High-level U.S. and European Community officials have...

High-level U.S. and European Community officials have failed so far to bridge their differences on the topic of agriculture, a troubled area that has held up progress at the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade talks in Montreal. The continuing impasse, reported by European officials, raised doubts about the prospects for a successful conclusion to the weeklong GATT talks, due to end today. In a nutshell, Washington wants the eventual elimination of all farm subsidies that distort prices and trade flows dismantled by the end of the century. The European Community has flatly rejected the plan, calling it unrealistic.