February 4, 1994

Russia Wins Georgian Pact In a move that set off protests and a deadly terrorist bombing, Russia and Georgia signed a pact that will extend Russia's military influence over its southern neighbor and bolster Georgia's embattled leader. Page A3. Vast City Found in Mexico In a discovery that could reshape theories about Mesoamerican culture, experts have found ruins of 100 pyramids and other traces of a seaport that may have flourished on the Gulf Coast 1,500 years ago. Page A10.

United States automotive sales surged 13.8 percent in January, despite the effects of the Los Angeles earthquake and severe winter weather, suggesting that the demand for new cars and light trucks is outpacing bullish forecasts. Car buyers seem to be moving up their purchases of new cars faster than auto makers and economists had expected. The reasons for this are the high average age of cars and trucks on the road, as well as increases in employment, personal income and consumer confidence.

After years of complaining about inaccuracies in the Nielsen ratings, the three biggest television networks announced yesterday that they were underwriting a multimillion-dollar research effort to find an alternative system. Network officials said they hoped their efforts would encourage other companies to challenge Nielsen Media Research, the only source of national television ratings. If that happened, it would be the first time in almost a decade that Nielsen faced a serious competitor.

It was Lyndon B. Johnson's war, though the initial commitments were made by John F. Kennedy. The peace, such as it was, was the handiwork of Richard M. Nixon, but that was tainted by the stench of defeat. Now, irony of ironies, fate has chosen Bill Clinton to lead the nation in consigning the whole sad, ugly ordeal to the dim recesses of memory -- the same Bill Clinton who, like Dan Quayle and many other privileged members of his generation, managed to avoid service in the rice paddies of the Mekong Delta or the jungles of the Central Highlands, on the carriers in the Gulf of Tonkin or the choppers of the First Cavalry Division.

The Economy The Clinton Administration is drafting a plan to create a Western Hemisphere free trade zone, with Chile intended as the first member. The plan, which may take 10 to 15 years to fully accomplish, responds to Latin American interest in joining the North American trade zone and recognizes that removing trade barriers can spur United States exports. [ D1. ]