News In Brief

US group ships Polish kids 5-million-candy-bar gift

Relations between the US and Poland could hardly be worse. But the love of children may be sweetening the atmosphere. The Americares Foundation, a Connecticut-based nonprofit relief organization, is shipping some 5 million candy bars to Poland for the holiday season. Robert C. Macauley, president of Americares, said this should average out to one candy bar for every Polish child below the age of eight. Mr. Macauley said he got the idea at Thanksgiving in 1982 when he wondered what he would want to give his child if he were a Polish father with no money. Macauley went to American candy companies for assistance. He got a generous response.

This week the second of two Polish ships was loaded in Baltimore with shipping containers labeled ''From the kids in the US to the kids in Poland WITH LOVE,'' both in English and Polish. Macauley said an attempt was made to find candy bars containing nutritious foods.