to walk out of negotiations on liberalizing trade because of sharp differences with the European Community over agricultural protection. The assurances that the United States still plans to attend a crucial negotiating session in Brussels next month despite the split over farm trade came as President Bush met with Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti of Italy, who also holds the community's six-month chairmanship, and Jacques Delors, the president of the community's Executive Commission.