News stories from Saturday July 27, 1974

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

The House Judiciary Committee voted 27 to 11 to recommend the impeachment of President Nixon on a charge that he personally engaged in a "course of conduct" designed to obstruct justice in the Watergate case. This set in motion the constitutional process that could ultimately strip President Nixon of his office. The margin of the vote, with six of the committee's Republicans joining all 21 of the Democrats in adoption of the resolution, was believed certain to set a pattern for debate on the charge in the full House next month. [New York Times] A document prepared for members of the House Judiciary Committee by John Doar, its special counsel, declares that proof of President Nixon's complicity in the Watergate cover-up lies not only in his overt actions but also in his failure to take actions that might have resulted in bringing the facts of the case to light. It lists 50 separate "undisputed incidents" that, Mr. Doar said, show that President Nixon must have "made a decision" to join the cover-up. [New York Times] Lt. Gov. Ed Reinecke of California was found guilty by a federal grand jury in Washington of lying to the Senate Judiciary Committee in April, 1972. He was indicted last April of having lied when he testified at a hearing on the nomination of Richard Kleindienst for Attorney General. The perjury conviction carries a maximum penalty of five years' imprisonment, or a fine of $2,000, or both, Mr. Reinecke, a Republican, said the verdict was "a gross miscarriage of justice." [New York Times] The New York region's building boom that lasted more than a decade is over, and the building industry is in its worst crisis since the early 1950's, perhaps since the Depression. The problem is not limited to New York. Construction has declined sharply in Boston and on the West Coast, among other areas. Thus New York's situation is not unique, but its long-time role as center of architectural innovation and enormous building activity makes the problem all the more severe locally. [New York Times] American assurances to Athens and a Turkish compromise offer revived hope that the three-nation conference in Geneva could reach an agreement on enforcing the cease-fire in Cyprus and open the way for further negotiations. Late Friday night, the Turkish Foreign Minister, Turan Gunes, presented a Turkish proposal combining cease-fire provisions and demands for political talks to Britain's Foreign Secretary, James Callaghan, who has been acting as mediator. He passed the proposal to the Greek Foreign Minister, George Mavros, who said it was "a great improvement" and relayed it to Athens. [New York Times] Secretary of State Kissinger gave the new Greek government strong assurances that Washington would back up the fragile cease-fire in Cyprus. The assurances followed a day of growing restiveness among Greek officials who feared that Turkish forces in Cyprus were broadening and strengthening their positions at the expense of the Greek Cypriote community. Mr. Kissinger was also in close touch with Turkish officials in Ankara, and diplomats in Athens speculated that the Secretary had put heavy pressure on the Turks to stop fighting. [New York Times] Turkish forces that advanced Friday to within four miles of the strategically situated village of Myrtou in Cyprus held their ground today as Greek Cypriote National Guard reinforcements moved up from the west. Cyprus had its quietest day since the fighting broke out a week ago. Turkish units either remained in place, or in some cases, withdrew slightly to consolidated positions as Greek Cypriote troops strengthened their own lines. No significant shooting incidents were reported by either United Nation observers or the National Guard. [New York Times] President Antonio de Spinola pledged Portugal to the principle of colonial independence and promised to start transferring power immediately to Portugal's three African territories. He told the nation over television that he promulgated a new law permitting Portugal to free Mozambique, Angola and Portuguese Guinea, which legally became part of Portugal in 1933. [New York Times]