December 28, 1968

US repts completing pact to sell 50 Phantoms to Israel; delivery will start late in '69; planes will cost Israel over $200-million; Israeli Embassy hails deal; Arab diplomat scores it; Yost article advising against sale to Mideast nations of Phantoms, MIG's or missiles not now needed for self-defense noted; US required Israeli agreement not to use planes to carry nuclear arms; Eban hails pact

Lindsay invites 3 Apollo 8 astronauts to city for parade and reception

HOUSTON, Dec. 27 -- The first circumnavigators of the moon brought the epic flight of Apollo 8 to a safe and successful finish this morning with a pinpoint splashdown in the Pacific Ocean.

ABOARD U.S.S. YORKTOWN, in Pacific, Dec. 27 -- Out of a gray mist and into a dark ocean, the Apollo 8 spacecraft splashed into the Pacific at 10:51 A.M., Eastern standard time, today within sight of the men who crowded the flight deck of this aircraft carrier.

program dir Phillips says US may attempt as many as 3 lunar landings in 69, news conf, Houston Manned Spacecraft Center; says 1st attempted landing may come in July or Aug

US AEC repts detecting 3-megaton blast in Lop Nor testing area; earlier tests and weapons progress revd; map

Johnson says Vance told him he believes talks can move to substantive matters dealing with peace settlement after Vance returns to Paris, news conf; says 'we are just praying' that this can be true; says 1 thing that would make us happier than anything else' is truce and substantial progress toward peace; answers somewhat vaguely when asked what specific reasons Vance has to believe deadlock is about to be broken

Schools Supt Donovan announces city's 900 pub schools will be dosed on Monday and Tuesday for lack of fuel; city officials rept fuel crisis is easing; school officials say it is not feasible to keep open schools that burn coal; O'Rourke says all priority schedules for emergency deliveries to homes and apts where there is sickness are being met; Deputy Mayor Sweet repts 15,000 of 28,000 bldgs recently reptd to be without heat have been serviced; complaints of no heat continue despite optimism of city officials; Donovan says schools were not included in priority list for early fuel deliveries; assn pres Mannion emphasizes there is no fuel shortage, but only problem of catching up on deliveries; says city officials created 'panic' among people who had no cause for concern; Boro Pres Badillo, charging Lindsay adm mishandled crisis, urges Lindsay to return from vacation; Councilman Koch, also critical of Lindsay, urges armories be opened to people without heat; Dr J R Wilder holds news conf with group of fellow tenants to criticize city's leaders for failing to resolve crisis; Bklyn Union Gas Co repts increase in sales of gas heaters; Consol Edison repts inquiries about conversion from oil to gas heat; heads of 3 realty groups deny landlords withhold fuel and heat

substantial part of S Vietnamese staff at talks has been quietly dismissed by Nguyen Van Thieu and Tran Van Huong; Govt spokesmen confirm dismissals affect at least 1/3 of more than 40; usually reliable sources say number is closer to 3/4; diplomatic observers say dismissals point to new rift in relationship between Nguyen Cao Ky and Nguyen Van Thieu; reason for dismissals is not immediately clear; official explanation is that men violated natl discipline by leaving Vietnam without written permission from Nguyen Van Thieu and their immediate superiors; details on situation; Ton That Thien comments; Nguyen Cao Ky and Nguyen Van Thieu meet, Saigon; S Vietnamese spokesman in Paris says no 'official communication' has been received concerning reptd decision of Nguyen Van Thieu to dismiss about 30 members of staff

places top priority on faster arid better service, news conf; pledges study of recent rept proposing mails be turned over to corp

village near Cheribon, Java, hit; 1,250 hurt; 200 bldgs destroyed

sees attempt to justify Israeli aggressions against Lebanon and to hide expansionist ambitions