News stories from Sunday November 19, 1972
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- Willy Brandt's Social Democratic Party won a stunning victory over the Christian Democrats' Rainer Barzel, the conservative opponent of "Ostpolitic." Brandt got 46% of the vote. His coalition partner, the Free Democratic party, got 8%. Brandt's party now has 272 seats in Parliament; the Christian Democrats have 224. A record 90% of Germans turned out to vote. Barzel may be in trouble with his party, but wants to stay and lead the opposition. Walter Scheel, leader of the Free Democrats, was thanked by Brandt for his support. Brandt wants to normalize relations with East Germany.
The victory was a personal one for Brandt, who was defeated twice before for Chancellor. Brandt joined the underground against Hitler in World War II, then fled to Norway. After the war he was the mayor of West Berlin.
[NBC] - Henry Kissinger will meet in Paris with the North Vietnamese starting tomorrow, in hopes of achieving a settlement of the Vietnam war by Christmas. Kissinger may ask for a pledge from North Vietnam to withdraw some of its troops from South Vietnam, something not included in previous talks. Kissinger said that he looks forward to talks with Le Duc Tho, Xuan Thuy and their colleagues, and he is optimistic about reaching a settlement of the war if North Vietnam is sincere. [NBC]
- After a settlement, American troops must leave Vietnam within 60 days. For the last month, the U.S. has been carrying out huge a airlift of weapons to South Vietnam.
At Nha Trang Air Base, aviation cadets are training to fly the planes which the U.S. has given to South Vietnam. South Vietnam has the third largest air force in the world, but recruiting is a problem. The planes are very difficult to fly; the cost of the training program is $100,000 per man.
[NBC] - There was heavy fighting around Quang Tri today as South Vietnamese forces tried to recapture ground which was lost to North Vietnam last spring. [NBC]
- Racism is still a problem in American life. In Chicago, the white neighborhood of Gage Park is being invaded by blacks. Because of a school district boundary change in the area, many black children now attend Gage Park schools. White parents protested the overcrowding of schools and demanded another boundary change which would eliminate blacks; the school board turned them down so parents boycotted the schools. When the children returned to high school, fighting broke out between the races. Several were injured, 30 were arrested, and the school was closed. Schools are scheduled to reopen tomorrow. If the students are left alone, many feel they can solve the problem by themselves. [NBC]
- Police claim they fired only tear gas, not buckshot, during the uprising in which two students were killed last week at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Denver Smith was one of the victims.
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Smith had 12 children, before Denver was shot. Denver was majoring in computer science and his family insisted that he was not a militant. They can't understand why the police were called in. Erma Smith, Dallas' mother, said she taught her children to stand up for their beliefs. His father, Lawrence Smith, asked what police were doing with machine guns on a campus full of kids, and he feels that nobody will be punished for his son's murder.
[NBC] - Spokane, Washington, is preparing for the World's Fair in 1974. Extensive building is going on for the $70 million event. "Man and His Environment" is the theme of the fair. There has been a problem in getting enough exhibitors, but Expo '74 president King Cole is confident that the fair will have enough exhibitors. Many people of Spokane do not want the fair to be held there, however. Local attorney Riner Deglow said that he does not see how the fair can make money, or even break even. [NBC]
- The Washington Post reported that USO officials worked through servicemen's clubs in Vietnam to make $5 million from black market operations. The Pentagon has recommended the firing of USO executive director Samuel Anderson. [NBC]
- Strategic Arms Limitation Talks resume in Geneva on Tuesday. [NBC]
- Many draft dodgers from the Vietnam war are scattered over the world. An estimated 400 to 500 deserters and resisters are in Sweden, where some were interviewed. Charles Rougle of Helena, Montana, said that blame for the war lies with President Nixon, not with draft resisters. Herb Washington of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, stated that he will accept no conditions for returning to America. Lew Simon of New York City said that he doesn't object to a form of alternative service in the U.S., but he does object to the insinuation that the draft dodgers were wrong, and he does not like being used for furthering aggressive American foreign policy. Many resisters say they want an apology, not just amnesty. President Nixon vowed that he will never grant amnesty. [NBC]