31.   French Finance Minister Dominique Strauss-Kahn, interviewed late Friday on French television, took a neutral stance on the takeover battle.

32.   GM and Delphi also pledged to take a neutral stance toward union organizing drives, and would not take work away from a plant that forms a union.

33.   However, most economists believe the Fed will change its policy statement away from a tilt toward raising interest rates to a neutral stance.

34.   News that the Fed was adopting a neutral stance toward interest rates sent some investors away from the U.S. currency.

35.   President Clinton is not taking a neutral stance, White House spokesman Joe Lockhart said.

36.   Richards said the center has taken a neutral stance on the Americana Bayside project -- so far.

37.   South African leaders have taken a more neutral stance on Sudan.

38.   Some economists believe the Fed may shift to a neutral stance where the prospects are equally balanced between a rate increase and a rate decrease as early as December.

39.   The Bush administration, striking a neutral stance, admonished Israel for its bombardment of Yasser Arafat strongholds while demanding an end to terrorist attacks by Palestinian militants.

40.   The African peacekeepers deployed throughout Liberia to help disarm rebels reportedly were taking a neutral stance, trying to protect telecommunications, the airport and seaport.