News stories from Saturday April 22, 1972

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

The two Apollo 16 astronauts on the moon roamed the slopes of a lunar mountain near their landing site today in their second excursion. They found far fewer crystalline rocks in their seven-hour search than they had expected. A final excursion and lift-off from the moon are scheduled for tomorrow. [New York Times] Rallies against the escalated Vietnam war drew 35,000 persons in New York City, 20,000 in San Francisco, 5,000 in Los Angeles and smaller numbers of people in other cities. Bad weather cut attendance in many places. Despite the rain in New York, at times the line of march stretched 20 blocks with demonstrators marching 25 to 35 abreast. [New York Times] Americans for Democratic Action opened its 25th annual conference in Washington with a call for the immediate abolition of the military draft and the prompt discharge of all draftees currently in uniform. The position reversed a position the liberal body took last year. The group is expected to endorse Senator George McGovern for president at its session tomorrow. [New York Times] Communist forces struck areas throughout South Vietnam in what seemed to be a nationwide offensive. Especially hard hit were areas left uncovered by government efforts to reinforce key towns and positions. There seemed to be no change in the siege of An Loc, but helicopters were able to land there and evacuate several hundred wounded South Vietnamese soldiers. [New York Times] Analysts in Washington said that a new generation of intercontinental ballistic missiles was being prepared for test firing by the Soviet Union. They added that the new missiles have a diameter of about 12 feet, about a third wider than the largest Soviet missile currently deployed. [New York Times]