News stories from Saturday May 11, 1974

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

President Nixon told his family Friday night that he would not resign from office so long as one member of the Senate supported him, his daughter, Mrs. David Eisenhower, said in a news conference. Mrs. Eisenhower's statement was the first indication from the White House that Mr. Nixon entertained the belief that the House might vote impeachment. the President and his spokesmen have consistently said that Mr. Nixon does not believe he will be impeached. Mrs. Eisenhower and her husband strongly defended the President in 40 minutes of questions and answers today. [New York Times] President Nixon told his family Friday night that he would not resign from office so long as one member of the Senate supported him, his daughter, Mrs. David Eisenhower, said in a news conference. Mrs. Eisenhower's statement was the first indication from the White House that Mr. Nixon entertained the belief that the House might vote impeachment. The President and his spokesmen have consistently said that Mr. Nixon does not believe he will be impeached. Mrs. Eisenhower and her husband strongly defended the President in 40 minutes of questions and answers today. [New York Times] Vice President Ford said that he assured President Nixon that he was not among those "trying to jump off his ship of state." Discussing what he called "a long talk" he had with the President on Friday, Mr. Ford said that some of his recent speeches touching on the Watergate case had been misinterpreted by the news media. He made his remarks in a commencement address at Texas A. & M. University. His remarks appeared to confirm reports that the President had expressed some unhappiness over the Vice President's comments about the way the White House has been dealing with Watergate. [New York Times] Vice President Ford said that he assured President Nixon that he was not among those "trying to jump off his ship of state." Discussing what he called "a long talk" he had with the President on Friday, Mr. Ford said that some of his recent speeches touching on the Watergate case had been misinterpreted by the news media, He made his remarks in a commencement address at Texas A.&M. University. His remarks appeared to confirm reports that the President had expressed some unhappiness over the Vice President's comments about the way the White House has been dealing with Watergate. [New York Times] President Nixon made disparaging remarks about Jews and called Judge John J. Sirica a "wop" during White House conversations on Feb. 28 and March 20, 1973, with John Dean according to sources with direct knowledge of the President's comments. Copies of the tape recordings of the two Oval Office conversations were turned over by the White House early this year to Judge Lee P. Gagliardi of the Federal District Court in New York for use in the Mitchell-Stans trial. [New York Times] President Nixon made disparaging remarks about Jews and called Judge John Sirica a "wop" during White House conversations on Feb. 28 and March 20, 1973, with John Dean, according to sources with direct knowledge of the President's comments. Copies of the tape recordings of the two Oval Office conversations were turned over by the White House early this year to Judge Lee Gagliardi of the Federal District Court in New York for use in the Mitchell-Stans trial. [New York Times] What urban leaders contend is a turnabout in Nixon administration policies regarding mass transportation has thrown plans of more than a dozen cities to build modern rapid transit systems into confusion. City leaders maintain that the administration is backing away from earlier assurances that federal aid would be available to pay up to 80% of the cost of their transit systems. With the prospect of federal aid, the cities had planned accordingly, and tax measures were approved by voters in several cities to raise local funds to qualify for federal grants. [New York Times] What urban leaders contend is a turnabout in Nixon administration policies regarding mass transportation has thrown plans of more than a dozen cities to build modern rapid transit systems into confusion. City leaders maintain that the administration is backing away from earlier assurances that federal aid would be available to pay for up to 80 percent of the cost of their transit systems. With the prospect of federal aid, the cities had planned accordingly, and tax measures were approved by voters in several cities to raise local funds to qualify for federal grants. [New York Times] Two American officials flew to the Golan Heights to inspect the area around the town of El Quneitra, in southwest Syria, whose fate has become a major issue in Secretary of State Kissinger's efforts to bring about an Israeli-Syrian troop separation agreement. Joseph J. Sisco, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, and Harold J. Saunders, the National Security Council's expert on the Middle East, spent four hours in the El Quneitra area. They were accompanied by Lieut. Gen. Mordechai Gur, the Israeli chief of staff, who has strongly argued on security grounds against the return to Syria of three hills surrounding El Quneitra, which is now a ghost town. [New York Times] The new Democratic coalition endorsed Howard Samuels for the Democratic nomination for the New York governorship in the first test of strength in the race. Mr. Samuels won with 70.3 percent of the vote. Representative Ogden Reid of Westchester received 22.4 percent of the vote, and Representative Hugh Carey of Brooklyn, 1.7 percent. [New York Times] The Vice President of Portugal's ruling military junta said that Lisbon would have no choice but to continue, and if necessary intensify, the war against the Mozambique guerrillas if they refuse the junta's offer of case-fire. So far the rebels have rejected any proposals that did not contain assurances that Portugal recognizes Mozambique's right to independence. Gen, Francisco da Costa Gomes, Portugal's Chief of Staff, made his statement at a news conference in Mozambique, where he is making a fact-finding visit. [New York Times] A New Jersey Superior Court judge ordered all parties involved in the removal of the Boeing 707 jetliner belonging to Robert Vesco, the fugitive financier, from a Panamanian airport on Thursday into his courtroom tomorrow to determine whether any international laws were violated. Alwyn Eisenhauer, the pilot who landed the plane at Newark International Airport on Friday, deactivated the controls to make sure that the plane could not be flown out of Newark by anyone but himself. He said he took the jet to recover more than $55,000 he said was owed him by a company that Mr. Vesco controlled. [New York Times] Two American officials flew to the Golan Heights to inspect the area around the town of El Quneitra, in southwest Syria, whose fate has become a major issue in Secretary of State Kissinger's efforts to bring about a Syrian-Israeli troop separation agreement. Joseph Sisco, Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, and Harold Saunders, the National Security Council's expert on the Middle East, spent four hours in the El Quneitra area. They were accompanied by Gen. Mordechai Gur, the Israeli chief of staff, who has strongly argued on security grounds against the return to Syria of the three hills surrounding El Quneitra, which is now a ghost town. [New York Times] The Vice President of Portugal's ruling military junta said that Lisbon would have no choice but to continue, and if necessary intensify, the war against the Mozambique guerrillas if they refuse the junta's offer of cease-fire. So far the rebels have rejected any proposals that did not contain assurances that Portugal recognizes Mozambique's right to independence. Gen. Francisco da Costa Gomes, Portugal's Chief of Staff, made his statement at a news conference in Mozambique, where he is making a fact-finding visit. [New York Times] Far from resigning his role in international affairs, former Chancellor Willy Brandt of West Germany hopes to exercise even greater influence as an elder statesman, according to close associates. One said that Mr. Brandt had come to the conclusion that a new move toward French-German cooperation was the essential core of a drive to get the floundering movement for European unity going again. [New York Times]