Apologies for the late response.
  MEM> I just compiled xemacs-21.5.10 and noticed the following problems:
  MEM> 1. The anonymous ftp to update packages fails ("Login with USER
  MEM>    and PASS") -- used to work with 21.4.11. 
This would be FTP/EFS related, not XEmacs related.  Can you:
   'C-x C-f /any.ftp.site:/ RET' ?  In any case, reproduce the bug and
then 'M-x efs-report-bug RET'
  MEM> 2. The time display in the mode-line still gets messed up.  It does
  MEM>    not in 21.4.12, which I laso compiled just now.  [in 21.5.10
  MEM>    the display appears in red on a black background, whereas in 
  MEM>    21.4.12, in red on the generic light-blue mode-line), 
  MEM> 3. When I invoke a customization menu the "remove buffer" button
  MEM>   kills xemacs, whereas in 21.4.12 it just does nothing.  
I can't reproduce either of these, but...
  MEM> configure  '--pdump' '--cflags=-pipe' '--ldflags=-s'
'--with-gtk'
I don't build '--with-gtk' either.  I've forwarded your bug report to
Bill Perry (our resident gtk guy).  In the meantime, I'll try a
gtk-XEmacs (when I get a chance), and perhaps you could try a non-gtk
one. 
Sorry for not being more helpful than this.
-- 
|---<Steve Youngs>---------------<GnuPG KeyID: 10D5C9C5>---|
|            XEmacs - It's not just an editor.             |
|                    It's a way of life.                   |
|------------------------------------<youngs(a)xemacs.org>---|