September 14, 1967

pupil absenteeism put at 60%; bd repts teacher attendance at 21%; Shanker urges schools be open on some holidays to make up lost time after contract settlement; some students begin to counterpicket teachers carrying signs expressing concern about extended school yr; some drop in volunteer aides also reptd; Flast charges some principals have rebuffed parents

Hayden, Stone investment co repts $1,552,000 in negotiable Treas bills that mature on Oct 26 missing

Pope expected to undergo operation for relief of prostatic block of urinary tract; 5-man team of drs headed by Prof P Valdoni will operate

Cousins backs Groppi's campaign; says RC Ch is split over protests; he has received increased demands to remove Groppi; 200 whites protest outside his residence; Groppi keeps marchers on N Side where they circle home of council member M E Schreiber, open-housing opponent

major US life ins cos rept to Pros Johnson that they will invest $1-billion in ghetto real estate; each co to make investments in its own region; Pres and aides jubilant; Pres summons Govs Rockefeller and Hughes, Vice Pres Humphrey, Cong members and others to hear rept from Life Ins Com on Urban Problems chmn Fitzhugh

Deal for purchase of F-111A fighters from US seen jeopardized by US Sen approval of HR amendment to funds bill barring Brit shipyds from bldg minesweepers for USN; Brit spokesman confirms deal is in jeopardy

Romney advisers urge him to step up timetable and announce candidacy in 3 wks as part of tactical shift to offensive against Johnson; those urging him to do so include Rockefeller and Sen Scott, who believe major positive move is needed to stem dispute over brainwashing charge; Romney has not yet made up his mind, has been getting increased newspaper and TV coverage since he began attacking Adm, accusing it of brainwashing pub on war; backers claim he could do even better; Assn Execs for Romney and Reagan formed; plans to work for both simultaneously, with each member 'free to work for Gov of his choice' for Pres; Repr Ford doubts Romney has been hurt by brainwashing incident; Rockefeller suggests Reagan should be judged as Pres candidate on his ability to win re-election in Calif

White House insists that there continues to be 'gen agreement' in Adm on what targets should be bombed in N Vietnam; repts of rift between Johnson and McNamara over recent bombing of Haiphong and Campha noted; Defense Dept denies Los Angeles Times rept that targets had been approved by Johnson despite McNamara's 'strong objections'; denies rept Johnson authorizes 'round-the-clock' bombing of Haiphong as long as foreign ships are not hit; insists McNamara arguments against hitting Haiphong docks or mining harbor represent Adm policy; comments on recent bombing

Nunez orders teachers to end 'illegal strike'; action follows bd and UFT rejection of his proposal that dispute be submitted to binding arbitration; Giardino says no progress was made in latest talks; union says walkout will continue; UFT atty says resignations were withheld for fear teachers would lose mil deferments; Donovan denies any such threat was made; warns of 'long, trying days' ahead, message sent over school system's radio and TV stations; Shanker scores NY Times as being largely responsible for crisis; says pub officials are afraid to make concessions to teachers for fear of adverse ed comment in Times; ed page editor J B Oakes comments; Nunez rejects UFT demand that schools be closed

SOME say that my mother was a saint, others that she was mentally unbalanced. Neither of these things is true, any more than the story that she was murdered.

Lindsay and 4 prominent businessmen active in Urban Coalition (G L Phillippe, G W Fitzhugh, J I Miller, C A Herter Jr) tour slums of Brownsville and E NY; comment

Const Conv, 103-71, approves assumption of adm and cost of local programs by NYS within 10 yrs of effective date of Const; rejects Repub moves to impose 1-yr residency requirement and to permit localities to retain adm; approval of proposition, introduced by Prof Campbell, seen personal triumph for Travia; Repubs see passage spelling defeat of const pkg by voters; Rockefeller puts cost to state at $534-million more yrly, sees higher taxes needed; Brydges comments