May 8, 1972

Hundreds of paraders pay tribute to late Dr M L King Jr, NYC, May 7, 5th annual Dr M L King Jr parade, sponsored by 369th Veterans' Assn; also hold brief memorial; natl pres of veterans' assn W K De Fossett explains purpose of parade; Reprs C B Rangel, O R Reid, M Biaggi, W F Ryan and B S Abzug participate

Sen Symington makes public on May 7 copy of rept made by Sen Foreign Relations Com staff members J G Lowenstein and R M Moose that says US has committed itself to provide up to $100-million a yr to support Thai irregular army of 10,000 in Laos; rept, which is on study mission Lowenstein and Moose made to SE Asia in Jan, says that for 1st time Amer helicopter gunships, under US Army command but apparently with Thai pilots, are being used in northern Laos to support med evacuation missions and that Thai Air Force, using equipment and ammunition supplied by US, is flying combat support missions in Laos; Symington, in accompanying statement, complains Adm is excessively secret about US activities in Laos, largely in deference to 'sensitivity' of Thai Govt; State Dept acknowledgement last yr that US, through CIA, pays Thai 'volunteers' to fight in Laos in support of Laotian Govt noted; there has been running disagreement between State Dept and com on whether support of Thai soldiers violates 'antimercenary' provision in '71 Defense Procurement Act; details on rept, which quotes Laotian Premier Souvanna Phouma; map

May 8: Amer planes raid Hanoi area early May 8, firing missiles at targets about 6 miles north of city; formation of N Vietnamese MIG's flies low over city to intercept raiders but antiaircraft guns do not open fire; US command announces on May 8 that Navy F-4 Phantom jets shot down 3 enemy MIG fighters that were apparently trying to stop Amer aircraft from hitting airfield at Baithuong during 2 dogfights 50-75 mi SW of Hanoi; US repr says Navy A-7 attack plane was downed May 6 by surface-to-air missile during raid over N Vietnam and that destroyer Hansen was hit by fire from shore batteries while bombarding N Vietnamese coast; Amer mil and civilian officials in Saigon reptdly weigh plans to bring back US Marines to protect remaining Amer troops and installations in Vietnam, especially in Danang on northern coast; danger to Amers in Danang is underscored early May 8 when Communist gunners wound 4 Amers and destroy 1 plane in rocket attack on air base; North Vietamese artillery and infantrymen make series of attacks on S Vietnamese bases and positions around Central Highlands provincial capital of Kontum; S Vietnamese Air Force planes attack an enemy force estimated to be of battalion strength and 4 tanks moving fron Binhdinh Province into Quangngai Province; N Vietnamese artillery fire into Anloc and Communist forces' shelling of installation Fire Base King noted; US command announces Amer B-52 Stratofortresses carried out 20 bombing missions and US fighter-bombers flew 350 strikes over S Vietnam; other mil action developments noted; illus; map

PRIVATE PRE‐SCHOOLS: BOOMING BUSINESS, Read about it. Turn to Page 14. Alphabetland Pre‐School Centers, Advt.

A South Vietnamese sol dier who ran away on March 31, the second day of the enemy invasion, hitches a ride in our car. Asked if he is returning to fight with his unit, he says no, he is only returning to try to col lect his pay. What if he gets arrested for desertion, he is asked. “I would rather go to jail than to the battlefield,” he replies.

3 firemen killed in May 7 fire in vacant bldg at corner of Orchard and Pennington Sts, downtown Newark, NJ; 3 other firemen hurt; arson suspected; dead are Capt A Lardiere of Truck Co 4, Capt D La Torre of Engine Co 12 and Fireman R Schoener of Truck Co 5

Nixon, in growing Vietnamese crisis, summons Sec Rogers home from Bonn, May 7, to attend Natl Security Council meeting, abruptly cutting short Rogers's 8-nation Eur tour in preparation for Nixon's visit to USSR; Rogers arrives, Andrews Air Force Base; says he hopes to be able to resume Eur tour

leaders of both sides in renewed NYS abortion law controversy agree on May 7 that repeal campaign is close to success in NYS Assembly and that Pres Nixon's intervention has intensified issue; repeal is considered unlikely because Gov Rockefeller has repeatedly vowed to veto any measure repealing '70 liberalized law that might pass 2 houses; both sides expect same hard-fought campaign that occurred in '70 debate because of variety of factors including heavy grassroots and ch pressures, upcoming elections and Nixon's entry into debate; Assemblyman Crawford, repeal bill's sponsor, says that Nixon's entry into controversy by lr to Cardinal Cooke, commending him on anti-abortion actions, may clinch repeal success in state Assembly; Assemblyman Blumenthal charges that 'brass-knuckle pol fight' is under way, with conservative support being sought by Nixon nationally and by Lt Gov Wilson within NYS; Wilson, who has consistently opposed liberalization of abortion law, says Blumenthal's assertion is 'totally untrue' and denies charge that he has encouraged several 'right-to-life' primary election challenges to incumbent Repubs, including Assembly Speaker Duryea, who is considered Wilson's chief competitor as next Repub gubernatorial candidate; Blumenthal says Assembly Repubs may now feel obliged to follow Nixon's lead; Assemblyman Cook estimates that main effect of Nixon's lr will be to rally anti-repeal, anti-Nixon forces and help liberalization faction; says prorepeal contingent was at peak strength before lr; repeal bill remained in Rules Com in '71, controlled by leadership; presently anti-abortion pressures have kept bill in Codes Com

Growing number of young singles are moving to suburbs; ints with various realtors in suburbs of major US cities verifies trend; one factor is population boom; there are currently 42-million Americans between ages of 19 and 35, an increase of 9-million over 1960; also, singles are marrying later; almost 50% of 20-yr-old women are single, an increase of 15% over 1960; ints with suburban singles indicate they leave cities for similar reasons as young marrieds: less crime, more suburban job opportunities at better pay, lower costs and taxes, easier living; currently there is 1 suburban apt for every 2 city apts, in 1960 ratio was 1 out of 4; suburbs are becoming outer cities' with growing range of attractions; map

NYS Regents Bd member and prominent educator Dr K B Clark charges that school decentralization in NYC is failing to improve educ because local bds are more interested in power than in better schools, May 7 int; criticism by Clark, who was 1 of leading figures in decentralization movement, is strongest to date by proponent of community control of schools; Clark says he does not think decentralization should be abandoned, but that urgent reforms of program are needed; NYC Schools Chancellor Scribner disputes Clark's charges, saying more time is needed to evaluate experiment, TV int; Clark illus

HANOI, North Vietnam, Mon day, May 8—American planes raided the Hanoi area early to day, firing missiles at targets about six miles north of the city.

Despite revised premium rates and new publicity efforts, US Govt's 9-mo-old crime ins program has failed to attract merchants and residents in central cities, for whom it is intended; under program, which is designed to protect businessmen and residents in urban slums who cannot get commercial crime ins, only 5,059 policies at total value of about $600,000 have been sold; Govt officials had hoped that at least 25,000 policies would be sold by June to help businesses and individuals in high crime areas; Fed Ins Admr G K Bernstein and other Fed officials discuss apparent reasons for program's lagging; Bernstein illus