News stories from Sunday October 29, 1972

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

Senator George McGovern suggested in a television interview that the United States could have another depression if President Nixon was re-elected. "He's going to try to veto us right back to where we were in 1932," the Democratic nominee said, adding that Mr. Nixon had presided over worsening inflation, increasing unemployment and huge trade and budget deficits. [New York Times] Despite further gains by Senator George McGovern, President Nixon was far ahead in potential electoral votes as the presidential campaign entered its last two weeks, according to the fourth Times/Yankelovich survey of the 16 largest states. The survey found that many voters have no great liking for either candidate and that as the campaign draws to a close public interest in declining. [New York Times] Dwight Chapin, a deputy assistant to President Nixon, has acknowledged to FBI agents that he hired Donald Segretti, a young lawyer who allegedly was a Republican political sabotage agent hired to disrupt the Democratic campaign, according to Time magazine. Time also reported that Herbert Kalmbach, the President's personal lawyer, has told the FBI that he paid Mr. Segretti from cash kept in the office of Maurice Stans, head of the Finance Committee to Re-Elect the President. [New York Times] Administration officials said without qualification that the Indochina peace accord would not be signed by Oct. 31 -- the deadline set by Hanoi. But they continued to express optimism about an early settlement of remaining details. Vice President Agnew, in a television interview, sought to assure North Vietnam that the United States was not seeking to renege on the nine-point agreement reach by Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho in Paris. [New York Times] Preparing for an expected cease-fire, Communist troops intensified their infiltration campaign around Saigon and occupied 17 hamlets within a 45-mile radius of the capital, allied officers reported. Government troops reportedly succeeded in driving the enemy out of nine other hamlets they had taken yesterday. Vital Route 1, both east and west of Saigon, was cut by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces. [New York Times] Palestinian guerrillas hijacked a West German airliner over Turkey and, threatening to blow it up, gained the release of three Arab commandos accused of having taken part in the slaying of 11 Israelis at the Olympic Games in Munich on Sept. 5. The plane was flown to Tripoli, the capital of Libya, with the hijackers, the freed guerrillas and the 20 passengers and crew members. [New York Times] Four hijackers shot and killed an Eastern Airlines gate agent and wounded another employee at Houston International Airport, then diverted a jet, its seven-man crew and 29 passengers to Cuba, where the hijackers were taken away by Cuban authorities. The plane returned safely to Miami with its crew and passengers. Three of the hijackers were being sought by the FBI in connection with a murder and attempted bank robbery last week in Arlington, Va. [New York Times]