News stories from Wednesday December 6, 1972
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- Henry Kissinger and North Vietnam's Le Duc Tho resumed their private Vietnam peace talks in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. The name of the game is "follow Henry", and the players are reporters and cameramen on motorcycles. Today's destination was the house of a wealthy American-French jeweler in Neuilly. The negotiators appeared jocular. More meetings are scheduled for tomorrow, and the talks may conclude this week. South Vietnam and the Viet Cong are both hesitant about a settlement. [CBS]
- Communists attacked Tan Son Nhut Air Force Base near Saigon. Light damage was done to the base but one American soldier was killed and two were wounded. Five civilians were killed and 30 others were wounded. North Vietnam's K-11 battalion of the 7th division is held responsible for the attack. [CBS]
- The families of astronauts Eugene Cernan and Ron Evans await tonight's lift-off of Apollo 17; astronaut Harrison J. Schmitt is not married. Although the Apollo program is coming to an end, Dr. Wernher Von Braun says that more moon flights will take place. [CBS]
- Linwood Holton of Virginia, the new chairman of the Republican governors, urged his party to open its doors to all segments of society -- the poor, the young, and blacks. Democrats also face a problem of broadening their base of support. [CBS]
- All systems are go for the historic launch of the last of the moon shots in the Apollo program. Apollo 17 will lift off at night for the first time. Astronauts Gene Cernan, Harrison Schmitt and Ronald Evans will board the spaceship shortly. [CBS]
- 88-year-old former President Harry Truman is in serious condition at a Kansas City, Missouri, hospital with lung congestion. Dr. Wallace Graham said that Truman is suffering from bronchitis complicated by a weak heart. A hospital spokesman reported that Truman's condition was slightly improved today. Bess Truman is staying at the bedside of her husband. [CBS]
- Agriculture Secretary Earl Butz will remain at that post for President Nixon's second term. Commerce Secretary Peter Peterson will be replaced by Fred Dent of South Carolina. Dent is the president of Mayfair Mills. Press secretary Ron Ziegler announced the changes today. Peterson turned down a post as economic ambassador to Europe. He is independent and was friendly with the press -- traits which are not assets as far as the Nixon administration is concerned. Peterson said that he turned down the economic post for personal reasons.
The Commerce Department is basically a huge statistical computer. The department runs things from the Weather Bureau to the Patent Office to fisheries. Its pollution council is a council of industry which is frequently at odds with the Environmental Protection Agency. Peterson had given the department a more active policy-making role, including the sale to Russia of U.S. wheat. Reports are that economic policy-making is going to Treasury Secretary George Shultz, and international economic policy to Henry Kissinger and the State Department. Peterson, unhappy about the downgraded role of Commerce, is bowing out.
[CBS] - The attorneys general of many states called for the restoration of capital punishment at their meeting in California. [CBS]
- A Senate committee heard medical testimony that non-prescription drugs do nothing to help end coughs and colds. Doctors listed Contac, Coricidin, Super-Anahist, Nyquil, Dristan and Allerest among the drugs which are ineffective. The makers of Nyquil and Contac issued statements disputing the testimony. [CBS]
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Stock Market Report
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 1027.54 (+4.59, +0.45%)
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* |
| December 5, 1972 | 1022.95 | 117.58 | 17.80 |
| December 4, 1972 | 1025.21 | 117.77 | 19.73 |
| December 1, 1972 | 1023.93 | 117.38 | 22.57 |
| November 30, 1972 | 1018.21 | 116.67 | 19.34 |
| November 29, 1972 | 1018.81 | 116.52 | 17.38 |
| November 28, 1972 | 1019.34 | 116.47 | 19.21 |
| November 27, 1972 | 1017.76 | 116.72 | 18.91 |
| November 24, 1972 | 1025.21 | 117.27 | 15.76 |
| November 22, 1972 | 1020.54 | 116.90 | 24.51 |
| November 21, 1972 | 1013.25 | 116.21 | 22.11 |