December 29, 1968

PHILOSOPHERS who say you should never look back probably are right. But there are certain inviolable traditions still to be observed in this seemingly crumbling society. One of these is looking back at what Broadway hath wrought during the first half of its season, in this case the 1968-69 campaign coming to an end with the old year.

V S Pritchett article marking Forster's 90th birthday; Forster illus

holicopter-borne Israeli troops land at Beirut airport, by or damage 13 planes in retaliation for Athens attack; Middle East Airlines repts most of its planes lost, Trans Mediterranean Airlines repts losing 2 planes; both lines are Lebanon-based; Lebanese officials say Middle East maintenance installations apparently were main targets; Helou visits site; Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine issued statement before raid denying Lebanon has role in its activities; Israelis rept destroying planes belonging to Middle East, Trans Mediterranean and Air Liban; say non-Arab planes on runways were not damaged; say Beirut was attacked because it is front hq; map; illus

" Even some of the biggest dealers have wondered at times this year whether they should really stay in the bond business."

Pres Cabinet Com on Price Stability proposes '69 wage increase guidepost of 'a little below 5%,' about halfway between '68's 'disturbing' avg of 6.5% and long-run productivity standard of 3.2%; holds recent history and outlook for living costs suggest labor cannot be expected to accept wage rises in '69 ltd to productivity growth but says 'voluntary restraint' and 'mutual short-term sacrifices' by business and labor are essential to stem inflation; Johnson authorizes release of rept but is not asked by com to support it and does not do so; rept represents return to guidepost principle which had been tacitly abandoned for over a yr and which is opposed by Pres-elect Nixon