External search path: skips "same" takes "current" directory

Search path for external function should be
1. same directory of the program invoking the external routine
2. current filesystem directory.
but 1. is not searched.

example:

uli@ulmo:~> rexx test/test.exe 3
3 /home/uli/test/test.exe
2 /home/uli/test.exe
1 /home/uli/test.exe
0 /home/uli/test.exe

test.exe:

parse arg n
parse source . . myself
say n myself
myself = filespec('N',myself)
if n>0 then call (myself) n-1
return

A copy of test.exe is in ~ , another in ~/test. Neither is in $PATH.

uli@ulmo:~/test> export $PATH
bash: export: `/home/uli/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/bin/X11:/usr/X11R6/bin:/usr/games:/opt/kde3/bin': not a valid identifier

uli@ulmo:~/test> uname -a
Linux ulmo 2.6.31.12-0.2-desktop #1 SMP PREEMPT 2010-03-16 21:25:39 +0100 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

uli@ulmo:~/test> rexx -v
Open Object Rexx Version 4.1.0
Build date: Mar 9 2010
Addressing Mode: 64