News stories from Sunday April 30, 1978

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

Prime Minister Menachem Begin arrived in New York, where he will begin a tour of American cities as a participant in celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of Israel's founding as a nation. First, he will go to Washington tomorrow to continue talks with President Carter and Secretary of State Cyrus Vance on the latest efforts to end the impasse in the Middle East negotiations. [New York Times] West Germany's government acknowledged for the first time the growing militancy of neo-Nazi groups and said some of their activities were like those of the country's left-wing extremists. Interior Minister Werner Maihofer, pledging to take counter-measures, said the violence of the neo-Nazis and the widening circulation of their literature were "developments causing concern." [New York Times] Richard Nixon in his memoirs answers one of the big questions of the Watergate scandal: Why did he not destroy the tapes that were so damaging to him? He says that he did not destroy the tape-recorded conversations that led to his resignation of the presidency because he suspected that some of his aides might turn against him and "the tapes would give me at least some protection." [New York Times] The R.O.T.C., which was driven off many campuses during the antiwar protests of the 1960's, is being revived by a new generation of college students. The Reserve Officers Training Corps, its ranks diminished by the end of the draft and the disdain of students for anything military, is making a cautious comeback. R.O.T.C. enrollments are climbing each year, though they are still far below the levels of the early 1960's. [New York Times] Treasury Secretary Michael Blumenthal has found "a great deal of support and encouragement" among major industrial powers for efforts by the United States to strengthen the dollar and reduce its trade deficit. He said this to reporters following a meeting in Mexico City of the interim committee of the International Monetary Fund. But he also warned of a continuing problem of unsatisfactory world economic growth rate, high unemployment and persistent inflation. The meeting's mood was generally glum. Most finance ministers believe that a recovery of world economic growth is not possible without reactivation of the West German and Japanese economies. [New York Times] Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda said Japan will do its best to meet its international economic responsibilities and will try hard to cut down its $8.9 billion trade deficit with the United States. He said in an interview in Tokyo before his departure for Washington that he would pursue these objectives because he wanted "the closest possible relationship" with the United States. He was accompanied to Washington, where he and President Carter will confer Wednesday, by Foreign Minister Sunao Sonoda and External Economic Affairs Minister Nobuhiko Ushiba. [New York Times] Israel withdrew troops from another area of southern Lebanon, in the third phase of its pullout from territory it seized last month in retaliation for a Palestinian guerrilla raid in Israel. A United Nations peacekeeping force is now stationed in about two-thirds of the territory that had been occupied by Israeli forces, but Israel still controls a section of southern Lebanon extending six miles north of the Israeli-Lebanese border. [New York Times] Abel Muzorewa's party demanded the reinstatement of Byron Hove, the black who was dismissed from Rhodesia's Ministerial Council last week. After an emergency meeting in Salisbury, the Bishop's United African National Council issued a statement describing Mr. Hove's dismissal as a breach of the majority rule accord reached last month by Prime Minister Ian Smith and three black leaders. The statement implied that the Council would withdraw from the transitional government if its demand was not met. [New York Times] The leaders of the Afghan military coup announced a new "Revolutionary Council" to be headed by a civilian, Nur Mohammad Tarakki. Mr. Tarakki will be President and Prime Minister. The Soviet Union, which is on Afghanistan's northern border, was reported to have extended its diplomatic recognition, deepening the impression that the new Afghan regime was pro-Soviet. Diplomatic sources outside the country said that Mr. Tarakki was a political activist. Reports reaching India, meanwhile, confirmed that President Mohammad Daud and his brother, Mohammad Naim, had been killed in the coup. In all, about 25 members of the President's family and inner circle, including his wife, three sons and several grandchildren, were slain. [New York Times]