August 21, 1969

V V Giri elected Pres in personal triumph for Prime Min Gandhi and 'bitter humiliation' for Cong party old-guard bosses; narrowly defeats N S Reddy by 420,077 votes to 405,427; party bosses, though reptdly 'stunned,' vow to go ahead with plans to discipline Gandhi and 2 sr Cabinet Mins, J Ram and F Ali Ahmed, who played key role in fight with bosses; Nijalingappa holds it 'sad day for Cong' when Cong men vote against their own party candidate; party, regardless of Gandhi victory, seen irreparably split with election ushering in new era of ideological polarization; tallying of Electoral Coll ballots described

London announcement stirs pol controversy; Min Faulkner seeks to reassure Ulster Govt's Prot supporters, holds there is 'absolutely no diminution' in Govt's powers; says controversial B Special Constabulary will be neither disarmed nor dissolved; Govt wins unanimous support for its stand from parliamentary Unionist party; Prot militants outside Govt charge London pact endanger's Ulster's self-rule and union with GB; Paisley charges Wilson is in control of Ulster and urges Prots to fight to maintain Prot power; Gen Freeland orders B Specials withdrawn from riot duties because 'army is now in strength'; B Specials, part-time Prot volunteer force, were organized in '21 to combat terrorist IRA; their role discussed; Belfast and Londonderry reptd generally quiet; Devlin on way to Irish Repub for flight to NYC

Czech army reinforcements move into center of Prague after demonstrators manning barricades battle with police and soldiers for nearly 2 hrs; no USSR troops visibly involved; shooting erupts briefly as soldiers apparently fire submachine guns over heads of rioters; fighting centers on 3 barricades built on Narodni Blvd, major shopping st, with tractors and bldg material from construction projects; youths hurl cobblestones and rocks at army vehicles, shout Dubcek's name; BBC repts 2 killed, several hurt; no incidents reptd outside Prague; clashes follow 9 hrs of disorders in which Czech soldiers charge at thousands of rioters, including many adults and elderly people; fighting in Wenceslas Sq described; illus; Czech army leaders give Govt full backing, radio announcement; mounds of flowers cover grave of J Palach, student who immolated himself in Jan; foreign diplomats suggest security measures betray concern of leaders over possible coup to bring pro-USSR officials to power; O Svestka, former Rude Pravo ed-in-chief, in article in Communist party wkly Tribuna, blames Dubcek and other leaders for invasion, charging they broke promises and deceived USSR

Al Aksa Mosque, Jerusalem, among most sacred shrines, burns