August 1, 1972

Team of 5 robbers smashes open 5 safe-deposit boxes at Plaza Hotel, Manhattan, early July 31, and escapes with emerald tiara and other jewelry valued at $45,000 which belonged to jewelers attending conv in NYC; robbers, waving pistols, force 21 hotel employes and bystanders into 10-by-11 foot office; hotel mgr J Craver comments; NYC Acting Chief of Detectives J Sachson describes events; lists holders of rifled safe deposit boxes and their losses; witnesses stress politeness of holdup men; taxi driver W Leins held captive when he follows men into hotel to tell them they had left bottle of whisky on seat of their parked car; illus of detectives checking deposit boxes after robbery; Sachson's aides say they find no connection between Plaza robbery and similar crimes at Pierre and Drake Hotels in recent mos; map traces sequence of robbery

Canadian Govt on July 31 rejects recent recommendations of Comm on Nonmedical Use of Drugs that it legalize simple possession of marijuana and hashish, but will apparently allow 1st offenders to be treated far more leniently than in past; Health Min Munro says Govt 'has no intention to legalize possession of cannabis in any form' for personal use or to legalize its cultivation for personal use; notes Govt recognizes need to amend laws to reduce their impact on users who are not involved in trafficking or cultivation of illegal drugs; says Govt will seek to transfer all controls relating to cannabis from Narcotic Control Act to Food and Drugs Act, which imposes less severe penalties; at present, 1st conviction for unauthorized possession of drugs carries fine as high as $1,000 and jail term as long as 6 mos or both; 2d offenders are liable to fines of $2,000 and 1 yr in jail or both; major offenders, indicted after previous convictions or after seizure of bulk quantities of drugs, can be given maximum 7-yr sentence

Defense attys in Pentagon papers case seek on July 31 to disqualify Justice Rehnquist from taking part in Sup Ct's consideration of Justice Douglas's stay of case pending resolution of wiretap issue; hold in telegram to ct that Rehnquist should excuse himself from case because of his alleged connection with aspects of Pentagon papers controversy when he was Asst Atty Gen in Justice Dept; Solicitor Gen E N Griswold tells Sup Ct in papers filed on July 31 that unless Douglas's stay is overturned, double jeopardy could prevent case from ever coming to trial; says no Sup Ct has ever before stayed trial after jury was empaneled; argues that Douglas's 'completely unjustified' act could have 'disastrous impact upon the prosecution'; Chief Justice Burger reptdly begins to poll Justices on whether they desire to rev Douglas's stay; sources rept that 4 of 9 judges--Marshall, Brennan, Stewart and Douglas--indicated that they do not think Ct should interrupt its normal summer recess to act on Govt's application; jury of 12 members and 6 alternates are excused for 10 days by trial Judge Byrne, with admonition not to read or listen to any new repts on case

Spaak, Paul-Henri

Aug 1-15: persons die in terrorist bomb attacks following predawn operation by Brit troops that smashes barricades of Cath no-go areas in Belfast and Londonderry on July 31; by evening almost all barricades in Londonderry and Belfast are cleared; Brit Sec Whitelaw announces that army is in complete control throughout Ulster; Brit officials attribute relative lack of resistance to Whitelaw's announcement yesterday warning residents to keep indoors because of substantial activity by soldiers; Cath reaction to troops is bitter but there are no shooting or bomb attacks; Brit officials voice surprise at IRA decision to withhold even token resistance; Brit Army assault was led by Lt Gen Sir H Tuzo, head of all Brit forces in Ulster; decision to raid areas was spurred by IRA bombing attack on July 21 in Belfast; Whitelaw reveals that Pres Nixon, Prime Min Lynch and other internatl leaders were informed of army operation in advance; illus