Horrible Example

By PAUL GRAY/

S&L officers have reason to feel unloved, but when 1,317 of them convened in San Francisco last week, they found one visitor eager to sit at their feet. Soviet economist Valeri Sorokin came to the conference to invite some U.S. thrift executives to his country. And what lessons might they convey? Explained Sorokin: "We want to set up a real competitive industry. We want you to teach us about your mistakes."

With reporting by David E. Thigpen