December 6, 1972

Nixon Adm officials rept that Kissinger raises questions with Hanoi negotiators in Paris about intelligence repts showing that Hanoi, after a cease-fire, intends to hide much of its army in S Vietnam in Vietcong units; silent on whether this issue caused cancellation of talks session that was scheduled Dec 5; White House press sec Ziegler repts heavy flow of cablegrams between Nixon and Kissinger and Kissinger phone calls to White House aides; silent on reason for one-day postponement of talks, but says that Kissinger was told by Nixon to proceed; details on intelligence repts on enemy post-cease-fire planning; some US officials acknowledge they are privately skeptical that either side will live up to the letter and the spirit of the final peace accord; hope any major violations can be limited; say primary interest is to get US disengaged from Vietnam and that the Vietnam struggle will be reduced to the level where it does not further confrontations between US, USSR and Communist China; say one main subject in current round of talks is matter of N Vietnamese withdrawals from the South

Former President Harry S. Truman, 88 years old, was admitted to a hospital in Kansas City, Mo., yesterday. Doctors said his lungs were congested and described his condition as “fair” Page 53.

US State Dept on Dec 5 announces that Cuba and US have agreed in principle that their proposed accord to curb hijacking of US airliners to Havana should cover ships as well as planes; major unresolved point in current negotiations reptdly centers on whether accord will provide for prosecution and extradition of hijackers or only their trial; Cuba reptdly has proposed that agreement be confined only to prosecution in country in which hijackers are apprehended, whereas US is said to be seeking hijackers' extradition under terms of 1904 Cuban-American extradition agreement; illus of Sec Rogers and Swiss Amb Masnata

 

NYC sells $293,980,000 bond issue on Dec 5 at avg interest rate of 4.98%, lowest rate in over 4 yrs