March 25, 1991

After weeks of resisting a $6 billion takeover offer from the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, NCR, the nation's fifth-largest computer maker, said it would be willing to hold discussions about negotiating a deal at a higher price. Business Day, page D1.

The number of Iraqi tanks and armored vehicles that survived the American-led land attack that ended the Persian Gulf war is much greater than American military authoritites initially reported, and many of the weapons have been used by the Government of President Saddam Hussein to quell resistance by Iraqi insurgents, American officials say. On Feb. 27, the fourth day of the ground war, Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf, the commander of allied forces in the Persian Gulf, said in a briefing that the Iraqi armored forces had been trapped.

The NCR Corporation yesterday ended weeks of resistance and agreed for the first time to meet with A.T.& T., which has been seeking to acquire it since December. The announcement is a strong sign that the takeover battle may be drawing to a close.

New orders for machine tools, often an important weathervane for the economy because the equipment is used by a wide range of major manufacturers, are showing surprising strength. Orders from aerospace, automobile and appliance companies rose 5.4 percent last year, after plunging by 22 percent in 1989. And industry executives say they still have more orders on their books this year than they have seen in a decade. The executives also point out that those orders are coming from foreign as well as domestic companies and are spread across the industry spectrum.

With weapons, other supplies and moral support, Iran is stepping up its campaign to oust President Saddam Hussein of Iraq and the leadership of his Baath Party. Page A8.