Lack of gold reaction hints sales by Soviets

The dull plodding of the gold market since the tumultuous events in Poland - which would usually have sent the market skyrocketing - has led to speculation that the Soviet Union has stepped up its gold sales in the past few days.

Bullion dealers say the Soviets may be taking advantage of firmer prices due to the Polish crisis. In recent months, the Soviet Union has offered fairly large amounts of gold for sale whenever the market showed signs of being able to absorb it without collapsing, the dealers said.

The international gold price usually soars at times of world tension, attracting investors who distrust currencies, but this week the gold market's performance has been lackluster.