News stories from Friday March 24, 1978

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

A majority of coal miners approved their latest contract offer and their strike that began more than three months ago, the longest ever, is expected to end Monday. A tally of 87 percent of the total vote showed that 55,726 miners voted in favor of the contract, and that 42,391 voted against it. [New York Times] The Pentagon proposed to cut by half the Navy's shipbuilding plans over the next five years, with President Carter's approval. The Navy had hoped to enlarge its fleet from 462 ships to 600, which would add billions of dollars to next years defense budget. However, the Navy's supporters in Congress are expected to oppose the Pentagon. [New York Times] New Hampshire's Governor lost his case in Supreme Court to have his state observe Good Friday by lowering flags on government buildings. The Court voted 5 to 4 to reinstate a lower court order barring the flag display sought by Governor Meldrim Thomson. At issue was whether the display violated a constitutional ban on government participation in religion. [New York Times] Cape Cod's Wampanoag Indians lost their suit seeking the return of 11,000 acres in the town of Mashpee that they charged had been taken from their ancestors. Judge Walter Skinner of Federal District Court in Boston dismissed the suit, accepting the verdict of a jury in January after a 40-day trial, that the Indians had not constituted a tribe in the legal sense at key dates in their history. [New York Times] Muhammad Ali must continue to fight because he cannot maintain the style to which he and his friends have become accustomed. "I gave most of my money away," Ali concedes. "I gave away more than I have, said the boxer who has earned $50 million. His business adviser believes that the former champion is "the single largest taxpayer in the United States." But Ali still is not a poor man. His lawyer said he could clip coupons on his bank account from "now to eternity." [New York Times] American Motors is lobbying hard for federal guarantees for $109 million in loans to finance the development of fuel-saving small cars. Leading the effort for A.M.C., which has been trailing behind the other Detroit automakers in sales, has been Les Aspin, a Wisconsin Democrat whose district includes Kenosha, where A.M.C. has its main assembly plant. [New York Times] Philadelphia's spectacular new mall -- the Gallery -- has been drawing shopping center developers and urban specialists from other cities in search of new ideas that may encourage institutional investment in retail development built around the "marketplace" concept. The Gallery is a four-level mall, connected by escalators, that contains 125 shops linking two of Philadelphia's venerable retailers -- Strawbridge & Clothier and Gimbels. Gimbels, replacing an 1894 store, is the largest downtown department store to be built on the East Coast in 50 years. The Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority is responsible for the retail renewal area carried out through the Rouse Company of Columbia, Md. [New York Times] Prime Minister Begin returned to Israel and sought to justify his Middle East policies to a restive coalition government and a public showing increased dissatisfaction with his positions. With Israeli relations with Washington at a low point, he defended his policies on his arrival in Jerusalem and said that despite his differences with President Carter there would be no setback in the stalled Egyptian-Israeli peace talks. [New York Times] The United States will persevere in Middle East peace efforts despite the "substantial obstacles" it has encountered in talks with Prime Minister Begin, Secretary of State Cyrus Vance said at a news conference. He gave the administration's most comprehensive report on Mr. Begin's talks this week with President Carter. [New York Times] A ban on aid for Palestinians in southern Lebanon was announced by the Lebanese government and the Syrian-dominated peacekeeping force. The ban, applying to both arms and volunteers for the guerrillas, came as Arab diplomatic sources reported that 200 Iraqis had arrived to help the guerrillas and that 200 Libyans were on the way. The ban appeared to mark a shift in Syria's position. [New York Times]