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charges Wilson is in control of Ulster and urges Prots to fight to maintain Prot power; Gen Freeland orders B Specials withdrawn from riot duties because 'army is now in strength'; B Specials, part-time Prot volunteer force, were organized in '21 to combat terrorist IRA; their role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

4 killed, over 30 injured when 2 Penn Central New Haven div trains collide head-on, Darien, Conn, after northbound train failed to pull onto siding; engineer is trapped in wreckage for several hrs; illus; map

Attempt to steal univ's copy of Gutenberg Bible from Widener Library is unsuccessful; suspect found at scene; illus of Bible and escape route used by thief

A M Scotto, ILA vp and power in NY pol, named in Justice Dept list as capt in Mafia family headed by C Gambino; information, revealed by Dir Hoover to HR subcom in '66, had been kept secret until recently revealed to Sen Subcom on Organized Crime by Atty Gen Mitchell; Sen McClellan, com chmn, has had it published in Cong Record in support of his Aug 12 s in Sen support for legis against organized crime; Scotto denies charge; Lindsay's office says it has no information on alleged charges but has found that Scotto and union have participated in many programs benefiting NYC; table shows organization of Gambino family based on material in Cong Record; Scotto illus with group of Bklyn and SI pol and civic leaders meeting with Pres Johnson

Saigon police sources say arrests now total about 100 in mo-old crackdown on what is described as enemy spy ring that penetrated deep into S Vietnamese Govt; seizures have doubled in last 2 wks, netting high Govt officials and numerous low-level functionaries; few details about operations of accused have been made pub; all accused have been charged with 'liaison with the enemy'; Huynh Van Trong is among accused

Dr Cordier, in response to pressure from trustees and faculty and student body reprs, agrees to become permanent pres and hold post 'for 1 yr or until new pres is in position to assume duties of office'; says he is glad to respond affirmatively to unanimous request of trustees

Sec Rogers concedes 'slight difference' in Adm on whether to propose joint moratorium on testing MIRVs

Consumer Affairs Dept holds pub hearing on parking garages and lots, calls on indus to provide profit and loss statements in light of rapidly increasing rates that have reached $80-90 a mo in some parts of Manhattan; says notification of rate rises are being filed at rate of 100-150 a mo; says it recd complaints about surly garage employes, dented fenders and confusing signs; indus reprs indicate they will not comply with request for financial statements; hold vast majority of operators' are not making substantial profits; Met Parking Assn counsel links consumer complaints to problem of finding adequate garage employes; says indus does not attract 'highest caliber' worker