This program is 27 minutes long
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(Studio) President Carter announces halt to B-1 bomber product and says deployment of cruise missile will take its place in defense system.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
(DC) President brings Defense Secretary Harold Brown with him to news conference [CARTER - announces decision and notes Brown's support. Says Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) negotiations trend will be clearer in coming mos. and further defense moves can be decided upon then. In meantime, deployment of cruise missile, on air-launched base like modernized B-52's, should begin.] President is asked if decision is signal to USSR to speed up on Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT). [CARTER - notes it's potential factor, but not reason for decision.] In campaign, he'd said bomber was waste of tax money, but today says he wasn't bound by statement. [CARTER - notes more classified information available as President than before, and tried to approach issue with open mind.] Air Force can keep 4 planes already produced.
REPORTER: Ed Bradley
(Studio) After announcement, House passes defense appropriations bill incling. funds for B-1; bill goes to Senator and fight over deletion of bomber funds expected.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
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(Studio) Reaction to bomber decision is quick. In San Francisco, Gerald Ford says it's mistake. (Film shown.) [FORD - says it's too big a gamble.] Reaction also comes from Congress, Pentagon, and plane's builder
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
(DC) [Representative John RHODES - calls it rank amateurism.] [Senator Robert BYRD - is pleased.] [Senator Barry GOLDWATER - doesn't admire President who puts campaign promises before nation's good.] [Senator George McGOVERN - notes savings to nation and says Carter has protected own credibility.] [Representative Robert DORNAN - says USSR fighter pilots cheer.] [Senator William PROXMIRE - doesn't believe USSR has reason to rejoice.] Representative George Mahon, chairperson of House Appropriations Committee says he ` Il resist attempts to eliminate money for bomber from final appropriations bill.
REPORTER: Phil Jones
(DC) Reaction at Pentagon said to be stunned disbelief. Air Force gens. had expected Carter to go ahead with at least half of requested bombers. Defense Secretary Brown's recommendations with regard to bomber and cruise missile noted. Missile is modern version of World War II buzz bomb; capabilities noted. (Defense Department film shown.) Modernization of B-52's, many of which saw Vietnam action, has been in progress. Cost was major factor in B-1 decision.
REPORTER: Ike Pappas
(El Segundo, California) At Rockwell International plant in California, headquarters for bomber, engineers aren't sure with regard to jobs now. [MEN - cite surprise at decision.] Bomber division president, Bastian Hello, says he was taken by surprise. [HELLO - notes layoffs to come.] Estimates of effect of decision on jobs in California and other states noted.
REPORTER: Murray Fromson
(Studio) Trading of Rockwell stock was halted for 4 hrs. after announcement.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
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(Studio) Other topics in news conference noted; incling. attempt by President to patch relations with Israel after uneasiness earlier in week over administration policy re: Israel's negotiating stance.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
(DC) In anticipation of meeting with Menahem Begin in July, Carter refuses specific comment with regard to American support of Mid. East peace efforts. [CARTER - believes openness of positions this year has been good; conts. to hope that year will lead toward peace.] Carter's comments on relations with China (PR) and Taiwan, Mid. East oil prices, Panama Canal treaty, human rights stand toward USSR and decision to pay some income tax despite not owing any noted. [McNaught Syndicate reporter Lester KINSOLVING - notes tape recording of statement by Dr. Peter Bourne that, though Carter's relationship is monogamous, President never held anything against people who worked for him who weren't. Asks if it's true.] [CARTER - notes truth with regard to his monogamy. Has never held it against others who had different standard.]
REPORTER: Hal Walker
(Studio) Background report with regard to recent diplomatic controversy with Israel to follow.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
(DC) State Department statement at 1st of week, with regard to Israel's claims to west bank and peace negotiations, was initiated by National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski. He wanted to name Menahem Begin and Moshe Dayan in criticism, according to reports, but State Department officials objected. President didn't read statement till after its release and now has decided to stop all Mid. East-related comments till after Begin's visit.
REPORTER: Marvin Kalb
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(Studio) United Nations Security Council by unanimous vote has endorsed resolution to ask members to help Mozambique, which has come under repeated border attacks from Rhodesia; details noted.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
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(Studio) Diplomats in Ethiopia say hostile elements, believed to be from Sudan, have invaded and occupied Beica, Ethiopia. Kenya charges troops from Somalia crossed into north Kenya; Somalia denies it and speculates invaders from Ethiopia.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
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(Studio) Transportation Secretary Brock Adams orders all new cars eventually be equipped with air bags or other passive restraint methods.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
(DC) (Allstate Ins. Company and Volkswagen films shown.) Air bags are best known methods, but automatic seat belts, now on some Volkswagens, also meet requirements. Program will be phased in, beginning in 1982, and all to be equipped by 1984. [ADAMS - notes deaths due to lack of passive restraints.] Schedule begins with larger cars and graduates to smallest by 1984. [Ralph NADER - says people buying smaller cars for fuel efficiency or because of prices don't get protection as soon as rich or those able to get big cars. Says should have been mandatory system for all cars by 1981.] Reaction of Chrysler, General Motors Corporation and Ford Motors noted. By afternoon, Congress resolution to upset Adams' ruling had been introduced.
REPORTER: Nelson Benton
#252939
(Studio) House Ways and Means Committee completes action on Carter energy plan; statement of chairperson Al Ullman noted. Carter plan envisions more use of coal and thus more mining. Conf. committee agrees on compromise bill to force mining companies to restore land used in strip mining.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
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(Studio) Supreme Court has recessed for summer.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
(DC) Court's decisions this session have been based on theory, expressed by Justice William Powell, that courts shouldn't decide sensitive social questions because proper place for that in a democrat is the legislature. Conservative bent of Richard Nixon's appointees Burger, Rehnquist, Powell and Blackmun, moderate stand of Stewart, White and Stevens, and liberalism of Marshall and Brennan, of Earl Warren's era, noted. Court's major decisions noted; trend has caused debate with regard to whether court has abandoned proper role. [ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) legal director Bruce ENNIS - trend is disturbing; shows court's abdication as constitutional check on majority sentiment.] [Former solicitor general Robert BORK - says Constitution doesn't remove issues, upon which court ruled, from area of democrat government]
REPORTER: Fred Graham Artist: Aggie Whelan
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(Studio) Search conts. for girl abducted from Florida Girl Scout camp. She hasn't been heard from since she phoned father Wednesday night.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
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(Studio) NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) undergoes transition.
REPORTER: Walter Cronkite
(Saint Louis, Missouri) Roy Wilkins is stepping down as head of NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) after 22 years Reports of NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) plagued by internal trouble and external attacks noted. Wilkins expresses impatience with cntrymen.'s continued conflicts over equal rights. [WILKINS - says it's taken people so long to make up minds; wants to hurry it along and get it over with.] Wilkins' successor is minister, attorney and Federal Communications Commission member Benjamin Hooks. [HOOKS - notes difficulty in succeeding Wilkins.] Problems facing group noted. [HOOKS - says there'll be action.] Hooks' comments with regard to NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) involvement in south Africa and ties with organized labor and Democratic party noted.
REPORTER: Renee Poussaint
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