News stories from Friday January 1, 1971
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- Fighting in Vietnam resumed after the New Year's cease-fire was marked by numerous violations. [CBS]
- The sixth phase of the Vietnam troop withdrawal program has begun. The objective is to reduce U.S. troop strength to 284,000 by May 1. The U.S. ended its patrolling of Vietnam's waterways. All 600 patrol boats have now been given to the South Vietnamese, who have been receiving training since September, 1968. The U.S. Navy presence in Vietnam has been reduced from a peak of 36,000 to about 17,000. [CBS]
- Both the Polish Catholic Cardinal and the Polish Communist party leader called for church-state cooperation and denounced the handling of the food price riots. [CBS]
- The Vatican announced the signing of a treaty banning the spread of nuclear weapons. [CBS]
- Britain's currency will change to the decimal system on February 15th. A six-week, $4 million advertising campaign will explain the new system; stores are training employees. [CBS]
- Defense Secretary Melvin Laird issued a directive designed to strengthen his control over military intelligence activities. The action was taken after charges were made that Army intelligence agents had conducted political surveillance of civilian officials. Interviews with former agents revealed surveillance of Senator Charles Goodell and economist John Kenneth Galbraith. One former agent said that military intelligence and local police exchanged and compared pictures of demonstrations. [CBS]
- President Nixon and his family flew to Camp David for the holiday weekend. [CBS]
- The first big snow of the winter occurred along the mid-Atlantic seaboard -- two feet in West Virginia, 15 inches in Washington, DC, and 6 inches in New York City. New York City firemen refused to work overtime and are limiting their actions on the job since their contract expired at midnight. Police and sanitation contracts expired also, but they continue to work. [CBS]
- Today was the last day for cigarette ads on television, though several companies have bought extra time. Anti-smoking forces hope the law makes smoking less glamorous to youth. The broadcasting industry stands to lose a quarter-billion from the lack of advertising. [CBS]