News stories from Sunday February 8, 1976

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

Associates of Senator Lloyd Bentsen of Texas said that he was seriously considering abandoning his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination. He finished a weak third in Oklahoma Democratic caucuses on Saturday in which he barely defeated Gov. George Wallace of Alabama. He had been badly defeated in Mississippi two weeks ago. In Oklahoma, Jimmy Carter, the former Governor of Georgia, and former Senator Fred Harris were in a virtual dead heat for first place on Mr. Harris' home ground, according to an incomplete but final tabulation released by state Democratic Party headquarters. [New York Times] The federal pension law passed in 1974 to deal with abuses in company pension plans has created chaos among the country's 600,000 plans and has raised the prospect that the cost of compliance will cut into the pay raises of many people this year and next. A consulting actuary said the cost of administration was expected to rise by 50 to 100 percent. In addition, company contributions to most funds will have to be increased and employers want employees to share the cost. [New York Times] Barcelona, the principal city of the region of Catalonia, a traditional center of dissidence in Spain, was under a virtual state of siege as the police fought with thousands of demonstrators who demanded their own regional government. Many persons were beaten, some seriously, as they were attacked with clubs, smoke bombs and rubber bullets. Authorization for the demonstration had been requested, but was refused by officials who have made it clear that they do not wish to be subjected to pressure of this sort. The demonstration nevertheless emphasized that the demand for regional autonomy, heard also from other regions, was one of the most serious problems faced by Spain's new government. [New York Times] The Netherlands government said that Prince Bernhard, husband of Queen Juliana, was the high Dutch official who, according to the head of the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, received a gift of $1.1 million from the company to promote the sale of its aircraft to the Dutch armed forces. The government will establish an independent commission to investigate the matter, which has had serious repercussions in the country. The Government Information Office issued a statement on behalf of Prince Bernhard, who said that "he had never received or accepted any money from Lockheed" and that he wanted an investigation. [New York Times] The Guatemalan government's emergency relief committee estimated that more than 12,000 people had been killed by the earthquake that struck the country last Wednesday. The estimate of foreign relief officials was slightly lower. More than 40,000 people were said to have been injured. Food and medicine from abroad were being quickly sent to areas in need of them. [New York Times] The United States Embassy in Moscow has warned its diplomats that Soviet electronic eavesdropping devices, an old problem there, could pose a potential health hazard because of radiation. Diplomatic sources said the radiation hazard has been caused by microwaves that activate and recharge the batteries of listening devices believed to he hidden throughout the nine-story embassy building. The radiation level was said to he serious enough to prompt American officials to discuss the matter privately with Soviet officials. [New York Times]