February 5, 1998

Directors of nation's top art museums call for creation of system to resolve potential ownership disputes amid growing claims that they are displaying wartime plunder; Philippe de Montebello, director of Metropolitan Museum of Art, is heading 13-member task force formed by Association of Art Museum Directors, which includes heads of 170 largest art museums in North America, to develop guidelines to resolve individual ownership claims arising from seizure of art works before, during and immediately after World War II; concern among members of Congress over difficulties posed by potential claims noted; photo (M)

NBA All-Star Weekend special section discusses notable past performances of Chicago Bulls player Michael Jordan at Madison Square Garden (M)

Four-year strike against Box Tree restaurant in Mnahattan is ended; Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union declares victory in action that symbolized tense labor-management relations facing many low-wage and immigrant workers; union says management has agreed to demands for workers' health insurance, pensions and grievance procedure, after originally refusing to discuss those matters; Henry J Tamarin, president of union local, says Box Tree settlement will help dozens of efforts to unionize restaurants throughout New York area; Box Tree's owner, Augustin Paege, had called strikers 'fascists' and pledged never to sign contract; union signed contract with Box Tree's new owner, Gila Baruch, who is renting restaurant from Paege; photo (M)

Mark Green says he will seek Democratic endorsement to challenge Sen Alfonse M D'Amato, man who decisively defeated him in 1986; says he has better chance this time, having spent last decade as New York City Consumer Affairs Commissioner and now as its Public Advocate; calls D'Amato 'ethically challenged, hypocritical incumbent'; Green must first defeat his Democratic rivals for nomination, Geraldine A Ferraro and Rep Charles E Schumer; Green restates his vow to run clean, positive campaign; he calls on Ferraro and Schumer to share his pledge to show unified Democratic front on day after primary and to avoid 'negative slanders' that marred 1992 primary race; photo (M)

Big 3 to Make Cleaner Cars The leading auto makers said yesterday that they would begin making cars next year that emit 70 percent less of some pollutants. Page A20.