News stories from Sunday January 15, 1978
Summaries of the stories the major media outlets considered to be of particular importance on this date:
- A memorial service for Senator Hubert Humphrey in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, where his body lay in state, was attended by many government officials, led by President Carter, who was joined by former Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. More than 1,500 people had been invited to the service. They joined Robert Merrill, the opera singer, in "America the Beautiful" as the service ended. Mr. Humphrey will be buried in Minneapolis, where he was once mayor, tomorrow afternoon. [New York Times]
- Richard Nixon's visit to Washington to attend the memorial service for Senator Humphrey was his first since he resigned the presidency nearly three and a half years ago. He arrived, accompanied by daughter Tricia Cox, on a commercial plane with little fanfare or publicity. Nevertheless, he clearly had celebrity status. Gerald Ford kept addressing him as "Mr. President," and so did everyone else. He was to return to San Clemente tomorrow. [New York Times]
- The marijuana trade, worth about $5 billion a year according to federal estimates, took to the air about six years ago, coming across the border in 27 to 30 planeloads a day. But in the last 14 months, federal officials say, it has moved to the high seas. Ships can carry much larger cargoes and they are safer than airplanes, which cross the border without lights and fly low through mountains. [New York Times]
- As the dollar sagged, lending by foreign central banks to the United States in the second half of last year hit $18 billion, representing more than half of the money Washington borrowed to finance its gaping budget deficit. Ironically, now that the United States is taking steps to support the dollar, that lending may well be cut back and short-term interest rates in the United States may go even higher. [New York Times]
- The $300 million antitrust suit that comparatively tiny Berkey Photo Inc. brought in 1973 against gigantic Eastman Kodak Company has finally gone to the jury after a 114-day trial in the Federal District Court in Manhattan. The jurors, who began their deliberations Saturday, have had to absorb enormous amounts of information about one of the world's most technologically advanced businesses. The jury will have to decide not only whether Kodak had the power to monopolize various segments of amateur photography -- such as color film, still cameras and color print paper -- but also whether Kodak used this power and by doing so injured Berkey's business. [New York Times]
- Foreigners are on a shopping spree in the United States, taking advantage of the once mighty dollar's lower valuation against almost every foreign currency. "It's bargain day for anything that sells in dollars," said a European banker. Besides bargains in refrigerators, Cadillacs and homes in New York and Miami, foreigners are putting down millions in cash for entire American companies. The National Starch and Chemical Corporation and Miles Laboratories are among them. [New York Times]
- Israel and Egypt accepted an American compromise that resolved an agenda dispute over how to describe the Palestinian issue. The disagreement caused the postponement of the foreign ministers' meeting in Jerusalem to Tuesday morning, a day later than scheduled. The State Department, which announced the agreement, was relieved that a major crisis in the negotiations had been averted, but all indications were that the Jerusalem talks would be difficult. [New York Times]