News stories from Monday August 6, 1973
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- The Nixon administration released a new, higher figure -- at least $10 million -- of taxpayer money which has been spent on the President's homes in San Clemente and Key Biscayne, as well as the homes of Bebe Rebozo and Robert Abplanalp which the President sometimes uses. Until now, the figures had been kept secret by the Defense Department. Arthur Sampson of the General Services Administration said that taxpayer money was spent on land surrounding the San Clemente home because the White House claimed it belonged to the President. Sampson said he doesn't know who really owns the property. The President has promised to release a full report on the purchase of the Key Biscayne and San Clemente homes within 30 days.
Questions remain unanswered on the need for such elaborate security protection. Expenditures for San Clemente include a bulletproof pool screen, flag pole, landscaping, and den furniture. Congressman Tom Steed believes the Secret Service should include too much security rather than too little, but congressman Jack Brooks said that a line must be drawn regarding personal Nixon properties if the government doesn't own the land; decoration isn't meant to be part of security expenditures.
[CBS] - U.S. bombers mistakenly hit the Cambodian naval base at Neak Luong. 100 persons were killed; 600 were wounded. The Pentagon reported that a B-52 dropped a portion of its bomb load short of the intended Communist target. An investigation into the incident has begun. [CBS]
- The U.S. bombing halt in Cambodia will take place August 15. Sources claims that the White House has issued secret orders to allow increased bombing operations around Phnom Penh if fighting increases there. Assistant Secretary of Defense Jerry Friedheim stated that Communist forces intend to drive refugees into Phnom Penh for a final battle and the city's surrender. [CBS]
- In 1969, the U.S. military began crossing the Cambodian border to gather intelligence and disrupt the flow of men and material from North Vietnam into South Vietnam. But in his speech of April 30, 1970, President Nixon stated that Cambodia's neutrality was not being violated by the United States.
Some missions went 100 miles into Cambodia. Former intelligence agent Winslow Peck stated that such raids were a daily activity. New Republic writer Tad Szulc discovered the story. He claims that the range of the operation was extremely wide, covering all of Southeast Asia, including intelligence teams crossing into China. U.S. strategists obtained Chinese defense patterns by staging fake air fights. Administration officials say that President Nixon personally ordered the operations as way to help save American lives in South Vietnam.
[CBS] - Former acting FBI director L. Patrick Gray appeared before Senate Watergate committee. The committee questioned Gray intensely about the warning he gave to President Nixon about Watergate, and the destruction of E. Howard Hunt's files by Gray was also discussed.
Gray testified that he didn't examine the files before burning them six months after he was told to do so. After Senator Weicker disclosed publicly Gray's destruction of the files, Gray met with Attorney General Richard Kleindienst and assistant Attorney General Henry Petersen. Petersen confided his fear to Gray over being expendable, but he knew that H.R. Haldeman and John Ehrlichman weren't. Senator Talmadge asked whether phone conversation with the President should have alerted him that his staff members were obstructing justice. Gray replied that the President should have been warned that White House staff was using the FBI and CIA to obstruct the Watergate probe. He expected questions from the President on matter, but no questions came.
During a call to Gray in April, 1973, Nixon reminded him of their conversation of July, 1972. In the July conversation, the President urged Gray to continue with a thorough probe of Watergate. Gray told Senator Inouye that he thinks the President wanted that statement on the record. Gray wasn't aware that phone calls were being recorded, but he had a strange feeling about the conversation. Gray said that he followed orders from White House staff because he assumed the President's authority was implied. Gray stated that he had total trust in the President and his staff at the time, and didn't consider that he was being swept into the same Watergate mess that the FBI was being ordered to investigate.
[CBS] - An IRS official admitted that the IRS set up an intelligence agency in 1969 to probe companies and individuals with "extremist" views or philosophies. A spokesman wouldn't confirm the report by Time magazine that the unit was created on orders from the White House. [CBS]
- Astronauts Jack Lousma and Owen Garriott walked in space successfully today. Lousma and Garriott repaired and replaced parts and searched for other problems with Skylab. Alan Bean relayed instructions to the astronauts from mission control. [CBS]
- The "Gainesville 8" trial continues. Seven members of Vietnam Veterans Against the War and one of its supporters are charged with conspiracy to disrupt the 1972 Republican national convention.
The prosecution's star witness appeared today. Former FBI informer and VVAW member William Lemmer testified that Scott Camil was setting up political assassination squads in Florida. Lemmer said that Camil traded dope for guns to prepare his assassination unit. The defense objected to Lemmer's testimony, but Lemmer later revealed details that involve the present charges against VVAW members. Lemmer related Camil's plans to bombard all police stations around the Republican convention and simultaneously overrun the convention. The government is relying on such witnesses as Lemmer to prove that the VVAW had violent plans for the '72 Republican convention.
[CBS] - The Greek government plans to prosecute the captured Arab terrorists after their shootout in the Athens airport which killed three people and wounded many more. The terrorists claim to be members of the "Black September" group. The terrorists thought their victims were bound for Israel, but they weren't. [CBS]
- In Middle East conflicts, the U.S. usually endorses Israel, but Standard Oil of California has publicly announced its support for the Arabs. Standard Oil is so worried over the gasoline shortage that it has asked its employees and stockholders to support the Arabs. Arab states represent the only major sources of oil that can meet U.S. needs.
Standard Oil offices were defaced after the company's support of Arabs was made public. Several Jewish organizations have joined together for a boycott against Standard products. Standard refused an interview but is disappointed with the reaction against the company.
[CBS] - Many banks increased their prime interest rate from 8.75% to 9%. [CBS]
- Felix and Vivian Bendler work on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, but they may be forced to leave if U.S. immigration laws are enforced. Felix Bendler was brought to the United States from Germany. His father became a naturalized citizen, but since his mother didn't do so before Bendler reached the age of 16, he isn't an American citizen. Although Bendler was pardoned after being convicted of marijuana trafficking, he is to be deported since he isn't an American citizen.
Bendler says he has paid his dues; he's lived in this country for 21 of his 24 years and never considered himself anything but an American. Bendler's employer feels he is a good worker and shouldn't be deported. Bendler's mother says that changes in government policy regarding immigration and deportation are needed. Bendler had planned to move to Oregon, but his future is uncertain now.
[CBS]
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Stock Market Report
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 912.78 (+3.91, +0.43%)
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* |
| August 3, 1973 | 908.87 | 106.49 | 9.94 |
| August 2, 1973 | 910.14 | 106.67 | 12.08 |
| August 1, 1973 | 912.18 | 106.83 | 13.53 |
| July 31, 1973 | 926.40 | 108.22 | 13.53 |
| 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 |