News stories from Wednesday April 5, 1972
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- While enemy troops are keeping pressure on northern South Vietnam, another Communist force stormed An Loc, 65 miles north of Saigon. Loc Ninh, Quan Loi and Fire Base Pace are also under siege nearby; Quang Tri City and Hue are endangered. Refugees jam Highway 1. North Vietnam claims to have downed an American B-52. The United States denied the report, but 13 other U.S. planes have been downed in the past six days and 25 crewmen are missing or dead.
President Thieu of South Vietnam said that 54,000 North Vietnamese soldiers are involved in the offensive, and he requested increased U.S. military aid. Two Soviet MiG-19s were flown by North Vietnam over the demilitarized zone for the first time in the war; North Vietnamese soldiers are using Russian and Chinese equipment to train for fighting in South Vietnam.
[CBS] - The jury in the "Harrisburg 7" case has been unable to reach a verdict on several charges although Reverend Philip Berrigan and Sister Elizabeth McAlister were found guilty of smuggling letters from and to prison. Judge R. Dixon Herman reported that the jury is deadlocked on the major charges of conspiracy to kidnap Henry Kissinger, blow up Washington, DC steam tunnels, and raid draft boards. McAlister said that she considers a hung jury to be something of a victory, and she criticized the judge and the Justice Department's role in the trial. Defense attorney Ramsey Clark stated that a retrial is unlikely and would be unjust. Appeals are expected. [CBS]
- George McGovern won the Wisconsin Democratic presidential primary with 30% of the vote. George Wallace got 22%, Hubert Humphrey 21%, Edmund Muskie 10%, Henry Jackson 8% and John Lindsay 7%. Lindsay announced that he is dropping out of the race.
The Democratic delegate tally shows Muskie with 104.5, McGovern 93.5, Wallace 75, Humphrey 19, Lindsay 6, Chisholm 5, Mills 1 and 177 uncommitted. The issue of taxes in Wisconsin reflects the dissatisfaction of the people with government. Senator McGovern is a real victor now; Governor Wallace showed that he can do well in a Northern, non-busing state; Senator Humphrey took a beating; Senator Muskie's bandwagon is rolling downhill. Senator Jackson will continue, though he is doing badly.
McGovern is optimistic about winning the Democratic nomination. Wallace says that Wisconsin shows he's a viable candidate. Humphrey claims that Republican crossover voters supported Wallace in order to split the Democratic party, and he predicted that he would win in states where no such crossover is allowed. Ex-Senator Eugene McCarthy, who won 56% in Wisconsin in the 1968 primary, got 1% this year.
[CBS] - Senator Edward Kennedy, still a non-candidate, spoke out on the issues. Kennedy says he is appalled at stepped-up U.S. bombing in North Vietnam and he called for a negotiated peace. Kennedy noted that the President criticizes George Meany for walking off the Pay Board, while he walks out of the Paris Peace Talks. [CBS]
- An Arkansas school district is being accused of violating court-ordered desegregation by requiring black students to ride in the back of school buses. [CBS]
- A federal judge blocked an FTC regulation requiring gasoline companies to post octane content at pumps. [CBS]
- The outbreak of Asian Newcastle disease among poultry in California is being handled; contaminated chickens are being exterminated with carbon monoxide gas. A California doctor said that the public should not be concerned about eggs, as the disease does not affect humans. Two million chickens will have been killed soon. [CBS]
- A tornado hit Vancouver, Washington, killing seven people. [CBS]
- Former New York City detective Eddie Egan, whose exploits were used in the movie "The French Connection", was dismissed from the police force just hours before he was due to retire, thus losing his pension. Today Egan won the appeal of his dismissal. [CBS]
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Stock Market Report
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 954.55 (+11.14, +1.18%)
Arms Index is the ratio of volume per declining issue to volume per advancing issue; a figure below 1.0 is bullish. | |||||||||||||||
| Market Index Trends | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date | DJIA | S&P | Volume* |
| April 4, 1972 | 943.41 | 108.12 | 18.11 |
| April 3, 1972 | 940.92 | 107.48 | 14.99 |
| March 30, 1972 | 940.70 | 107.20 | 14.36 |
| March 29, 1972 | 933.02 | 106.49 | 13.86 |
| March 28, 1972 | 937.01 | 107.17 | 15.38 |
| March 27, 1972 | 939.72 | 107.30 | 12.18 |
| March 24, 1972 | 942.28 | 107.52 | 15.39 |
| March 23, 1972 | 944.69 | 107.75 | 18.38 |
| March 22, 1972 | 933.93 | 106.84 | 15.40 |
| March 21, 1972 | 934.00 | 106.69 | 18.61 |