News stories from Wednesday June 23, 1971
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- Daniel Ellsberg, who is believed to be responsible for leaking the classified Pentagon report to the New York Times, pointed out that nowhere in the report is there any estimate of the effect of American policy on Vietnamese casualties, refugees, or the ecological effects of defoliation. He also noted that the report does not describe any South Vietnamese official in terms other than as an instrument of U.S. policy.
Ellsberg said that he doesn't feel guilty for his involvement in the government during the build-up to the Vietnam war; he thinks that after others read the report they will better understand his own intense antiwar activities. Ellsberg said that it must be painful for the American people to realize that the leaders they respected regarded them contemptuously, and that soldiers who refused to kill Vietnamese civilians at My Lai are the real heroes of the Vietnam war; he believes that there would have been violence in South Vietnam without America's presence, but there wouldn't have been war.
[CBS] - President Nixon announced that he will make the classified Pentagon report available to Congress. Nixon decided that since congressional committees will be holding hearings on the report, they should have a complete copy available although he cannot vouch for the completeness or accuracy of the report. The Senate will create a special committee for inquiring into the origins of the Vietnam war.
A court has given the New York Times the freedom to publish some of the report documents; it divided the report into two parts and granted the Times permission to publish one of the parts after Friday; the other part will be reviewed by federal judge Murray Gurfein by July 5.
The Chicago Sun-Times published a story, based on the report, about the Kennedy administration's involvement in the overthrow of the regime of South Vietnam President Ngo Dinh Diem. Former Assistant Secretary of State Roger Hilsman was the author of the memos quoted by the Sun-Times; the Justice Department is not seeking an injunction because the memos that were quoted have already been declassified.
[CBS] - President Nguyen Van Thieu signed into law a bill limiting the number of candidates for president in South Vietnam; critics charge that the bill makes a democratic election impossible. [CBS]
- Claude Vealey has confessed to the 1969 murder of United Mine Workers official Joseph Yablonski and his family. Vealey's confession includes a reference to "Tony" as the person who paid to have the murders done; UMW president W. A. "Tony" Boyle denied any connection with the slayings. Defense attorney William Hart decided that it would be to Vealey's advantage to plead guilty and cooperate in the prosecution of other cases. Joseph Yablonski, Jr. said he is encouraged that proceedings have begun. [CBS]
- The Finley Coal Mining company and its manager have been indicted for 24 safety violations which resulted in the deaths of 38 miners in the Hyden, Kentucky, mine explosion last December. [CBS]
- The British Parliament must ratify an agreement reached in Luxembourg in order for Britain to join the Common Market in 1973. [CBS]
- Soviet Soyuz II cosmonauts set a new endurance record by spending their 18th day in a space laboratory. [CBS]
- The U.S. and USSR are discussing the possibility of joint space missions at meetings in Houston. [CBS]
- North Vietnam announced that Le Duc Tho is returning to head the North Vietnam Paris Peace Talks delegation. [CBS]
- The Senate voted to prevent a filibuster of the draft extension bill. [CBS]
- The National Alliance of Businessmen promised to find 100,000 jobs for Vietnam veterans during the next year. [CBS]
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Stock Market Report
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 879.45 (+5.03, +0.58%)
Arms Index is the ratio of volume per declining issue to volume per advancing issue; a figure below 1.0 is bullish. | |||||||||||||||
| Market Index Trends | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | DJIA | S&P | Volume* |
| June 22, 1971 | 874.42 | 97.59 | 15.20 |
| June 21, 1971 | 876.53 | 97.87 | 16.49 |
| June 18, 1971 | 889.16 | 98.97 | 15.04 |
| June 17, 1971 | 906.25 | 100.50 | 13.98 |
| June 16, 1971 | 908.59 | 100.52 | 14.30 |
| June 15, 1971 | 907.20 | 100.32 | 13.55 |
| June 14, 1971 | 907.71 | 100.22 | 11.53 |
| June 11, 1971 | 916.47 | 101.07 | 12.27 |
| June 10, 1971 | 915.96 | 100.64 | 12.45 |
| June 9, 1971 | 912.46 | 100.29 | 14.25 |