What was going on when I was born?

In an emotional speech to an audience that included survivors of Nazi genocide, President Reagan said today that the United States should not negotiate with any country unless the subject of human persecution is ''on that negotiating table.'' After the speech, a White House spokesman said Mr. Reagan had not Transcript of remarks, page A10 meant to alter his policy of playing down the rights issue in foreign relations. Nor did Mr. Reagan mean to warn the Soviet Union, which has been accused of human rights abuses against Jews and others, that the resumption of direct negotiations would be linked to rights issues, according to the spokesman, Larry Speakes, a deputy press secretary. Mr. Speakes said he was explaining Mr. Reagan's remarks on the President's instructions after having gone to him for clarification of his statements to 350 people associated with the President's Commission on the Holocaust.

The United States and Japan reached an agreement this morning to restrain Japanese automobile exports to the United States over a three-year period, officials of the two governments reported. The first-year quota was set at 1.68 million vehicles, compared with 1.82 million Japanese cars sold in the United States in 1980, the Kyodo News Service reported.That was 24 percent of all the cars that Americans bought last year. Mitsubishi Motors won the right to sell cars in the United States independently of Chrysler. Page D1.

The football marching bands of the eight Ivy League colleges will have to clean up their acts at half-time shows, the schools have agreed, following complaints from alumni and parents that the scripts and formations leave too little to the imagination. The performances lean heavily to satire and double-entendre, centered on college news, national politics, current events and - to the dismay of many college administrators - sex. ''You pay money to watch a football game, and they don't put 'R,' 'X' or whatever, on the outside,'' said James Litvack, executive director of the Council of Ivy Group Presidents, which informally agreed to warn the bands. The group discussed the issue earlier this spring after the football season ended. Deans have been approaching band leaders in recent weeks to make clear before the summer break that performances should be toned down when school and football resume in the fall.

Because of an error in a Gallup Poll press release, an article yesterday on a New York Times/CBS News Poll reported incorrectly on the percentage ofthe American public, polled by Gallup last December, that said existing restrictions on handgun sales should be relaxed. Three percent of the public gave Gallup that answer, a number that is statistically indistinguishable from the 4 percent who responded similarly in The Times/ CBS News Poll.

America's oil companies, now so flush with gasoline that some are worried about finding space to store it, are reviving a nearly vanished phenomenon: promoting sales to consumers. In the wake of the Arab oil embargo of 1973-74, advertising aimed directly at selling more gasoline was halted, appearing in subsequent years only sporadically and tied almost exclusively to introducing a new product, such as unleaded premium. Now, however, with plenty of gasoline to sell and some new territory to be won, gasoline advertising is coming back. Several factors have lead to the apparent abundance of gasoline, which is being felt worldwide: continuing high production of crude oil by members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, especially Saudi Arabia; a stronger oil production trend in the United States, where companies have been encouraged by the relaxation of price controls, and the broader-than-expected success of oilconservation efforts.

In a mood of historic mission, the House of Representatives today began debate on President Reagan's budget for the fiscal year 1982 in what both sides agreed was a crucial, close test for the Administration. The House will choose between the President's proposal, in the form of a $689 billion budget drawn up by Representatives Delbert L. Latta, Republican of Ohio, and Phil Gramm, Democrat of Texas, and a $713.7 billion Democratic plan that contains more money for social programs but projects less of a tax cut. The margin of victory will depend on about 40 conservative Democrats and a dozen moderate Republicans who are thus far uncommitted. The final votes in the House are expected next week, probably Wednesday. The Senate will begin consideration of its budget on Thursday.

''I don't understand that. Maybe he should ride one of his own buses, particularly those that don't have windows that open, and let it be 90 degrees.

