December 25, 1970

Special 3-judge Fed ct, NYC, rules that NYS law prohibiting display of words or symbols on Amer flag, which would include any pictures or representations of flag, is unconst, case of Nassau County Dist Atty Cahn against LI group which distributed buttons including peace symbol imposed on flag representation; holds law permits local officials to prosecute peace demonstrators but to allow 'patriotic' orgns and pol candidates to go unprosecuted

observance, Bethlehem; illus

City Council votes, 30 to 6, to extend life of Knapp Comm for additional 6 mos; opposition to comm revd

82d Airborne Div, which is earmarked for dispatch in matter of hrs for brushfire wars or other emergencies anywhere in world, has been seriously weakened, along with many other Army units, by transfer of personnel to make up shortages of combat troops in Vietnam; during Jordanian crisis in Sept, div would have been able to deploy only 2 of its 3 brigades; efforts to bring div to full strength discussed; div shoulder patch illus

Leningrad ct finds all 11 defendants guilty of planning to hijack Soviet airliner, sentences M Dymshits and E S Kuznetsov to death by firing squad and 9 other defendants to 4-15 yr prison camp terms; 9 of defendants, including 2 sentenced to death, are Jews; accused were found guilty under Article 64-A of Russian Fed Criminal Code, which makes it treason to flee abroad; Tass says Dymshits and Kuznetsov were given death sentences because they engaged in activities since end of '69 to set up criminal group and prepare hijacking of plane; other defendants and their sentences noted