News stories from Tuesday June 19, 1973
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- Soviet party leader Leonid Brezhnev and President Nixon, acting like old buddies, signed trade agreements today amid tight security. Agreements pertaining to the sharing of information on oceanography, agriculture, transportation, and cultural exchange were signed by Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko and Secretary of State Rogers. The atmosphere was light and friendly. Brezhnev lunched with senators, and stated that Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union is allowed 95% of the time. Senator Jacob Javits told reporters that Brezhnev acted with dignity on the Jewish question, but Javits was not satisfied with his answer. Brezhnev wooed U.S. legislators for better trade, credit and tariffs. He will fly to Camp David for strategic weapons talk tomorrow. [CBS]
- Chinese officials in Washington, DC were obviously concerned over the Brezhnev-Nixon meeting. Peking envoy Chen met with Henry Kissinger. [CBS]
- The running battle between the White House and Congress has cooled a bit. Former White House aide John Ehrlichman warned President Nixon of a "Trojan horse" Congress. But the President signed bills from the "Trojans" without much whimpering. Those bills included ones regarding health, economic development, airport construction and veterans cemeteries. The signings may be the President's way of sending an olive branch to Congress. [CBS]
- The Senate Judiciary Committee began confirmation hearings for FBI director nominee Clarence Kelley. Kelley was introduced by committee chairman James Eastland and praised by Attorney General Elliot Richardson and the two Missouri senators. Senators Phillip Hart and Edward Kennedy asked if Kelley would cooperate with a watchdog committee to oversee the FBI, and asked what new policies are needed to protect an individual's right to dissent while surveillance of radicals is in operation. Kelley approved the watchdog committee in theory, but said that he knows little about surveillance of domestic radicals. Most senators seemed to be pleased with his sincerity, and are hopeful that Kelley can clean up the FBI. [CBS]
- Next week, former White House counsel John Dean will testify before the Senate Watergate committee with limited immunity. Prosecutors have refused to grant Dean immunity in the criminal case. The prosecutors were in court today to protect the evidence in the case. James Neal asked Judge John Sirica to date and seal the evidence against Dean. If Dean is indicted, the prosecutors must prove that the indictment was not based on evidence from the Watergate hearings that is covered by partial immunity. Dean had no comment. Sources say that Dean is worried because the evidence indicates that Dean kept $14,000 in Nixon campaign funds for his personal use and borrowed $4,000 from those funds for his wedding. [CBS]
- Former White House aides John Ehrlichman and H.R. Haldeman are having trouble getting documents which they need for their defense. Their attorney, John Wilson, said that his clients looked at documents at the White House, but an FBI agent or Secret Service man was with them at all times. [CBS]
- Senate sources claim that John Dean reportedly "knows" that President Nixon offered executive clemency to convicted Watergate conspirator E. Howard Hunt. Dean's information is based on hearsay, however. [CBS]
- The Watergate scandal is casting a shadow over an impending trial in Miami, Florida. Before the Republican national convention in 1972, the government handed down indictments against eight leaders of Vietnam Veterans Against the War. The "Gainesville 8" were charged with conspiring blow up buildings during the Republican convention. Now the VVAW claims that its indictment was part of the Watergate cover-up, and many improper government actions against veterans groups are being looked into.
Burglars ransacked a VVAW office and stole Scott Camil's file with the idea using it to force Camil to back up the prosecution's story. Watergate burglar Bernard Barker has been linked with Pablo Fernandez, who is known to be against the VVAW. Fernandez once admitted that Barker hired him to rough up Daniel Ellsberg, but now says he never admitted that. He also said that he didn't try to sell arms to the VVAW, although government informant Angelica Roman stated that she was present when Fernandez asked one veteran if he wanted arms and bombs; the veteran refused. Fernandez's employer, Miami police chief Bernard Garmire, told the Miami Herald that Fernandez has "many problems". Bill Lemmer, another government spy, infiltrated the VVAW and frequently urged them to commit violent acts. Most left-wing groups may be infiltrated with government agents. If there are more Watergate disclosures, the government might not get its chance to bring the Gainesville 8 to trial.
[CBS] - Maryland banker Blagden "Bubby" Wharton is being charged with perjury and violating election laws. He reportedly made $50,000 loan as a contribution to a Republican fundraising dinner honoring Spiro Agnew in order to make the dinner look more successful. [CBS]
- A U.S. Phantom jet crashed in Cambodia; its crew is missing. [CBS]
- John Thompson, an American executive for Firestone's subsidiary in Argentina, has been kidnapped. Firestone has received no word from the kidnappers as of yet. Foreign firms were threatened by Argentine terrorists that they must close by noon to honor tomorrow's return of exiled President Juan Peron. [CBS]
- Two of the four men aboard the research submarine "Johnson's Sea Link" are dead. Examining the bodies after the sub's rescue from the ocean floor near Key West, Florida, a doctor reported that the two men apparently froze to death. The dead are Al Stover and Clayton Link, the sub designer's son. Survivors Robert Meek and Archibald Menzies are in excellent condition. There was no sign of life since Monday from the men in the rear of the sub. Even after warming the compartment and building up the amount of breathable air, there was still no sign. Meek and Menzies are alive because they were in the vessel's bow, which was made of material that retained heat. [CBS]
- Skylab astronauts Pete Conrad and Paul Weitz take took a space walk to retrieve film. Splashdown is scheduled for Friday. [CBS]
- Albert Pass has been found guilty of the 1969 murder of former United Mine Workers president Joseph Yablonski, his daughter and wife. [CBS]
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Stock Market Report
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 881.55 (+6.47, +0.74%)
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 18, 1973 | 875.08 | 103.60 | 11.46 |
| June 15, 1973 | 888.55 | 105.10 | 11.97 |
| June 14, 1973 | 902.92 | 106.40 | 13.21 |
| June 13, 1973 | 915.49 | 107.60 | 15.70 |
| June 12, 1973 | 927.00 | 108.29 | 13.84 |
| June 11, 1973 | 915.11 | 106.70 | 9.94 |
| June 8, 1973 | 920.00 | 107.03 | 14.05 |
| June 7, 1973 | 909.62 | 105.84 | 14.16 |
| June 6, 1973 | 898.18 | 104.31 | 13.08 |
| June 5, 1973 | 900.81 | 104.62 | 14.08 |