News stories from Saturday August 3, 1974

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

Vice President Ford said that President Nixon's support had "eroded" so badly in the House that he might well be impeached, but he declined to speculate on the outcome of a Senate trial. Mr. Ford made his pessimistic assessment of the President's prospects as he campaigned in Mississippi for Republican House candidates. This was a shift from his statement a little more than a week ago that the President would be exonerated by the House. However, he maintains his conviction that Mr. Nixon is not guilty of "an impeachable offense." [New York Times] With the knowledge that President Nixon would suffer grievous financial losses if impeached by the House and convicted by the Senate -- losses that he could avoid by resigning -- several of his longtime financial backers, including Donald Kendall, chairman of Pepsico, Inc., have sent word to Mr. Nixon, according to White House aides, that he should weigh his financial future carefully before reaching a final decision. If convicted, Mr. Nixon would lose a number of emoluments provided for former Presidents: a pension of $60,000 a year, free office space, and $96,000 a year for staff salaries and office allowances. Also, Mrs. Nixon would not be eligible for the $20,000 yearly pension for widows of presidents. [New York Times] A still-secret report of the Senate Watergate committee staff sets forth the theory that the Watergate break-in and the intelligence-gathering plot that inspired it were the result of a White House effort to keep secret a $100,000 payment from Howard Hughes to Charles "Bebe" Rebozo, President Nixon's principal business associate. It was not released with the committee's other findings because of reported objections by the chief minority counsel, Fred Thompson, that it was inconclusive. However, committee officials have said that they expect to make it public later. [New York Times] Federal agents, the District Attorney and a special police squad are investigating allegations that organized crime and official corruption have penetrated virtually every governmental operation in Greenburgh -- Westchester County's [New York] most populous town. Despite the official silence imposed on the law enforcement agencies, the New York Times, after weeks of investigation into the alleged corruption, has been able to trace the key abuses now under scrutiny and, in many cases, to enlarge on them. The focus of the investigation is the former Republican administration of Richard Russo, who was the Greenburgh Town Supervisor from 1968 to last December, when the administration was replaced by a reform slate of Democrats. Until then, Republicans had controlled the town for 76 years. [New York Times] Turkish troops in Cyprus were reported advancing in the mountains west of Kyrenia while Turkish and Greek military delegates continued negotiations on separation of forces under United Nations supervision. The Turks appeared to be trying to occupy all the high ground on both slopes of the mountains that dominate the road train Myrtou to Lapithos, the western end of the Turkish-occupied area along the coast. They shelled the village of Agridhaki, where there was reported to be a Greek artillery position on the peak above the village with a view of the Turkish landing at Ayios Georghios. The Turks were trying to silence the Greek guns. [New York Times] Greece's new civilian government continued its steady purge of the remnants of the military dictatorship that ruled the country for seven years. A series of major appointments in economics and foreign affairs followed the report that Gen. Dimitrios Ioannides, the former commander of the military police and the shadowy power behind the deposed regime, had taken a six-month leave of absence. The government of Premier Constantine Caramanlis continued to show concern about the military situation in Cyprus. Greece is still under martial law, which will not be lifted until the Cyprus crisis has eased. [New York Times] Contrary to congressional injunctions, John G. Dean, the United States Ambassador in Cambodia, regularly gives military advice to President Lon Nol and other Cambodian officials. This was disclosed in a report by the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Indochina which noted that five separate acts of Congress prohibit the United States "from acting in a military capacity in Cambodia." The report said that Mr. Dean "by his own admission does not hesitate to give strategic military advice to Lon Nol or tactical advice to subordinate military commanders." It noted that "it is his interpretation of existing laws that Congress did not mean to preclude 'advising' at the level at which he performs." [New York Times] Portugal's military leaders, faced with threats of a shutdown by the news media and a split within the armed forces, rescinded an order suspending publication of three Lisbon newspapers. The order was issued by the so-called Junta of National Salvation, headed by President Antonio di Spinola. A special press commission of 10 junior army officers, disagreeing with the order, resigned in protest. Nevertheless, tough measures were reportedly in store for an extreme-left group whose attacks on Portugal's war in Africa had been the cause of the censorship measures. [New York Times]