This Day In 1970's History: Tuesday January 13, 1981
- American officials expressed concern that their hopes of freeing the 52 hostages by the time the Carter administration leaves office next Tuesday might be dashed by the latest indications of political disarray in Iran. Several officials said they suspected that a militant group was seeking to block an accord with Washington, and a senior official said that time was "running out."
A procedural delay in Teheran caused the postponement of parliamentary action on legislation required by Iran for the release of the American hostages, but officials said a vote would be taken tomorrow. The postponement resulted from the failure of enough members of a key panel to attend a meeting to approve the legislation. [New York Times]
- Clashes over the Watergate scandals dominated the Senate hearing on the nomination of Alexander Haig as Secretary of State. He and Democratic senators differed repeatedly and bitterly as he accused them of demanding that he admit a guilt he did not feel. The often tense session seemed to divide the Foreign Relations Committee along partisan lines. [New York Times]
- A major effort to help U.S. car makers was urged by the Transportation Department. Warning that sales of imports threaten national security, the department called for the industry, labor and the government to combat foreign auto makers, which have nearly doubled their share of the United States market in two years. A key element of the plan is for Washington to reach an accord with Japan that would set ceilings on car shipments to this country. [New York Times]
- Record frosts nave damaged citrus and vegetable harvests throughout Florida, The biggest losses were reported in the citrus belt, where an industry spokesman said that the 1980-81 orange harvest would be reduced 17 to 20 percent. The grapefruit crop was said to have suffered only slightly. [New York Times]
- A ban on a widely used insulation as a health hazard and possible carcinogen in humans has been proposed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission. More than 1,500 consumers have complained about vapors from the insulation, which is made of formaldehyde foam. The panel's Democratic members voted for the ban on future sales while the Republican members called for a warning label. [New York Times]
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