What was going on when I was born?

When the shareholders of Domtar Inc., Canada's second-largest forest products company, picked up their morning newspapers last Wednesday, they discovered that the Province of Quebec owned nearly half of the company's common shares. Representatives of the two provincial agencies that together now hold a 42 percent block of Domtar stock - the Caisse de Depot et Placement and the Societe Generale de Financement -also announced that they had told Domtar's management the day before that they expected proportionate representation on its board and executive committee. The event brought into focus a trend that has worried some investors ever since the province announced last year that Caisse de Depot, which manages $13 billion (Canadian) worth of assets for the province's pension and insurance plans, would take a more active role in Quebec's economic development. New Role for the Caisse To some observers, the move last week comfirmed suspicions that Caisse de Depot had become a potent new tool for the Quebec government in its attempt to influence the behavior of big business in the province.

CINCINNATI THEY'RE not young kids anymore, but they're not exactly veteran pitchers, either. They've knocked around the minors long enough to appreciate what it means to be in the big leagues. And with three of the Mets' top starters disabled, they realize that this may be the best chance they'll have to prove what they can do. But the question remains, can the Mets regain the status of a decade ago - with six young pitchers leading the way? The six rookie pitchers are Greg Harris, Ed Lynch, Mike Scott, Terry Leach, Ray Searage and Dan Boitano. None is under the age of 25 or over 28, and the Mets are hoping these pitchers keep them respectable until Craig Swan, Randy Jones and Tom Hausman, three of their regular pitchers, can come off the disabled list. In the 29 games they have started, Harris, Lynch, Scott and Leach have revealed a potential of keeping the Mets more than respectable. Searage and Boitano have exhibited lively strong arms. Along with Neil Allen, who is already the team's top reliever at the age of 23, they could revitalize the Mets' relief pitching. The six new pitchers have won 12 games this season.

Black Americans are growing increasingly gloomy about the present condition of the nation and pessimistic about its future, according to analyses of several national polls and interviews with leading students of black opinion. This trend is developing at a time when many whites are returning to a traditionally American optimism about the future after taking an uncharacteristically negative view of the nation in 1979. The figures indicate that the difference cannot be explained by blacks' lower economic status alone. The poll data suggested, and several of the experts agreed, that President Reagan is an important factor in the difference. While hopes for his Administration have buoyed many whites' view of the nation's future, the expectations of blacks, in general, have been depressed by their hostility toward him.

Nicaragua hopes the next U.S. Ambassador matches the last A2 Israel is a large supplier of arms but keeps details secret A3 Around the World A5 South African woman, banned 17 years, regains political voice A6 Haig says Reagan is ready to meet Soviet Union halfway A8 Conservative leader to join Portu- guese government A10 Government/Politics Barbaro and Esposito give views on city's fiscal affairs B6 General Around the Nation A12 A jazz festival returns to a differ- ent Newport, R. I. A12 Proponents of organic farming meet in Vermont A13 After a weekend away, all roads lead to home - unfortunately B1 Study finds New Jersey dams need repair B1 New Rochelle opens park on Oak- wood Island B1 The City B3 Kite fliers, angry at copter sum- mons, take protest to the skies B3 The Region B5 Hawaii battles old foe, the fruit fly B8 37 Atlanta children leave New York after a vacation D15 Health/Science Voyager searches for moons among Saturn's rings B9 Laboratory to study Reye's syn- drome officially opens B15 Style Relationships: Familial stresses of the disabled B14 A family toy store bows to change B14 Newport celebrates a tennis cen- tenary B14 SportsMonday Baseball: Yankees, Guidry de- feat Royals, 8-0 C1 Six young pitchers give Mets some hope C1 Torre's maneuvers work as Mets beat Reds, 3-2 C6 Hernandez has 4 hits as Cardi- nals beat Dodgers, 11-7 C6 Tiger pitching coach credited for nine-game winning streak C7 Boxing: King expects more Coo- ney-Holmes bidding C8 Columns: George Vecsey on sur- vival instinct of Jet rookies C4 Red Smith on Virginia Neary's race against multiple sclerosis C11 Features: Sports World Specials C2 Question Box C11 Football: Reaves leads Oilers after injury to Nielsen C4 Todd is avoiding interceptions C4 Perkins not upset by Giants' shortcomings C4 George Rogers is running into obstacles C5 Golf: Hale Irwin wins Buick Open on second extra hole C3 Beth Daniel wins largest prize ever in a women's event C3 Horse Racing: Before Dawn wins; three riders hurt in spills C11 The favorites are coming up short at Saratoga C11 Cane Pace finish causes confu- sion in winner's circle C11 Soccer: Sting defeats Sounders in N.A.S.L. playoff opener C3 Sports News Briefs C8 Statistics C10 Tennis: Tracy Austin defeats Mrs. Lloyd in Canadian Open C1 Women players squabble, with officials and each other C8 Obituaries Dusko Popov, double agent for Britain in World War II D15 Arts/Entertainment New York Film Festival an- nounces 22 more entries C12 Gene Kelly returns to Broadway, as a director C13 Platinum prints of pre-1916 golden girls at the Smithsonian C13 West German exhibition is redis- covering Prussia C14 Starr-Weiner report on sex among elderly is reviewed C15 Virginia developing a MacDow- ell-style colony for arts C15 Chicago rock quintet Styx gives concert at Garden C16 Features/Notes Notes on People B10 Going Out Guide C16 News Analysis James M. Markham examines currents within Polish union A9 Reginald Stuart on Cuban refugee problem A12 Editorials/Letters/Op-Ed Editorials A14 What Federal bail problem? Dealing with poker machines Mayor Gibson's odd lesson Letters A14 Flora Lewis: Spain - a nervous new ally? A15 Lewis Thomas: how should humans pay their way? A15 Peter B. Bensinger: a plan calcu- lated to cut crime A15

