December 25, 1971

G Leone elected 6th Pres of Italy; illus

Special 3-judge panel declares Texas ps financing system unconst and orders State Legis to devise new plan; ruling says that because system is based largely on local property tax, it makes educ expenditures function of local wealth and therefore discriminates against children in poorer communities and violates 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection of laws; finding is essentially same as that made by Calif State Sup Ct last Aug and by US Dist Ct in Minnesota last Oct, but unlike previous rulings, Tex ruling orders state to take remedial action; const lawyers say Tex ruling could hasten consideration in issue by US Sup Ct, as decision of special Fed panels can be directly appealed to Sup Ct; appeal of ruling would mean Sup Ct could hear case next fall and decide fate of local property tax; should Sup Ct rule that appeal is admissible but decline to hear Tex case, judges’ decision would stand as Fed precedent, binding on all other cts; judges on panel are Judges I L Goldberg, A Spears and J Roberts

US plane reptdly attacks missile radar site in N Vietnam 145 mi S of Hanoi, 4th such ‘protective reaction’ raid in 2 days and 106th in '71; map

FBI agents arrest E L Holt at O'Hare Internatl Airport on charges of air piracy after he commandeers Northwest Orient Airlines Boeing 707 on Minneapolis-Miami flight and orders crew to make scheduled stop in Chicago where he requests $300,000 in ransom and 2 parachutes, threatening to blow up craft with dynamite if request is not granted; Holt holds 1 passenger hostage, but surrenders after crew and remaining passengers leave craft and after FBI informs him plane will be kept on ground

Lindsay set to announce candidacy for Dem Pres nomination and entry into Fla and Wis primaries on Dec 28; reptdly to make announcement in Fla and fly to Wis same day; Mayor Maier tips off plan but Lindsay press sec T B Morgan bars comment; early announcement seen as effort to heighten drama, upstage Muskie and counter feeling that Lindsay is not serious candidate; crowded Fla and Wis races seen enabling him to win without substantial majority; Lindsay seen seeking support of large Negro, Jewish and ex-New Yorker populations in Fla; seen hoping that Humphrey, Muskie and Jackson will divide middle-of-rd vote while Lindsay and McGovern vie for liberal vote; Aurelio in Fla preparing for announcement; other Lindsay aide D Evans is lining up store-front hqs; aide J Bruno in Wis preparing for Lindsay's visit; Mrs Lindsay to accompany husband; NYC problems Mayor will face on his return noted; Lindsay por; Maier por