February 9, 1972

ILWU and Pacific Maritime Assn announce settlement of all econ issues in West Coast dock strike and agreement to arbitrate other points; union pres Bridges to recommend ratification to longshore caucus which will determine time of dockers' vote; settlement terms cited; E Flynn claims shipowners are satisfied with terms; settlement seen as 'historic breakthrough in labor relations' and may set wage pattern for Hawaii, where dock strike looms

Fed Dist Judge F M Johnson orders Ala Public Safety Dept to begin an immediate campaign of Negro recruitment and continue it until the all-white state police force is 1/4 black; chose 25% figure because it roughly corresponds to black population of Ala as reptd in '70 census; NAACP repr M Dees lauds decision but says assn may appeal ruling because Johnson rejected orgn's contention that state exams for troopers are inherently discriminatory

Pay Bd, 11-1, revokes its policy on merit increases and adopts new, tighter policy that brings union as well as nonunion merit pay within gen guideline limiting annual raises to 5.5% a yr; bd resolution lists variety of flexible exceptions permitting cos to increase merit pay up to 7% under existing contracts or to establish 'pay practices' without special permission; merit raises not governed by contracts or estab practice are restricted to 5.5% ceiling; any raises above that level must be approved in advance for workers in this category

Irving and his wife appear before Fed grand jury in connection with controversy over Irving's biog of Hughes but refuse to testify, invoking the 5th Amendment; authorities have reptdly not offered immunity from prosecution to either Irvings or Irving's asst R R Suskind; Irvings have apparently complied with 2d order that they submit samples of their handwriting; sources say Fed investigators have issued subpoenas for former Hughes employe R A Maheu and his son; Maheu has $50-million breach of contract suit pending against Hughes and there has been suggestion that he may have been Irving's source for material gathered for book; Suskind has recd delay before appearing before grand jury to allow his atty M Sarnoff to familiarize himself with case; ct observers speculate that since delay is technically in violation of subpoena, Fed prosecutors may use possible contempt-of-ct citation to persuade him to testify against Irving; N Van Pallandt, who claims to have been with Irving at times when he was supposed to have been meeting Hughes, will come to NY for jury appearance; illus of Irvings

Feb 9: US State Dept spokesman plays down repts of discord with Pres Thieu over negotiating flexibility on the latest allied peace proposal; calls it 'exaggeration' to say there is a 'chill' in relations with Saigon; news repts from Saigon indicate that Thieu is angry over news conf remarks by Sec Rogers that US is 'flexible and is willing to negotiate any of the points of the new peace plan with Hanoi; some State Dept officials say Rogers probably made 'a slip of the tongue' in a quick answer to a question; also say that Thieu is probably reacting to S Vietnamese hardliners who feel that he is already too conciliatory to the Communists; Saigon Amb to US Bui Diem, at lunch day before with Amb E Bunker and Deputy Asst Sec W H Sullivan, reptdly mentioned Thieu's concern but made no formal protest of Rogers' remarks; Repub Cong leaders continue to criticize Dem Pres aspirants who have not given support to the plan; Sen Scott, after conf with Nixon and Cabinet members, tells newsmen that Nixon made statement that 'Adm's emissaries in Paris must be able to speak with the full authority of the US; nothing should be offered in the pol arena that might undercut their hands'