January 20, 1994

IT couldn't have worked out better if someone had planned it. If there are natural laws governing the creation of a full-fledged antiques district, they have certainly been at work on East 60th Street between Second and Third avenues. Since last January, the number of antiques stores on the block has grown from a core of four or five long-established shops to a current total of 21 -- and counting.

Bentsen Warns China Treasury Secretary Bentsen told officials in Beijing at the start of four days of talks that China must make more progress on human rights to maintain its trade status. Page A6. Another Guggenheim Gift Ronald Perelman, the chairman of Revlon, donated $10 million to the Guggenheim Museum, the second such gift in a month. Page C15. Jobs for Welfare Recipients Reflecting a campaign promise to get more welfare recipients to work, Mayor Giuliani said New York would begin paying a company to find jobs for people on welfare. Page B4.

The Economy California businesses disrupted by Monday's earthquake began cleaning up and assessing damage. [ Page A1. ] The latest New York Times/CBS News Poll showed confidence that the economy would grow. Thirty-one percent said the economy was "getting better," compared with 19 percent in November. [ A1. ]

The White House asked Senator Sam Nunn of Georgia last week if he would take the job of Defense Secretary, but he refused, Administration officials said today. While Bobby Ray Inman, who was nominated for the post by the President a month ago, formally withdrew his nomination on Tuesday, White House officials said they were given an inkling of his decision last week.

The Digital Equipment Corporation is finding that the road to recovery is longer and more painful than it had expected. Surprising analysts, many of whom had expected a small profit, the computer maker today reported a net loss of $72.1 million for its fiscal second quarter. The loss, along with a 12 percent revenue decline, indicated that the company's turnaround effort was being hindered by the computer market's slowness to embrace machines using Digital's Alpha microprocessor chips.