News stories from Wednesday September 20, 1972
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- The three freed POW's may leave Hanoi within 48 hours. The POW's, their relatives and U.S. peace activists toured Hanoi today. As penance, Olga Charles and Minnie Lee Gartley toured destroyed buildings in Hanoi, including an apartment house and a textile factory that were bombed in June and July. A hospital narrowly missed being bombed; there were some casualties. Mrs. Charles said that she hopes Americans will be correctly informed about civilian casualties in North Vietnam; Mrs. Gartley lamented the irony of America's humanitarian impulse in contrast with this senseless destruction.
The POW release ceremony was filmed. Lt. Norris Charles thanked the North Vietnamese for their humane treatment and generosity, and hoped for the war to end so that all POW's can be reunited with their families. Lt. Edward Gartley said that continuing the war extends the suffering of the Vietnamese people, causes dissension in America, results in more POW's being taken and delays the return of present POW's. Charles preached a sermon on Sunday in detention camp, with the conclusion "God is dying".
The destination of the POW entourage is unknown. A stop has been scheduled at Vientiane, Laos, where U.S. officials may try to persuade the POW's to leave the plane. Indications are that this stop won't be made (and the flight will go on to Moscow) so that U.S. officials can't get their hands on the men until after that.
[CBS] - President Thieu visited Quang Tri city and promised to rebuild the city. U.S. command confirmed that a Navy jet was shot down today, the 100th plane to be lost during the current bombing. This pilot was rescued but 106 others have either been captured or are MIA. [CBS]
- George McGovern met some opposition during his tour of the Western Electric factory in Columbus, Ohio. Senator McGovern was confronted with the Vietnam war issue by workers Don Gishler and Carl Bitler. Gishler opposes McGovern's amnesty for draft dodgers. McGovern retorted by asking Gishler what President Nixon has done besides "bomb the hell out of people". Gishler proposed more such bombing; Bitler said that America doesn't believe in surrendering. The reception was generally friendly, though most workers seemed to be pro-Nixon. [CBS]
- AFL-CIO president George Meany has suspended the Colorado AFL-CIO chapter because of its endorsement of George McGovern, contrary to Meany's neutrality stance. The Colorado council charged that Meany exceeded his authority and threatened a court fight. [CBS]
- President Nixon has troubles regarding Watergate and U.S.-Soviet grain trade. In the Watergate case, a federal judge accepted the Democrats' complaint which names Maurice Stans as a defendant. The probability of beginning the case before the election has increased.
The White House says that the FBI is investigating possible profiteering by big grain dealers as the result of a tip-off from the Agriculture Department. Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz requested the probe because of charges being made on the campaign trail. The Senate Agriculture Committee voted down a bill to compensate farmers who sold their grain to large dealers at lower prices prior to the announcement of the deal with Russia. Similar legislation is pending in the House.
[CBS] - The White House sent a military consultant to confer with Alabama Governor George Wallace about national security. The courtesy to Wallace is suspected of having political overtones. [CBS]
- AWOL Marine Pvt. Thomas Misho, a Vietnam veteran, surrendered on the floor of the Democratic national convention to dramatize the issue of amnesty. Today at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina, Misho was sentenced to one year at hard labor and received a dishonorable discharge. [CBS]
- More booby-trapped letters were found in London, also in Geneva, Brussels, Vienna, Tel Aviv, Montreal, Ottawa and New York City. All were mailed from the Netherlands and all were sent to Israeli officials; there were no casualties. The ones found in New York City were addressed to Israeli officials at the United Nations but were discovered while still in New York City's main post office, and bomb disposal experts destroyed the devices. Some letters contained "Black September" notes. Scotland Yard said that the packaged bomb which killed an Israeli in London yesterday was manufactured in the United States. [CBS]
- In May, the Ford Motor Company told the Environmental Protection Agency about employee violations of pollution control test rules. The EPA today commended Ford. EPA director William Ruckelshaus has asked the Justice Department to take appropriate legal action. [CBS]
- Opinion polls figure large in Campaign '72. A House bill would require pollsters to publicize their methods; Gallup consented, but Harris claims that such a move would be a violation of the first amendment. Pollsters say that polls don't determine the outcome of an election, but they can affect the details of a campaign, such as funds and strategies. Party appeal is not strong this year. Gallup reports that the Democrats are more disaffected than ever; McGovern's program is said to be too much, too specific, too fresh and too different for the public to swallow. [CBS]
- U.S. newsmen rarely travel inside North Vietnam but CBS reporter John Hart is there now. Hart's impressions: the "friendly" (North Vietnamese) airplane; quiet atmosphere; bicycling is typical; oxcarts are used; laughter is frequent; the sun rises over the lakes (since the U.S. can't bomb the sun). Reunification with the South is said to be a pervasive desire, but bombing by the U.S. is the topic most are obsessed with. [CBS]
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Stock Market Report
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 940.25 (-2.93, -0.31%)
Arms Index is the ratio of volume per declining issue to volume per advancing issue; a figure below 1.0 is bullish. | |||||||||||||||
| Market Index Trends | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | DJIA | S&P | Volume* |
| September 19, 1972 | 943.18 | 108.55 | 13.33 |
| September 18, 1972 | 945.36 | 108.61 | 8.80 |
| September 15, 1972 | 947.32 | 108.81 | 11.69 |
| September 14, 1972 | 947.55 | 108.93 | 12.50 |
| September 13, 1972 | 949.88 | 108.90 | 13.07 |
| September 12, 1972 | 946.04 | 108.47 | 13.56 |
| September 11, 1972 | 955.00 | 109.51 | 10.71 |
| September 8, 1972 | 961.24 | 110.15 | 10.98 |
| September 7, 1972 | 962.45 | 110.29 | 11.09 |
| September 6, 1972 | 963.43 | 110.55 | 12.01 |