April 11, 1972

FBI, Apr 10, recovers $499,970 from home of McCoy; agent illus with recovered ransom

CAB Chmn Browne suggests, Apr 10, that Pres Nixon name high‐level comm to explore possibility of giving a Fed agency the job of providing airline and airport security since the system for preventing airline hijacking is inadequate and impractical, int; illus; urges Pres to hasten ratification of internatl treaties calling for extradition or local punishment of hijackers and that consideration be given to even stronger measures; stresses that various Fed and local agencies are probably doing their utmost under existing laws, but argues that the system is handicapped by the issue of ‘who's in charge?’ and is therefore ‘not good enough'; holds aviation security should be financed by Govt; Dir of Aviation Security Lt Gen Davis says he is confident that existing security systems for protecting aircraft are performing adequately and will continue to improve, but maintains ‘I really can't visualize’ the magnitude of the Fed force recommended by Browne; recent hijackings recalled

Nixon indirectly criticizes Soviet arms aid to N Vietnam but words criticism in way not to offend Russians publicly or to jeopardize plans for his trip to Moscow; criticism made in Apr 10 s at State Dept

NYS Soc Services Dept issues rept, Apr 10, on both upstate and NYC welfare eligibility samplings that indicate an ineligibility rate of from 2‐4% in federally aided relief categories and of 5.1% in nonfederally aided home relief; both rates are held to be within acceptable Fed levels and the natl experience

April 11: allied commanders say N Vietnamese appear to have suffered a serious setback in drive into Quangtri Prov; battlefield count reptdly reveals enemy lost over 1,000 soldiers and 30 tanks in attacks Apr 9 west of Quangtri city; 243 enemy reptdly killed Apr 10 in 3 smaller clashes around Quangtri; estimates of S Vietnamese losses are not available but are believed to be heavy; US retaliatory bombing of North intensified; S Vietnamese relief column drawn from Mekong Delta moves cautiously northward trying to relieve S Vietnamese 5th Div surrounded by enemy at Anloc; little fighting reptd in southern part of S Vietnam on front north of Saigon; B‐52s, Apr 10, begin hitting North for 1st time since Nov ‘67; US command repts US planes made 225 strikes against North in 1st 3 days of retaliatory raids; 2 enemy attacks reptd Apr 9 for 1st time in Bindinh; Vietcong guerrillas make 15 assaults on S Vietnamese militia outpost in Mekong Delta Apr 9; details on US plane strength; war scenes illus; map