News stories from Saturday July 22, 1972

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

President Nixon has chosen Vice President Agnew to run with him in November. Ron Ziegler, the President's press secretary, who made the announcement, said that Mr. Nixon had decided on Mr. Agnew shortly after the Democratic convention. The President informed Republican party leaders of his choice before the announcement was made, Mr. Ziegler said, and also told John Connally, former Secretary of the Treasury, who was regarded as a rival of Me. Agnew for the Vice Presidency. [New York Times] Senator George McGovern, the Democratic presidential nominee, said that he wanted a series of nationally televised debates this fall with President Nixon. The challenge to Mr. Nixon was in a telegram sent by Senator McGovern from his Black Hills vacation retreat to Carl Albert, Democratic Speaker of the House. Mr. McGovern urged early action by the House to suspend the equal-time requirements of the Federal Communications Act to permit the presidential candidates to meet alone on television. The Senate has already taken such action. [New York Times] A new Gallup poll appears to have put a damper on expectation of Senator McGovern's strategists that he can win a critical 8 million vote margin over President Nixon among first-time voters by conducting an extensive youth-registration campaign. The poll indicates that the McGovern registration strategy could backfire, producing more young voters who favor Mr. Nixon more than Mr. McGovern. [New York Times] British troops moved in force into Catholic neighborhoods today as gun battles, bombings and killings continued in Northern Ireland following the stepped-up bombing attacks in Belfast Friday by the IRA's provisional wing. Three more persons were shot to death and 18 were injured. A bomb destroyed a bridge near Belfast, and another shattered stores in the center of Armagh. [New York Times] Premier Kakuei Tanaka of Japan has been invited by Premier Chou En-lai to visit China and discuss the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The invitation was conveyed to Premier Tanaka by Kozo Sasaki, a leader of the opposition Japanese Socialist party, who had just returned from talks with Mr. Chou in Peking. [New York Times] President Salvador Allende is undertaking a more austere policy for Chile's march toward socialism, emphasizing "work, sacrifice and savings." Belt-tightening and more discipline in wage policy and public spending is to replace the easy-money, high-consumption policy of Dr. Allende's first 20 months in office, according to official sources. [New York Times]