News stories from Sunday April 15, 1973

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

Reports say that South Vietnamese troops in the Mekong Delta have crossed into Cambodia to push back Communist troops operating along the border. Eight more ships reached the besieged Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh; one ship was destroyed by the enemy. American planes continued the bombing of Communists in Cambodia, and fighting continued in South Vietnam. [NBC] Fighting in Indochina will delay the investigation into the whereabouts of 1,300 Americans who are missing in action. An Illinois group is protesting the government's giving up hope of finding American MIAs in Indochina; the National League of Families sent a letter to President Nixon regarding those who are missing. The wives and mothers of MIAs believe that the government should at least look for them before declaring that the men are no longer alive. They call the government's action regarding MIAs a disgrace, and have stated that there can be no "peace with honor" without searching for those who are missing. [NBC] A series of tornadoes hit Texas. One which hit Plainview caused extensive property damage and killed two people. [NBC] Floods from the Mississippi River currently cover 2½ million acres in Mississippi. [NBC] Even if industrial pollution is cleared up and pollution control devices are put on new cars, many major cities will still not be able to meet the pollution standards for 1975 which are required by the Clean Air Act.Los Angeles has submitted no plan regarding its program to clean up air pollution by 1975. Perhaps no solution exists for Los Angeles. The city has no mass transit plan and many say that the proposed goals are unreasonable. Texas has recently cracked down on industrial pollution. Houston felt it could meet the 1975 goal until the auto industry was given an extra year to put emission control devices on cars. Now Houston wants two extra years to meet the 1975 standards. Nobody has any good ideas on what to do about traffic pollution in New York City; the problem is immense. Environmental Protection Agency chief William Ruckelshaus stated that Congress will refuse auto manufacturers' requests to further weaken anti-pollution standards. [NBC] President Nixon announced that he will visit Europe this fall. [NBC] On Friday, the Italian government approved a bill to spend $500 million to save Venice from sinking into the sea. The city also has a severe air pollution problem. Marghera, Italy, near Venice, has a huge industrial complex which is responsible to great extent for the pollution which is gradually strangling Venice. Statues and monuments are crumbling. The new government program provides funds to restore the city's treasures and provide the city with a sewer system. In the last 20 years the population of Venice has dropped by one-third because housing conditions are very poor. The new program will improve housing and allow for a new aqueduct. [NBC] The luxury liner Queen Elizabeth II is sailing for Israel from England under heavy security; Arab sabotage is feared. The liner is filled with European and American Jews who are celebrating Israel's 25th anniversary. [NBC] Growers of 85% of the table grapes in California's Coachella Valley signed contracts with the Teamsters union. The move is expected to bring a call for a nationwide grape boycott by Cesar Chavez's rival United Farm Workers union. [NBC] British soldiers in Belfast, Northern Ireland, accidentally shot a 15-year-old boy and his 9-year-old sister. [NBC] Pope Paul led Palm Sunday mass at St. Peter's. [NBC] The Lebanese government and Palestinian guerrillas disagree over who caused the explosions at an American oil refinery yesterday. Guerrillas claim that the Israelis did it; the government says no evidence of that exists. [NBC] A travel agency organizes group marriage tours for Japanese couples. The trip includes marriage in Copenhagen, Denmark, and a tour of the area. The traditional marriage ceremony in Japan is very expensive. Japanese couples can get married in Denmark and have a honeymoon in Spain for the same amount as it costs to get married at home. [NBC]