November 7, 1970

Govt sues GM for $400,000 in civil penalties, charging co violated '66 safety act by failing to obey order to notify truck owners of wheel defect; asks Fed Dist Ct in Washington to require GM to notify owners of 200,000 pickup trucks of defect; $400,000 penalty is largest yet sought by Govt under safety act; Govt has no authority to require recall of vehicles, can only require notification; case revd; co agreed in Oct '69 to replace wheels on 50,000 trucks equipped with camper and other special or heavy bodies; has thus far replaced wheels on 11,600 trucks

US launches satellite from Cape Kennedy that will be placed in orbit over Indian Ocean where it could provide about 30 mins warning of missiles fired from USSR or China, doubling present warning time; other satellites are to be placed in orbit over Atlantic and Pacific to sound alarms of up to 15 mins about submarine-launched missiles; 'secret' launching of satellite had been common knowledge in nearby communities

Theft of more than $1.1-million worth of TV, stereophonic and radio equipment from Bklyn waterfront and Queens warehouse results in arrest of 13 retail merchants; Bklyn Dist Atty Gold says that $750,000 worth of merchandise has been recovered at 16 places by his Rackets Bureau detectives after 2 mo probe; investigation described; defendants, charged with criminal possession of stolen property, listed

BLS repts unemployment rate rose 0.1% to 5.6%, Oct, but holds situation is basically unchanged; rate is highest since Jan '64; Goldstein notes Gen Motors strike had substantial effect on total employment picture; BLS puts total unemployment at 4.3-million; O'Brien and Reprs McCormack, Reuss and Patman call on Nixon Adm to act to improve situation; White House press sec Ziegler holds rept is not 'damaging news'; Comr Moore denies McCormack's recent charge that release of Oct rept was deliberately withheld until after election; graph shows fluctuation in unemployment rate, Oct '69-Oct '70; illus of BLS officials H Stambler and Goldstein discussing rept at news conf

Soviet Communist party Politburo member M A Suslov scores US and Israel and implicitly lauds France and W Ger, TV s