News stories from Saturday June 7, 1975
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- The White House press secretary said that he assumed President Ford would make public the Rockefeller Commission report on the Central Intelligence Agency, and that the decision might be made early this week. President Ford has scheduled a news conference for 7:30 P.M. Monday. Several administration sources said that he might use the occasion to announce that he was making the commission's findings public. There were also growing indications, according to well-placed administration officials, that Mr. Ford has decided to send the evidence on alleged assassination plots to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and let the committee make the definitive investigation of the assassination issue. [New York Times]
- Contrary to both Army expectations and the popular stereotype, Vietnam combat veterans are going back into the Army, Many of them, disillusioned by their war experiences, pledged when they were discharged never to pick up a gun or wear a uniform again. Nevertheless, amid a national recession and malaise, they are re-enlisting at the rate of 100 to 200 a week. Their reasons for re-enlisting vary, but usually start with a tight job market and Army benefits. [New York Times]
- Close friends of former President Richard Nixon said that he was making tentative plans to visit Europe, possibly next year, for talks "as a private citizen" with political leaders of several countries. He was said to have in mind a leisurely tour with Mrs. Nixon "combining pleasure and fact finding." A former White House associate, who is in frequent touch with Mr. Nixon, said that Mr. Nixon recently had spoken of a desire to go abroad "and do what I can as a private citizen to help solidify the cause of peace." [New York Times]
- The Belgian government announced today that it had decided to purchase 102 F-16 jet fighters designed by the General Dynamics Corporation of St. Louis. In one of the largest arms contracts of the century, Belgium joined three other members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization -- Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands -- in the decision to purchase the American-designed plane rather than the French Mirage F-1. The four countries will purchase a total of 306 of the F-16's, with options on an additional 28. The Belgian Parliament must approve the decision by the government of Premier Leo Tindemans. Political observers in Brussels believe the vote will be close, but in favor of the government. [New York Times]
- A well-placed State Department official said that the United States has withdrawn its last combat aircraft based in Taiwan and plans to cut the size of its remaining military force there by 30 percent to 2,800 by the end of June. The withdrawal is in keeping with a pledge made to China during former President Richard Nixon's visit there in February, 1972, in which the United States said its "ultimate objective" was the withdrawal of all Americans and the shutdown of all military installations on Taiwan. [New York Times]
- Aristotle Onassis left the bulk of his estate to his daughter Christina, but provided for an annual allowance of $250,000 to his widow, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. His will was made public in Athens. Half of his estate is to finance a foundation, to be known as the Alexander Onassis Foundation, in memory of his son, to carry out welfare activities, mainly in Greece. Miss Onassis will also receive $250,000 a year. If she marries, her husband will receive $50,000 a year for life. According to the will, Mrs. Onassis gave up all rights to her husband's estate in exchange for the annual allowance, which includes $25,000 for each of her two children by the late President John F. Kennedy until they reach the age of 21. She inherits a fourth of the Onassis family's island of Skorpios and a like share in the yacht Christina. Her stepdaughter inherits the remaining three-quarters of the island and the yacht. [New York Times]
- The financial controls that Governor Carey wants to exert over New York City, in return for helping it avert a financial crisis, are quite limited compared with those that some other state governments have over their municipalities. New Mexico has the authority to take over a municipal or county government whose financial affairs are not in order. In Michigan, any type of borrowing by a local government, whether for operating or capital expenses, must be approved by the state's Municipal Finance Commission, and such borrowing is subject to strictly enforced limits. In Arizona, the year-over-year increase in the spending of any local government may not exceed 10 percent. Still, only a few states exercise extensive control over the financial affairs of local governments, according to the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations, whose members include federal, state and local officials. [New York Times]