This program is 27 minutes long
#243815
(Studio) House committee concludes, in effect, all Americans listed as MIAs or POWs in Indochina must be presumed dead. Committee says no Americans still held prisoner and each case of MIA (missing in action) should be reviewed by Pentagon. Past experience in Vietnam and other wars shows such cases almost always end with man presumed dead.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
(DC) Ldrs. of investigation are Mississippi Representative G. V. Montgomery and California Representative Paul McCloskey. [McCLOSKEY - says there's no evidence of any still living in Laos, Cambodia or Vietnam.] [MONTGOMERY - says some MIA's families will agree, some won't, but report will stand on own.] [McCLOSKEY - says families of these men must accept man died serving cntry.] Those who disagree with report, include 2 committee mbrs., say Hanoi should be pressed for information with regard to MIAs. Recommendations for future conflicts made by committee noted; 2 with regard to rescue force like 1 in raid on Sonte prison camp in North Vietnam and monument in Arlington (Virginia) National Cemetery commemorating all MIAs.
REPORTER: Jed Duvall
(Studio) Reaction to report mixed. [Ann GRIFFIThigh school - says uncertainty can be lived with if it's felt government trying, otherwise not.] Griffiths is National League of Families board member [Navy widow Mae Rose EVANS - says she has to accept husband as dead; he can't go on missing forever.]
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
#243816
(Studio) For 3rd time, execution date set for Gary Mark Gilmore in UT; date is now January 17.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
(Provo, UT) Court proceedings before Judge J. Robert Bullock noted. Gilmore indicates execution date too far away; says he'll seek freedom because original death sentence not carried out according to Utah law. Judge denies move; says Supreme Court stay of execution made it legally impossible.
REPORTER: Richard Wagner (KSL-TV tape) Artist: Howard Brodie
#243818
(Studio) Federal Energy Administration sends detailed plan to Congress today with regard to pumping 1/2 billion barrels of oil into ground in reserve for use during shortages.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
(DC) Plan calls for storage of oil mostly in Texas and Louisiana but also 2 sites farther north. Details of plan noted. Most of oil to be bought from OPEC.
REPORTER: Nelson Benton
(Studio) OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) members begin meeting in Persian Gulf state of Qatar today. Division with regard to oil price increase sharp and debate expected to be heated.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
(Qatar) Mtg. opened by emir of Qatar, Sheik Khalifa bin Hamad Al-Thani. 1 major thought at 1st session with regard to statement by Saudi Arabia oil minister Ahmed Zaki Yamani that Saudis opposed hike now because of harm to West econ. Reaction to announcement noted. Saudis want Mid. East peace conf. next year and need United States support from Carter administration for it; United States needs Saudi support at OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) meeting to keep oil prices down.
REPORTER: Bill McLaughlin
#243819
(Studio) Report on bomb explosion at Baghdad airport in Iraq today. Iraqis blame Syria.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
#243821
(Studio) Special commission studying West Point cheating scandal, headed by Frank Borman, releases report today; says more cadets than those expelled caught up in it, expelled cadets should be reinstated and West Point mishandled affair.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
(DC) Details of report noted. [BORMAN - says institutional problems are cause for 2nd chance for expelled cadets. Says atmosphere of army camp has crept into academy; calls it Fort Benning on Hudson.] [General Harold JOHNSON (Ret.) - says standards must be gotten back to where they belong. Says academy must remember importance of integrity.] Army Secretary Martin Hoffmann says he'll review report and decide with regard to reinstatements before change in admins.
REPORTER: Ike Pappas
(West Point, New York) Borman goes to academy to present recommendations to cadets; reaction in favor of return of expelled cadets. [Cadet Bill GEMMA - says many will be good officers and 1 incident shouldn't taint record.] [Cadet Patrick ACHEY - says some should return, others stay out and cadets should decide.] Cadet Barry Breitenbach of Carlisle, Pennsylvania, waited out expulsion verdict by Pentagon at academy; is asked if he'd like to come back. [BREITENBACH - says he would come back; hopes committee 's recommendation will be accepted by Army, but notes it's only committee , not Army policy.] If expelled cadets allowed back, others will be asked to tolerate cheating, violation of honor code.
REPORTER: Gary Shepard
#243822
(Studio) Inauguration committee begins sending invitations.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
#243823
(Studio) In Plains, Georgia, Carter may be facing 1st controversy with regard to cabinet appts. over that of Defense Secretary
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
(Plains, Georgia) Sources here and in Washington, DC confirm some right-wing and labor opposition to appointed of former Air Force Secretary Harold Brown as Defense Secretary; labor opposition lobbying for appointed of James Schlesinger, saying he's only candidate who'll take hard line with USSR in arms negotiations. Senator Henry Jackson, believed to be leader in stop-Brown mvt., has conference with Carter; later says they talked of energy matters and he has no information with regard to Defense Secretary [JACKSON - says he has no idea of who Secretary will be and hasn't been consulted.] Aides say Carter aware of AFL-CIO feelings, but it's had no effect on delayed decision. Liberal Carter advisers would prefer Washington, DC attorney Paul Warnke, but would settle for Brown. Fear now with regard to compromise candidate.
REPORTER: Bob Schieffer
#243824
(Studio) Ford administration claims today progress in cleaning up welfare rolls; details noted.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
#243828
(Studio) British government announces 2-yr. economy program it hopes will clear way for IMF loan.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
(London, England) Chancellor of the Exchequer Denis Healey announces program in House of Commons today; details of plan noted. Plan incls. defense budget cut causing concern for some NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) allies. Healey defends program. [HEALEY - cites further problems without measures in plan; says country can only have services it wants when industry output improved and country is paying way in world.]
REPORTER: John Laurence
#243829
(Studio) Report on expected vote in Spain today favoring limited democrat government Leader for proposal is King Juan Carlos.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
#243830
(Studio) Report on elections in Jamaica. Prime Min. Michael Manley opposed by Edward Seaga.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
#243832
(Studio) New theory out with regard to cause of legionnaires disease.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
(NYC) Outbreak at Bellevue Stratford noted. Dr. Norman Runsdorf of New York and chemist Lorne Cook from Wilmington, DE, separately reach conclusion disease might have been caused by phosgene poisoning, such as used by Germans in World War I. [COOK - cites case of uncle, with Canadian Air Force in France in World War I, who died after poison used in area.] [RUNSDORF - says felt at 1st if he knew it anyone should know it.] Details of theory re: leaking fluorocarbon coolant F-11 from air conditioning noted. Both men testified before investigating House subcommittee on consumer protection; Natural Resources Defense Council has petitioned Environmental Protection Agency to conduct probe of F-11. DuPont company makes most fluorocarbon coolants, include F-11, but not brand used at Bellevue. [DuPont research chief Charles REINHARDT - says studies conducted show no phosgene forming under conditions at hotel.] [CDC (Centers for Disease Control) spokesperson Dr. David FRASER - says lungs in phosgene victims look different under microscope from legionnaires disease victims.] Pennsylvania secretary of health Leonard Bachman says he'll commission a study into theory.
REPORTER: Jerry Landay
(Studio) Environmental Protection Agency has been asked to investigate use of F-11 in other large air conditioning systems; most modern systems don't use F-11.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
#243833
(Studio) Report on oil leakage from grounded Liberian tanker south eastern of Nantucket Island off Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in Atlantic Ocean. Coast Guard crews can't estimate amount of oil leaked. (US Coast Guard tape shown.)
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
#243834
(Studio) Report on leave-taking of Britain's Prince Charles as commander of minesweeper in British navy.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
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