December 1, 1972

White House press sec Ziegler says no more pub announcements will be made about US troops withdrawals now that the level has fallen to 27,000 men; US Defense Dept sources say there will not be a full US forces withdrawal until a final truce agreement is signed; agreement will not affect 54,000 US airmen assigned to Thailand and the 60,000 aboard Seventh Fleet ships off the Vietnamese coast

Pres Thieu is reptdly drawing plans for major changes in his Cabinet, based on conviction that there will be a cease-fire soon; pol figures in Saigon say, in ints, that Thieu's objective is to establish a more potent Govt to undertake the pol struggle against the Communists after a cease-fire is signed; Tran Van Don seen likely to become Premier; Don has been in Paris in last 2 wks, meeting with French officials and S Vietnamese exiles, in attempt to make himself acceptable as a pol figure acceptable to Thieu and to some of his opponents; believed to have also made indirect contact with Communist reprs in Paris; opposition leader Tran Van Tuyen warns that Thieu Govt is not preparing for real peace and 'natl reconciliation' but for suppression and more killing of Communists; says solution to problems of postwar govt is for Thieu to step down, but indicates readiness to compromise with him if his policies show a genuine desire for peace; views of other legislators cited

D A Andelman article on difficulties faced by LIRR commuters and small businessmen on LI who have been hurt by LIRR strike; commuters and candy store owner int; gasoline stations appear to be only LI enterprises to benefit from strike; map shows LI-Manhattan routes via bus, subway and car

various means of transportation, including buses and subways, used by LIRR commuters to get to work during rr strike noted

Vatican announces on Nov 30 that hitherto unknown monogram, or secret signature, of Michelangelo, has been discovered during repair of Pieta; says letter M was designed by artist on palm of Madonna's left hand, using natural marks of skin lines reproduced in marble; signature was discovered by V Federici, chief of scientific research in Vatican museums and member of team of art-restoration experts repairing extensive damage to work inflicted by L Toth in May; illus of Pieta before it was vandalized