News stories from Saturday December 26, 1970

Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:

President Nixon was reliably reported to be preparing to announce the establishment of a White House organization on foreign economic policy similar to those now existing for national security and domestic affairs. Foreign economic policy matters, which dominate relations with many countries, are currently handled by different departments with little coordination. [New York Times] Mr. Nixon signed legislation expanding federal birth control programs and population research. At the same time, the President in effect vetoed a bill designed to induce medical schools to train more family doctors because the measure "is unnecessary and represents the wrong approach" to health problems. [New York Times] Observers in Washington said the dispute between those who believe that government surveillance of millions of Americans linked to computerized data banks seriously threatens constitutionally protected liberties and those who believe such data collection is justified by the need to prevent civil disorders and protect public officials portends a deep and bitter struggle. [New York Times] Doctors were reported to have found that human violence arises from specific areas inside the brain. Brain surgery and anti-convulsant drugs were found to keep violent behavior in some persons to a minimum, and in some cases doctors have even turned violent behavior on and off by activating electrodes planted in patients' brains. Scientists at Baylor College of Medicine said they had isolated the chemical in the brain that induces fear of the dark. [New York Times] Researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, Calif., were said to be finding abnormally high amounts of lead in fish caught in coastal waters near cities. The researchers believe the lead comes from automobile exhausts, and they add that fish caught farther out in the sea have much smaller amounts. [New York Times] The Soviet Union and the United Arab Republic issued a moderately worded communique in Moscow, supporting all efforts to find a peaceful settlement in the Middle East. A high-level Egyptian delegation had just ended a week of talks with Soviet officials and was flying home. The communique warned that continued Israeli occupation of Arab territories increases "the danger to world peace." [New York Times] Palestinian guerrillas said that they had repulsed Jordanian troops and tanks after a two-day battle in the Jordan hills overlooking Salt. The guerrillas said the army had been attacking their strongholds. Premier Golda Meir was reported to believe that a Middle East settlement was far off, if it is possible at all. In an interview, she said that only those who think Israel will give in to the Arabs believe that a settlement is possible soon. [New York Times] When the defense lawyers in the court-martial of 15 Basque separatists gathered in the military court at Burgos, Spain, expecting to hear the verdicts in the case, the investigating magistrate told them the verdicts would not be announced until sometime between next Tuesday and next Friday. The delay was thought to be related to the freeing Friday of the kidnapped honorary West German consul at San Sebastian. Observers were convinced that the sentences were being reconsidered, presumably in the direction of leniency. [New York Times] In its first reaction to the worldwide concern over the sentences given 11 Soviet defendants in a hijacking case, Tass, the Soviet press agency, said the 11 had been convicted for their crime of "betraying the country" and not because most of them were Jewish. Tass also said that the protests in the United States had been "masterminded by Israel" as part of an anti-Soviet campaign. [New York Times]