News stories from Tuesday July 31, 1973
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- A Delta DC-9 jet crashed at Boston's Logan Airport, leaving only one survivor who is currently in critical condition. Minutes passed before emergency vehicles were able to reach the fog-enshrouded wreckage. Some survivors of the impact burned to death when the plane burst into flames. There was no report of any trouble in the last radio transmissions between the pilot and control tower.
This was the first fatal accident for a scheduled passenger flight in the U.S. since 1953.
[CBS] - Former White House chief of staff H.R. Haldeman gave a different version of meetings with John Dean and President Nixon. Haldeman disputed Dean's testimony and claimed that White House tapes back up his (Haldeman's) testimony. Haldeman denied knowing about the Watergate cover-up from Dean; White House "horrors" from John Mitchell; the perjury plans of Jeb Magruder; or orders he allegedly gave to Gordon Strachan to destroy files. Haldeman stated that he has no recollection of any of those events and refused to conjecture on Strachan's reasoning behind his testimony regarding the destruction of files. Haldeman experienced lapses of memory when asked how he learned of the Watergate break-in, saying that he doesn't remember when, how or from whom he learned about it.
Most of today's questioning pertained to Haldeman's access to two White House tapes. Haldeman reported he told that President that the tapes he listened to showed Dean's testimony to be inaccurate. Senator Lowell Weicker questioned the fairness of allowing the White House tapes to be given to one witness but not others. No other witness has had access to the tapes, nor has the Watergate committee. Committee chairman Sam Ervin said he believes any evidence from White House tapes is counterfeit, since the tapes remain in the White House.
Haldeman admitted ordering $350,000 to be turned over to the Nixon campaign committee but denied he was involved in any pay-off. He repeated the President's statement to Dean about how raising $1 million for the Watergate defendants would be easy, but it would be wrong; Haldeman confirmed that statement is on tape. Senator Inouye questioned if the White House tapes could have been doctored while Haldeman had them. Haldeman said he didn't think that was possible.
Public sentiment may be turning toward the President since Haldeman backed up his testimony with the tapes, but the Watergate committee feels exploited.
[CBS] - To hear H.R. Haldeman refer to White House tapes rubs salt in the Watergate committee's wounds. Deputy White House press secretary Gerald Warren confirmed that President Nixon won't reverse his refusal to the Watergate committee or special prosecutor Archibald Cox; the President believes he has sole control over the tapes. Nixon admitted allowing aide Steve Bull and attorney Fred Buzhardt to review three tapes, but he is positive that no changes were made to the tapes in the process. [CBS]
- Convicted Watergate burglar G. Gordon Liddy is facing a contempt of Congress citation for refusing to be sworn in at a House Armed Services Committee hearing. [CBS]
- Massachusetts congressman Robert Drinan filed a formal resolution for President Nixon's impeachment. Drinan listed the reasons behind his impeachment resolution, including the secret Cambodian bombings, White House buggings, the Nixon administration impounding money appropriated by Congress for federal programs, and the existence of a "supersecret" security force of the President. The resolution now in the House Judiciary Committee. Committee chairman Peter Rodino told one reporter that the resolution is a serious matter. [CBS]
- Texas representative Jack Brooks accused the White House of trying to prevent the disclosure of funds spent to improve, maintain and operate Nixon properties in Florida and California. General Services administrator Arthur Simpson initially agreed to furnish Brooks with records on the properties but later refused. Simpson had met with White House officials Ron Ziegler and Leonard Garment, and they advised him to issue nothing. Brooks hopes to subpoena the records and he feels that the taxpayers and Congress have a right to examine documents regarding Nixon's properties. The total expenses remain a mystery.
The White House stated that a final report will be issued soon.
[CBS] - Controversy remains over the President's acquisition of the Western White House at San Clemente, California. The Nixons purchased the home early in 1969. Records show that the property was not divided into tracts as was announced at the time, but sold in a unit. The Santa Ana Register conjectured in May of 1973 that the San Clemente home may have been purchased with 1968 presidential campaign funds. Now the administration claims that the Nixons used cash from their friend Robert Abplanalp to make the down payment.
The White House refuses to release the names of investors or the name of the company which was allegedly set up by Abplanalp to buy back all land surrounding the San Clemente estate except for 5.9 acres, and also refuses to present documents regarding the Nixon-Abplanalp transaction.
[CBS] - North Carolina federal judge James McMillan ruled that long hair, hippie clothes, or dissenting political views (if peacefully expressed) aren't grounds for barring persons from presidential appearances. He ordered the Secret Service to stop excluding any individual except for reasons pertaining to the safety of the president. The judge's action comes after some dissenters were rejected from the Billy Graham Crusade where President Nixon appeared. [CBS]
- A Department of Health, Education and Welfare advisory committee is advocating legislation to protect Americans from computerized information systems. The report to agency director Caspar Weinberger states that the misuse of record keeping could lead to serious invasions of privacy, and it recommends the use of Social Security numbers be limited to identification only. [CBS]
- Japanese Prime Minister Tanaka began his visit to Washington. At the White House, President Nixon stressed that Japan will be treated as an equal partner and as a world power in its own right. Tanaka promised to cut the imbalance in Japanese-American trade and stated that he hopes to achieve joint economic ventures with the United States. Despite deep differences in their views on trade and military issues, both leaders tried to dwell on agreeable matters. President Nixon and Japanese Emperor Hirohito will visit each other's countries within the next year. [CBS]
- The Environmental Protection Agency proposed standards for trucks to cut noise pollution. Special mufflers and less noisy tires will be required. [CBS]
- Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor announced that they will file for divorce. [CBS]
- Many households have felt the effects of the beef shortage. Now the White House got a taste of what the shortage is like. Bernard Goldstein supplies the White House with meat, but Goldstein refused to fill the order for steaks today. Goldstein said that until the shortages are stopped and economic controls are removed, the White House will get no steaks from him and will have to settle for hamburger, lamb and pork. Administration spokesman Gerald Warren stated that the White House will look elsewhere for steaks. [CBS]
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Stock Market Report
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 926.40 (-7.37, -0.79%)
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* |
| July 30, 1973 | 933.77 | 109.25 | 11.17 |
| July 27, 1973 | 936.71 | 109.59 | 12.91 |
| July 26, 1973 | 934.53 | 109.85 | 18.41 |
| July 25, 1973 | 933.02 | 109.64 | 22.22 |
| July 24, 1973 | 918.72 | 108.14 | 16.28 |
| July 23, 1973 | 913.15 | 107.52 | 15.58 |
| July 20, 1973 | 910.90 | 107.14 | 16.30 |
| July 19, 1973 | 906.68 | 106.55 | 18.65 |
| July 18, 1973 | 905.40 | 106.35 | 17.02 |
| July 17, 1973 | 898.03 | 105.72 | 18.75 |