February 26, 1972

Gen Abrams says morale of US troops in S Vietnam is in 'excellent shape' and incidence of addiction to hard drugs has declined approximately 50%, int by C L Sulzberger; says heroin, not marijuana, is the serious problem; says number of users has dropped from 3.7% among US forces to 2.1% among men from Army now going home; says US mil is sending 50% of the users home clean, but would like to improve figure to 90%; says at present time there is no significant violence between the races in US forces; says reason for drug traffic is because 'there's an awful lot of money in it'; comments on other aspects of drug problem and on treatment of users; says there are still incidents involving shootings and 'fragging'—use of fragmentation grenades to settle grudges, especially against officers or noncommissioned officers, but says these incidents have declined; says that 'right now we've got the highest order on discipline and responsiveness in command of the last yr and a half; says AWOLs and desertions are down as are motor‐vehicle accidents and incidents with the Vietnamese; Gen Abrams por

400 guests and 200 employes flee Commodore Hotel, NYC, atop Grand Central Station, during 5‐alarm fire in Modell's Davega Retail Store in hotel's basement that chums up heavy smoke into hotel rooms; firemen wearing gas masks search 26‐story, 2,000‐room hotel for 3 hrs in order to lead guests to safety; fire declared officially under control at 12:13 AM; 12 civilians and 27 firemen reptdly are overcome by smoke or injured; blocked sts create massive traffic jam in area throughout evening rush hrs; Red Cross sets up emergency shelter in Chrysler Bldg for routed guests, who spend night in other hotels in area; 2 honorary Functions at hotel are canceled; illus

W Ger Transport Min Leber discloses W Ger Govt paid $5‐million in ransom to guerrillas; emphasizes Govt approved payment only because lives of 14 crew members were 'acutely threatened by the bloodthirstiest group imaginable'; says guerrillas demanded ransom in lr mailed in Cologne, stipulating that money be delivered by messenger to secret location near Beirut, Lebanon; hijackers' instructions for delivery of ransom outlined; Leber identifies hijackers as members of Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, orgn responsible for hijacking and subsequent destruction of 4 jetliners in '70; says names of 'several' of hijackers are known to W Ger authorities

NYS Appellate Div, 4‐1, affirms constitutionality of state's liberalized abortion law, overturning NYS Sup Ct ruling that could have halted abortions in NYC munic hosps; rejects challenge to '70 law that permits abortion up to 24th wk of pregnancy; suit, brought by Fordham U law Prof R M Bryn, revd; Bryn, who charged that state law violated 14th Amendment of US Const, which holds in part that no state can deprive any person of life, liberty or property without due process of law, was apptd special guardian of all unborn fetuses whose mothers were awaiting abortions in hosps operated by NYC Health & Hosps Corp on Dec 3, '71; Bryn to appeal to NYS Appeals Ct; decision stresses legal aspects, stating unborn child is not 'legal' person; says it finds no factual issues requiring trial

6 airlines and leaders of Newark's black community agree to job plan for members of minority groups that should speed completion of $400‐million redevelopment project at Newark Airport; under plan, airlines pledge to require contractors on future projects to make every effort to hire blacks and other minority group members to fill approximately 1/3 of journeymen jobs and 1/2 of apprenticeships; initially goals apply to 2 contracts to complete interiors of 2 new terminals; contracts commit airlines to finance, at estimated cost of $2‐million, training of minority group members in basic construction skills; spokesmen for the major contractors, Tishman Realty Construction Co and F Briscoe Construction Co, say they believe their companies will be able to fill percentage goals for minority members