The global organization of air traffic controllers agreed today to back the striking United States controllers with labor action, if necessary. But spokesmen for the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Associations refused to say what action was contemplated and would not indicate what conditions would lead to such action. Asked whether the federation's decision was to say nothing rather than to do nothing, the group's president, Harri Henschler, replied, ''The first interpretation is correct.'' In a statement issued at the end of a two-day meeting near Schi@phol Airport, near Amsterdam, the organization repeated a call for talks to end the deadlock and said that it was ''not in the interest of a negotiated settlement'' to publish details ''of any contemplated or agreed action.''

International Support of Soviet-style Communism was demanded by Moscow in a warning to its Eastern bloc allies that they must strictly maintain orthodoxy to prevent another upheaval similar to Poland's. The message was published on the front pages of Soviet newspapers. Western diplomats said that the warning was the clearest indication yet of Moscow's concern that the disorder in Poland could spill over into other Eastern bloc countries and undermine Soviet domination. (Page A1, Column 6.) Civil war has resumed in Lebanon between the country's political factions since the recent Israeli-Palestinian truce. Nearly 100 people have been killed in the past month in sporadic political fighting, most of it between leftists groups. (A1:5-6.)

The summer weekend in the country is a splendid thing: fresh air and vegetables, beaches and concerts, barbecues and bare feet. There is only one tiny flaw, and its name is Sunday night, otherwise known as coming back to the city. If it wasn't bad enough to return to hot sidewalks and hotter subways, there is the process of leaving itself, which can require a checklist. There are windows to shut and cats to corral and flowers to wrap in wet newspaper. Above all, for the majority who drive, there is the scheming and figuring to find a ''window'' in the traffic, which for some people means waiting until early Monday morning. One Monday-morning commuter is Frank Saunders, vice president for corporate relations and communications of Philip Morris Inc., who spends his weekends on Nantucket. But traffic is not one of his worries; Mr. Saunders is one of a group of island weekenders who commute by chartered plane.

A four-year study of 1,000 of New Jersey's aging and long-neglected dams has uncovered erosion damage, leaks, excessively high water levels and other problems needing major repairs to prevent serious flooding, the state's Department of Environmental Protection reported yesterday. None of the dams - which range from millpond weirs in picturesque woodland settings to huge stone and concrete river and reservoir retainers - are believed to be in danger of imminent collapse, the study found. But some were found to have spillways that could be inadequate to handle high-water pressures that occasionally build up behind their earthen, stone or concrete barriers. Others dating back to the 19th century were said to have sprung leaks and developed other problems. Many failed to meet modern safety standards, inspectors said.

The Yankees got more strong pitching from Ron Guidry, who has not allowed a run since the second half of the split season began, scored eight runs in the first two innings, then coasted to an 8-0 victory over the Kansas City Royals yesterday before 40,258 at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees had 11 hits for the second day in a row, including three home runs. One was an inside-the-park shot by Larry Milbourne that bounced off Willie Wilson's head after Wilson, the Kansas City left fielder, lost the ball in the bright afternoon sunlight. Guidry, mixing fastballs, sliders and a few changeups, struck out seven Royal batters in seven scoreless innings, his longest outing since the end of the 50-day players' strike. In that span, Guidry has struck out 22 batters in 181/3 shutout innings, giving up nine hits and three walks. In his three victories since the second season began Aug. 10, he has not allowed an opposing runner to reach third base. Guidry is 8-3 over all.

Secretary of Defense Caspar W. Weinberger and David A. Stockman, the budget director, are scheduled to arrive here Wednesday to report on their efforts to reduce military spending below the levels favored by Mr. Weinberger, according to a White House official. The Administration is considering reducing its proposed military appropriation of $222 billion for the fiscal year 1982, the official said, although there would still be an overall increase in military spending compared with the current year. The $222 billion budget proposal is now before Congress. Hints in a Reagan Formula Another indication that the White House may be trimming the size of the military spending increases emerged today in descriptions of Mr. Reagan's formula for increasing the military budget by 7 percent annually for several years. The White House official said the 7 percent is a cap or target figure and not a commitment to increase spending by that much in each of the five years.

The weary soldier, barely alive, is slumped forward on his mount, his bloody left shoulder pierced by a long arrow. Billows of bluish-gray smoke rise beyond the ridge along a distant horizon. The painting, entitled ''Survivor,'' by Ron Crooks, has hung for the last two years in the office of William H. Spoor, the burly, aggressive chairman and chief executive officer of the Pillsbury Company. ''My wife wouldn't let me keep the darn thing at home, so I brought it in here,'' Mr. Spoor, a fancier of Western art, said casually. ''I like it. But beyond that, it has no significance.''

Continental Air Lines' plan to thwart a takeover by Texas International Airlines by becoming the nation's largest employee-owned company has been pulled from the ashes. By a vote of 56 to 20, the California Assembly has passed a bill exempting the company from a state law that would have made it difficult for its employees to proceed with a plan to buy control of the troubled airline. And the Civil Aeronautics Board has ruled that Texas International cannot exercise control over Continental before President Reagan approves the merger. For the first time in two weeks, ''it's up-tempo,'' said a spokesman for Continental. If all goes well, Continental could implement its employee ownership plan by Oct. 1, before President Reagan rules on the Texas International takeover.