News stories from Saturday September 29, 1973
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- Appearing before the convention of the National Federation of Republican Women in Los Angeles, Vice President Agnew drew cheers when he declared that he would not resign if indicted and denounced the Justice Department for what he called its "unprofessional and malicious and outrageous" handling of the investigation into charges that he received kickbacks while serving as governor of Maryland. [New York Times]
- A review of a massive report filed by Republicans in response to a court order disclosed that President Nixon's 1972 fundraisers engaged in an accelerated last-minute effort to raise and spend millions of dollars before a campaign disclosure law took effect on April 7. The report indicated that $5.2 million was collected in the last 48 hours before the law took effect. [New York Times]
- If a majority of Americans have their way, the 1972 election will have been the last presidential campaign financed by private donations, according to a Gallup sampling of public opinion. The poll found that 65% of the people think it would be a good idea to prohibit all campaign contributions from private sources and to substitute a federal campaign subsidy. [New York Times]
- With New Jersey's gubernatorial election a month away, leaders of both parties agreed that Representative Charles Sandman, the Republican candidate seeking to regenerate President Nixon's "silent majority", was in serious political trouble. While Mr. Sandman's conservative appeal has reportedly divided his own party, the Democrats seems strongly united behind their candidate, Brendan Byrne, a former prosecutor and Superior Court judge. [New York Times]
- Senator Henry Jackson reportedly plans to ask the Justice Department to review conflicting testimony produced during Senate hearings into the controversial Russian grain deal. Senator Jackson headed an investigating subcommittee, whose report is expected to conclude that mismanagement by Department of Agriculture officials led to massive Soviet purchases at unreasonably low prices resulting in serious economic repercussions. [New York Times]
- A pair of Soviet astronauts came safely home to earth at the end of a two-day test flight in a modified Soyuz spacecraft. It was the first successful space mission for the Russians in more than two years, and was designed to check out improvements made in the spacecraft since three astronauts were killed when Soyuz 11 developed an air leak in its return to earth. [New York Times]
- The Austrian government's announced decision to close group transit facilities for Soviet Jews caused a storm of controversy throughout the country. But the arrival and departure of Jews emigrating from the Soviet Union continued quietly despite the decision to yield to the Arab guerrillas who demanded the closing of the facilities in exchange for the release of their four hostages. Though the government made no moves to carry out the decision, officials said it would close such group facilities as Schoenau Castle, which has been the key transfer point for more than 60,000 Israel-bound Soviet Jews over the last two years. [New York Times]
- Israel's cabinet opposed the Austrian government's decision to close the transit facilities and called upon Vienna to continue her arrangements for the passage of Jews. In a statement after an extraordinary meeting, the cabinet condemned Austria's "surrender" to Arab terrorists.
The Austrian decision was hailed by Arab militants as a major success for the Palestinian guerrilla movement. The two Arabs who forced the decision by seizing hostages from an Austrian train were identified by leaflets as members of "The Eagles of the Palestine Revolution", a group unknown before.
[New York Times] - Chile's long tradition of autonomous universities came to an end when the new military junta announced that it would replace all university rectors with military appointees during the next 10 days. The action was seen as part of the junta's determination to extend its control over key national institutions. [New York Times]