News stories from Sunday April 22, 1973
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- In his Easter message, Pope Paul appealed for peace in Indochina, the Mideast and Ireland. He urged Irish Catholics to accept England's proposals for a political settlement to the crisis in Northern Ireland. Catholics in Belfast marched in memory of the Easter rebellion of 1916. Eight people were hurt in bomb explosions in Londonderry. [NBC]
- Senator Edward Brooke talked about the Watergate case on "Meet the Press." Brooke asserted that it is hard to believe President Nixon knew nothing about the costly and potentially dangerous Watergate bugging. Victor Gold, former press secretary to Vice President Agnew, said that the President is responsible for the actions of his staff. A Gallup poll shows that 41% of the American people feel that President Nixon was aware of the Watergate bugging; 33% feel that this reveals government corruption. [NBC]
- An explosion in an apartment building in El Paso, Texas, killed seven people. The explosion was caused by a natural gas leak. Many people were injured in the blast. Underground natural gas erupted in geysers near Traverse City, Michigan. Fires and explosions are feared. In Williamsburg, Michigan, craters of bubbling gas and water continue to erupt. Silt from the craters is flowing into nearby streams which empty into Lake Michigan, and may pollute the lake. The cause of the craters is still undetermined. [NBC]
- Scandal is beginning to damage the political machine of Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. The machine is beginning to show signs of old age. At the Democratic national convention last summer Daley opponents won the battle to keep Daley's people out of the convention hall. Daley is now facing increased opposition in Chicago city council. His support among blacks has slipped. Daniel Walker won the Democratic nomination for governor over a man Daley supported. When a Republican won the seat of Cook County prosecutor from Democrat Edward Hanrahan, it gave Republicans a way to investigate the corruption of the Daley machine. The federal prosecutor in Chicago, also a Republican, is investigating the corruption too.
Federal judge Otto Kerner was recently convicted in a racetrack stock bribery scandal; Kerner and Daley are long-time friends. It has been discovered that insurance contracts on City Hall and other city government buildings were awarded to the company for which Daley's son works. County Clerk Edward Barrett, a veteran of the Daley machine, was sentenced to three years in prison for accepting kickbacks. A budding scandal involves alderman Thomas Keane. Keane is the floor leader for Daley in city council. Reports say that Keane used his position to get the city to drastically reduce taxes on property he owns. Daley says that he can't be condemned for what others in government do. U.S attorney James Thompson stated that Democrats and Daley have been in office too long and they are indifferent to the demands of the public.
[NBC] - South Vietnamese and Communist troops fought a fierce battle along the Mekong River near the Cambodian border. Fighting around Phnom Penh, Cambodia, continued. Refugees are still streaming into Phnom Penh as anti-government guerrillas tighten their stranglehold on the Cambodian capital and the surrounding countryside. [NBC]
- President Sadat of Egypt is soon expected to announce plans to build a new Suez Canal. The canal would strengthen the Arab position in the Mideast controversy.
Israelis know that Arab oil is increasingly important to the United States, and they fear the gradual erosion of American support because of that. Former intelligence chief Meir Amit said that Israel is developing its own defense industry in anticipation of the withdrawal of U.S. support.
[NBC] - Reports state that French Mirage jets which were sold to Libya were later turned over to Egypt. The French government said that if this can be proved, it will sell no more jets to Libya. [NBC]