News stories from Sunday November 9, 1975
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- President Ford conceded on the NBC-TV program, "Meet the Press" that "growing tension" in his cabinet had contributed to his decision to dismiss Defense Secretary James Schlesinger. In an hour-long interview, Mr. Ford acknowledged the "tension" between Mr. Schlesinger and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger after saying, minutes earlier, that he told "the simple truth" at a news conference last Monday when he denied that there were any personal or policy differences between the two cabinet officers. Mr. Ford also said that one of his major contributions to the nation had been "a restoration of credibility and confidence in the White House." [New York Times]
- Officials of the Central Intelligence Agency, despite repeated public avowals of diminished prestige and operational ability because of inquiries into intelligence operations, are now convinced that the agency will weather the current congressional hearings with no serious loss of authority and no erosion of ability to produce professional intelligence estimates and reports. Key agency officials now expect neither the Senate nor the House Select Committee on Intelligence to recommend a ban on clandestine intelligence activities. Instead, they said, the committees will seek more stringent controls on such operations. This is a compromise welcomed by the agency. [New York Times]
- Senator Frank Church, chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said on the CBS program "Face the Nation" that the committee's forthcoming report would contain "some new information" on the activities of the Central Intelligence Agency, but no new revelations of its assassination plans or attempts. [New York Times]
- Electrical emissions from ultra high-voltage power lines that have been strung over the eastern United States are suspected of being potentially harmful to humans and animals, and the federal Environmental Protection Agency's radiation division has begun an investigation to determine whether such lines should be curbed. The controversy over the suspected hazard has delayed the licensing of two proposed power lines in northern New York state and has blocked another project in Michigan. [New York Times]
- When President Ford again rejected current legislation to help New York City avoid default, Governor Carey canceled a meeting with the legislative leadership. Mr. Ford's latest remarks were scrutinized by state politicians and some, including the Senate majority leader, Warren Anderson, believe that Mr. Ford left "a crack in the door" that might permit a compromise. [New York Times]
- As Prime Minister Jose Pinheiro de Azevedo of Portugal denounced growing anarchy in the country and a lack of discipline in the armed forces, a rally in Lisbon, called by Socialists and Popular Democrats in support of his government, was broken up by tear-gas bombs and gunfire. Panic followed as people tried to flee. It was estimated that 30,000 to 40,000 people had crowded into Government Square, many waving red Socialist flags and orange banners of the Popular Democrats, chanting "socialism yes, dictatorship, no." [New York Times]
- King Hassan II of Morocco called off his people's annexation march into Spanish Sahara and said that the takeover would have to be accomplished by other means. He told the marchers -- about 150,000 had crossed the border -- to return to their base in Tarfaya, Morocco, and repeated the order three times in the course of a 10-minute radio and television address. "We must return to our points of departure," he said, "the volunteers to Tarfaya, your humble servant to Marrakesh." The order followed a meeting he had the day before with a Spanish official, Antonio Carro Martinez. [New York Times]
- On the eve of a vote by the General Assembly of the United Nations on a draft resolution that has termed Zionism "a form of racism and racial discrimination," leaders of American-Jewish organizations told United Nations officials and delegates that approval may provide a pretext for some countries to impose restrictions on Jews. Efforts by some United Nations delegates to avoid a vote apparently failed. [New York Times]