October 17, 1992

Pratt & Whitney, the jet-engine maker, said today that it would lay off 3,600 workers in Connecticut, more than 16 percent of its work force here, over the next eight months because of a steep drop in commercial-airline contracts. Nearly 470 of those people got notices today. The company, long a mainstay of the Connecticut economy, had announced a job-reduction plan in January that would have gradually reduced employment through the mid-1990's because of declining military orders for jet engines. Today's cuts both accelerate and expand that plan and are centered in the commercial sector of the business, which company officials said had looked secure only nine months ago.

Angered by a crowd packed with jeering supporters of Gov. Bill Clinton, President Bush today broke out of a speech that was supposed to unveil a new car insurance plan and for the first time accused his Democratic opponent directly of evading the draft. It was not clear whether Mr. Bush was consciously trying to accuse Mr. Clinton of criminal conduct or if he merely became twisted in his words because of his evident anger.

Leaders of the European Community pledged today to continue to push for a treaty to bring about political and monetary union, but economic strains continued to pull their nations' economies further apart. The leaders held an unusual summit meeting to try to reassure Europeans that their drive for unity would not dilute separate European national identities and to repair the damage done by recent turbulence on the European financial markets to the monetary system.

Mayor David N. Dinkins yesterday appointed Raymond W. Kelly, a New York City police veteran, as the city's 37th Police Commissioner. The selection ended a candidate search and deliberations that took two months and put Mr. Kelly in charge of a Police Department shaken by allegations of corruption and racial insensitivity. Mr. Kelly will replace Police Commissioner Lee P. Brown, who resigned in early August. Because Mr. Kelly had served as Mr. Brown's top deputy and was a staunch advocate of the Police Department's sweeping managerial transformation -- putting many more officers back on the street -- he was long believed by many law-enforcement officials to be the leading candidate to replace Mr. Brown.

U.S. Trade Gap Widens The United States trade deficit widened sharply in August, to $9 billion, as exports suffered their biggest drop in five years. Page 41. Chinese Leaders Resigning Eight Chinese leaders, including the President and Defense Minister, are reportedly submitting their resignations from the Politburo. Page 3. Teacher Shot on Way to Class A shop teacher was shot in the shoulder in a stairwell at a vocational high school in East New York. The police have no motive or suspect. Page 29. Innocence Falls Victim Chicago is shaken over the gang warfare that since March has killed three grade-school pupils at a run-down public housing development. Page 6.