July 29, 1972

Sen Eagleton says he will stay in race as Dem Vice-Pres nominee in comment upon his return to San Francisco from Hawaii on July 28; makes his remark before Sen McGovern implies shift in his position of all-out support; Eagleton illus; earlier, Eagleton reptd fresh and unequivocal backing from McGovern and announces 'good luck phone call from Sen Kennedy; Eagleton is also encouraged by influential Californians to 'hang in' against discouragement or any effort within McGovern camp to drop him from ticket; Eagleton again displays confident, breezy style that is his hallmark; compares continuing questions about his health to inquiries about J F Kennedy's Roman Catholicism in '60 campaign; says that columnists R Evans and R Novak are 'dead wrong' in their dispatch that McGovern, despite his overt support, wants Eagleton to withdraw from ticket on his own; Eagleton also disagrees with July 28 NY Times ed saying that his health would be distraction from substantive issues of campaign; says he has not yet spoken with 2 St Louis drs who treated him but says he will ask them to prepare rept on his case for public; says he has no intention of suing columnist J Anderson who reptd on July 27 that Eagleton had arrest record for drunken and reckless driving; says suit would probably be unavailing and that Anderson has already backed down; Eagleton again denies that he was arrested more than once for speeding and that if he was stopped but not arrested his memory was not clear and that alcohol was not involved as Anderson's story suggested; also notes poll by Albert Sindlinger orgn in Phila showing that '65% of people polled supported Eagleton' though he does not specify if 'support' is equal to vote or refers to his remaining on ticket; at fund-raising meeting in San Francisco, Mayor Alioto, who backed Sen Humphrey in Calif primary and called McGovern a radical who could ruin party, introduces Eagleton

CAB on July 28 rejects merger of Western Air Lines and Amer Airlines on grounds that merger would disrupt existing competitive balance between nation's carriers

S Vietnamese marines, July 27, begin replacing paratroops, pulling out of Quangtri Citadel after apparently suffering severe casualties; South Vietnamese mil spokesman insists pullback is not a retreat, but an exch of fresh soldiers for tired soldiers; acknowledges that marines have not moved into the Citadel to take up positions once held by paratroops; confusion surrounds many aspects of Quangtri fighting; 200 of 288 strikes by US planes inside S Vietnam in 24-hr period are flown on northern front, as are 20 of 35 B-52 missions; S Vietnamese troops reptdly recapture Hoaian; Quangtri scene illus

July 29: Nixon Adm, July 28, releases Govt intelligence rept finding that US bombing had damaged N Vietnamese dike system at 12 points, but rept concludes that hits were unintentional, their impact was minor 'and no major dike has been breached'; rept, put together largely by CIA, given to newsmen by State Dept to buttress Adm's contention that N Vietnam falsely charges US with bombing dikes systematically and deliberately; rept cites photographic evidence to show there has been no intentional bombing of dikes; says that all dike damage occurred within close range of 'specific targets of mil value'; other rept findings; rept presented to UN Sec Gen Waldheim; Nixon criticism of Waldheim on issue noted; Sen Fulbright, briefed with other Sens by CIA earlier on issue, says he has no quarrel with conclusion of rept; map

July 29: (McGovern Campaign--Eagleton Affair--Eagleton's Driving Record) Sen McGovern, implying change in his insistence that Sen Eagleton remain as Dem Vice-Pres candidate, says on July 28 that 'to a great extent' it is now up to Eagleton whether he remains on ticket; 2 days ago McGovern insisted that he was 1,000% for Eagleton and had 'no intention of dropping him from ticket'; retreat from earlier position is indicated in separate conversations between McGovern and newsmen; McGovern indicates that he has had difficult time since Eagleton revealed his medical history; sources close to McGovern agree that he has retreated from his earlier position; McGovern is now viewed as backing Eagleton 400% instead of 1,000% and Eagleton is seen having only slight chance of being retained on ticket; Eagleton, in San Francisco, is silent; McGovern reptdly has been under strong pressure from his staff members and Dem party leaders to get Eagleton to withdraw; McGovern's' fund-raising operations reptdly have come to virtual halt in light of Eagleton disclosures; Eagleton, despite initial private offer to withdraw that was rejected by McGovern, has been sounding more determined to remain on ticket; McGovern has 3 considerations in Eagleton matter: soundness of Eagleton's mental health, effect of his candidacy on outcome of gen election and whether Eagleton should have informed McGovern of his health record before nomination; McGovern hints he hesitated to make snap judgment on Eagleton matter for fear of offending many people who have family members who suffered from mental illness; McGovern appears to be trying to excuse himself and his staff for failing to discover Eagleton's record of hospitalization before he was chosen; if Eagleton should withdraw, Dem Natl Com would choose replacement; speculation on possible successors to Eagleton includes names of Mayor White, Gov Lucey, Sen Nelson, L F O'Brien, S Shriver, Sens Kennedy, Muskie or Humphrey; McGovern's staff members, at McGovern's orders, are not commenting on Eagleton issue but majority reptdly is convinced that Eagleton must be dropped if McGovern is to have chance of winning gen election; McGovern natl pol dir F Mankiewicz comments on debate among McGovern staff members about Eagleton issue; mood of gloom at McGovern's Washington hq is in marked contrast to relatively serene atmosphere at McGovern's Black Hills vacation retreat