January 17, 1969

Latest effort to curb debate fails when 2 Dems and 4 Repubs desert antifilibuster forces on 2d of 2 critical votes; filibuster foes are able to muster bare majority, 51-47, on motion to cut off debate, relying on Humphrey ruling that he would not require 2/3 majority for this purpose; Humphrey ruling itself is then challenged, and Southern Dem-conservative Repub coalition votes him down, 53-45; Sens who voted to shut off debate but then joined filibuster backers are Mansfield, Gore, Aiken, Boggs, Griffin, Smith; their position is that they approve effort to bring question of unltd debate to vote but do not agree that Sen rule itself can be changed by simple majority; technically, effort to reduce debate-closing majority to 3/5 of Sens present and voting was still alive but Mansfield indicated he would move to lay issue aside because votes were not available to stop debate; Dirksen led debate to keep filibuster rule, arguing Repub minority might need weapon to support Pres-elect Nixon; Repubs vote 26-7 against shutting off debate and 30-13 against sustaining Humphrey ruling; Dems vote in favor of both motions, 34-21 and 32-23

Amer space officials doubt that docking of Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 puts USSR ahead of US in any significant area of space exploration

NYC Special Com on Racial and Religious Prejudice, headed by B Botein, urges Mayor Lindsay to name permanent com to probe religious, racial and ethnic conflicts to 'anticipate imminent racial or religious disturbance'

Educ Bd vp M Rev Galamison apptd chmn of bd's collective bargaining com for upcoming contract talks with UFT; Shanker declines comment on apptmt; cites potential 'strike issues' in upcoming talks

Panel of 4 med experts apptd by Atty Gen Clark to examine secret autopsy photos of Kennedy's body confirms Warren Comm conclusion that he was killed by 2 shots from behind; rept released by Justice Dept; will be used by dept to try to block Dist Atty Garrison from subpoenaing photos from Natl Archives; Garrison charges material will bolster his trial against Shaw by showing that Kennedy was struck by bullets from front and rear; Kennedy family repr B Marshall approves release of rept; rept says bullet that entered Kennedy's neck at back left trail of fragments and internal swelling as it passed through his lung and windpipe and exited from front of his neck; this contradicts charges by some persons that front neck wound might have been entrance wound; rept says head wounds were caused by bullet that fragmented after entering from rear and to Kennedy's right; this produced explosive fracture of right side of skull as it emerged from head, wound that some persons say was caused by shot from front; Clark ordered study at request of Dr T Boswell, 1 of drs who conducted original autopsy; experts who conducted study are Profs W H Carnes, R H Morgan, A R Morwitz, Md Chief Med Examiner Fisher; in its ct papers, Justice Dept says it agrees with Kennedy family that autopsy material should not be seen by other than authorized Govt personnel until '71 and that material will be seen after that only by med experts or scholars; also released is 2d rept by autopsy drs citing error in original autopsy rept that created doubts that 1 bullet struck Kennedy from above and behind and exited from his throat; Garrison aide says rept does not satisfy them