U.S. official links Cuban troops in Angola to a Namibia accord A2 Setback for South African party seen despite victory A2 U.S. joins in U.N. veto against Syrians said to move more antiaircraft missile to Lebanon A3 Egyptians see progress on a Sinai peacekeeping force A3 Body thought to be that of missing U.S. priest found in Salvador A4 1,000 Argentines march in rights protest A5 Bonn is pressing U.S. on date for Soviet arms talks A6 Around the World A8 Transcript of Reagan's remarks on the Holocaust A10 Government/Politics An appellate decision is deferred in Boston's school plight A12 Justice Department faulted for failing to seize criminalprofits A14 Democrats organize to combat conservative group's attacks A18 How one Democrat feels the pressure to support Reagan budget A19 Reagan names Californian to head Veterans' Administration A26 Jersey Senator says attempt on his life may have been a hoax B2 General Around the Nation A12 Extradition hearing set for suspect in Buffalo slayings B2 Industry/Labor Talks with air traffic controllers break off A15 Group is formed to spur labor harmony in masonry industry B16 Features/Notes Man in the News: Lieut. Gen. Edward Rowny, arms negotiator A6 About Washington: thick in the the throes of economic debate Weekend Weekender Guide C1 Where to celebrate the first of May out of doors C1 Big meteor gets own display at Natural History Museum C16 Theater: Broadway C2 "Can-Can" at Minskoff Theater C3 "Woyzeck" on Buchner double bill C6 Dance: Fernando Bujones comes into his own C1 Screen: At the Movies C6 "King of the Mountain" opens C8 "Just a Gigolo" at D.W. Griffith C11 Music: "The Golem," Weiner opera, at Y C3 Kaye Ballard at Les Mouches C12 Material, rock band, at Bond's C13 Eagle Tavern books music nights C13 Art: German masters at Met C17 Rothko Surrealist paintings at Pace Gallery C18 Auctions C19 Lowenthal Collection at Brooklyn Museum C20 Books: Publishing C21 "The Sting Man" by Robert W. Greene reviewed C26 "Life in Our Times" by John K. Galbraith reviewed C27 Restaurants C14 TV Weekend C31 Health/Science Study of 163 patients finds laetrile is no cancer cure A26 Cancer patients sell artwork at Sloan-Kettering exhibit B3 Style The Evening Hours B4 Three who have chosen a life in the wild B4 For fall, roomy shapes and new colors B4 Sports Islanders rout Rangers, 7-3, and take 2-0 lead in series A21 Kentucky Derby invokes 20-horse limit A21 Pirates send Mets to sixth straight defeat, 7-4 A21 Yankees and A's benefit from consistent pitching A22 Red Smith on Cure the Blues A23 News Analysis John Darnton assesses shuffle in Polish leadership A11 Robin Herman on Carey-Anderson agreement on budget B3 William Serrin on auto workers' move to rejoin labor federation B16 Editorials/Letters/Op-Ed Editorials A30 Around the Maypole in Poland The promise of fact How well does workfare work? Mary Cantwell: an introduction Letters A30 Flora Lewis: France's risks and hopes A31 Tom Wicker: a paradox for Presi- dent Reagan A31 James R. Whittemore: toward maritime strength A31 John B. Oakes: Reaganvironmentalism A31

The Civil Aeronautics Board today turned down a bid by Texas International Airlines to gain control of the Continental Air Lines board of directors but indicated it would let the Texas company participate in Continental's annual meeting next week. Texas International will be authorized to propose and vote on resolutions at the meeting in Denver next Wednesday, the C.A.B. indicated, but will not be allowed to name directors and thus take control of Continental in a bitter takeover battle. The Houston-based airline had hoped, by gaining control, to head off a plan by an organization of Continental employees to acquire a new stock offering of 15.4 million Continental shares. This transaction would sharply dilute Texas International's 48.5 percent holding of Continental stock.

A ballerina was unable to identify Craig S. Crimmins yesterday as the man she described last summer when she was under hypnosis as part of the investigation into the slaying of a violinist at the Metropolitan Opera House. The testimony by the ballerina, Laura Cutler, came during lengthy cross-examination in State Supreme Court in Manhattan, where Mr. Crimmins is on trial for murder and attempted rape. Miss Cutler, a member of the Berlin Ballet troupe that was performing at the opera house, also said she was not certain if the man she described to the police was the man she had seen on July 23, when the murder occurred, or at a previous time. Defense and prosecution lawyers have indicated - in pre-trial hearings and in opening statements when the trial began Monday - that the most crucial piece of evidence is not Miss Cutler's description, but rather a confession that the police say Mr. Crimmins made voluntarily. The defense contends that Mr. Crimmins is not guilty and that he was coerced into making the statements to the police.

Credit markets were in disarray yesterday, traders said, as shortterm interest rates rose as much as half a percentage point - an unsually sharp increase - and long-term bond yields set new highs. Aggravating the situation was a perplexing increase in overnight interest rates. Overnight bank loans in the Federal funds market averaged about 19 1/2 percent and rose to 21 percent for much of the afternoon, a sharp increase from the 16.28 percent average for the week ended Wednesday and the range of 15 to 15 1/2 percent that prevailed in the first half of April. The rising interest rates had a severe impact on other markets, too. Investor confidence in the stock market suffered, and the Dow Jones industrial average fell 6.57 points, to 997.75 -closing below 1,000 for the first time in 11 sessions. (Page D6.) Expectations that higher rates would attract funds to dollar-denominated accounts sent the dollar up sharply in foreign-exchange trading. It reached a 10-year high against the French franc, and set a record against the lira. (Page D11.)

President Reagan today appointed Lieut. Gen. Edward L. Rowny, an opponent of the 1979 arms treaty with the Soviet Union, as his chief arms control negotiator. General Rowny was a member of the team that helped negotiate the strategic-arms treaty signed in Vienna nearly two years ago. He later retired from the service to campaign against it, arguing that the treaty gave the Soviet Union an unfair advantage over the United States in terms of ''heavy missiles'' and the so-called Backfire bomber. A White House announcement said that General Rowny would be special representative and chief negotiator ''for arms control and disarmament negotiations,'' a title that could theoretically put him in charge not only of future strategic arms limitation negotiations with the Russians but also of talks on reducing medium-range nuclear missiles in Europe.