NIKE TO ASSIST VIETNAMESE WOMEN; DOONESBURY BACK IN PICTURE

          Nike has signed a three-year commitment to fund a
     microenterprise program in Vietnam that will provide
     financial aid to under-capitalized women looking to start
     their own small businesses.  Nike's program will process
     loans from any female residents of the Vietnamese villages
     of Trung An and Tan Thanh Tay.  Applicants are not required
     to be employed by Nike.  Each recipient will receive a
     business loan of $85, to be repaid within six months.  Nike
     is providing $25,000 for the launch, and expects almost 300
     women to receive loans in the inaugural year (Nike).
          CAN'T SHAKE IT: In Washington, Timothy Burn examined
     Nike's PR troubles regarding overseas working conditions and
     wrote that "though the negative media attention has so far
     had little affect on Nike sales, company officials are
     concerned that its global image could be permanently
     tarnished."  Nike's Vada Manager: "The concern is that if
     you allow these erroneous charges to go unchallenged it
     could hurt business.  Our corporate image is our greatest
     strength."  On Saturday, "several rights groups plan to
     stage simultaneous rallies in several cities around the
     world to protest" Nike's association with "sweatshoplike
     factories" in Southeast Asia (WASHINGTON TIMES, 10/13).
          SEE YA IN THE FUNNY PAGES: Gary Trudeau has made Nike
     the subject of his DOONESBURY strip this week, while
     alerting readers of this weekend's rallies (THE DAILY).