April 10, 1972

Saigon command, Apr 9, orders part of 21st Div based in far south into action against enemy forces cutting Rte 13 from Laikhe northward; objective is to relieve encircled and hard‐pressed 5th Div and to recapture a string of towns that has fallen to the enemy; enemy forces straddling Rte 13 continue drive south toward Saigon; counterattacks will presumably attempt to throw enemy all the way back and recapture even Locninh

7 leading book publishers, in Apr 6 roundtable discussion at NY Times, see book business as emerging from period of recession writh revived self‐confidence; are cautiously optimistic about econ future but indicate sharp differences or opinion concerning impact of growth on ed performance, treatment of authors and gen literary quality, especially in fiction; editors at discussion, who are primarily leaders in trade book business, include W Jovanovich, S M Bessie, R Giroux, A J Rosenthal, J Macrae, S S Vaughan and M Jaffe; Bessie says that while indus has experienced over‐all financial improvement, publishers have become more restricted in their ability to undertake 'marginal' books, books of literary promise but uncertain profit expectancy; Macrae and Rosenthal reflect deep concern of many authors, scholars and others in literary world over what they consider to be declining ed concern about literary standards as publishers are forced to compete for capital in natl economy where growth is primary aim; all participants agree that indus must search for new ways of adapting to changing tech and cultural values; make point that book scene is increasingly dominated by commercial best‐sellers as pressures mount for larger profits and that this pressure, combined with dwindling of magazine and newspaper book rev outlets, has hurt quality fiction; say recession has prompted drastic operational revisions in indus; feel that trend for small, personal trade houses to use bigger cos for distribution of books will continue; hold role of editor as friend and mentor of author in shaping his work may be taken over by literary agent; Macrae clashes with Vaughan and Jovanovich over whether commercialism has eroded commitment to good literature and why interest in novels and short stories has gone into decline; publishers discuss impact of paperback book industry, which they feel has created new mass market of readers; most publishers agree that readers are becoming more sophisticated and that despite cyclical fads, prospects are for steadily expanding stable mkt; illus of publishers interviewed

Cardiologists reported yes terday that former President Lyndon B. Johnson showed “definite signs of improvement” in three days of treatment following a serious heart attack Friday. Detailed article is on Page 29.

There are now fewer than 95,000 US troops in S Vietnam; US officers are confident that by May 1 there will be less than 69,000 troops as ordered by Pres Nixon; troops withdrawals continue on or ahead of schedule; no new ground combat units seen entering S Vietnam

R F McCoy Jr, 29‐yr‐old Brigham Young Univ law enforcement student and father of 2 who claims he was Green Beret and helicopter pilot in Vietnam, is arrested by Fed marshals, Provo, Utah, Apr 9, for $500,000 extortion‐hijacking of United Air Lines Boeing 727 on Newark‐Los Angeles flight; FBI says it was led to suspect, who bailed out of jetliner over Provo, by hwy patrolman who said McCoy had discussed possibility of hijacking airliner for $500,000, and after note given to stewardess of aircraft was matched with McCoy's handwriting; illus of FBI agents at McCoy's home and McCoy in custody of marshal; FBI announces arrest of hijacker, San Diego, who commandeered Pacific Southwest Airlines jetliner while craft was on San Diego‐Oakland flight and demanded $500,000 in ransom and parachutes