Although most companies questioned said they had experienced only isolated incidents, of no consequence to their bottom lines, they are nonetheless counseling their employees on ways to nip client problems in the bud.

"We've sent two memos to our employees," said John Wendt, vice-president for public relations at L'Oreal USA. "We're asking them for feedback on possible problems."

"We're in contact with the French Embassy in order to keep track of the way the phenomeon is evolving because they've gotten e-mails from Americans angry with France," said Sandrine Ricard, public relations director for the Pernod Ricard beverage group here.

"As soon as I became aware of anti-French sentiment, I sent an internal memo to employees asking each one to act responsibly," she said, explaining that meant keeping one's opinions to oneself.

A similar note went out to employees at the Bourjois cosmetics group, telling them that, in customer contacts, "if you have questions, keep them to yourself."

French companies appear to be endeavoring above all to be seen as apolitical, aloof from the policies of their government.

"We've gotten a few isolated letters from customers," said L'Oreal's John Wendt. "We write back saying that, as an organization, we have no political opinions. We're just a cosmetics company."

His French competition is taking the same tack.

"We're an international company, we're sorry this war is taking place, we hope the conflict will be resolved as quickly as possible," said a Bourjois spokesman.

French companies are also hammering home the point that they are American as well.

"We say first of all that we are an international company that employs some 8,000 people in the United States, and of whose products sold in the United States 90 percent are manufactered on American soil," said Wendt.

"We stress that 98 percent of our products sold in the United States are not French, and especially, that of our 1,000 employees in the United States, less than 10 percent are French," said Sandrine Ricard.

At the restaurant of Daniel Boulud, one of New York's best known French chefs, a spokesman said, "We don't hide the fact that Daniel is French, but we stress that, first and foremost, he's a New Yorker."

Many French companies here try to downplay the magnitude of the situation.

Most of New York's multitude of French restaurants say they've not experienced any drop in business since the start of the Iraq crisis.

Sandrine Ricard said she's even gotten expressions of sympathy.

"Some of my customers ask if it's not too much for me, being here, and being French," she said.

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