January 24, 1973

Watergate witness H W Sloan Jr, former treas of Finance Com to Re-Elect Pres, says on Jan 23 that $199,000 was paid to defendant G G Liddy, atty for Pres Nixon's campaign orgn, with approval of former Atty Gen J N Mitchell and former Commerce Sec M H Stans; says he is unaware of what Liddy did with money and gives no indication that either Mitchell or Stans knew reason for disbursements; Judge Sirica questions Sloan himself; Sloan describes encounter with Liddy at re-election com offices day following Watergate arrests during which he says Liddy stated 'My boys got caught last night'; J S Magruder testifies that Nixon orgn budgeted about $235,000 for intelligence operation, assigned to Liddy, which was to learn plans of radical groups that might disrupt pol rallies for Nixon's leading supporters and that might 'possibly bodily harm' Pres surrogates and to discover intentions of demonstrators at Repub Natl Conv; says there were other intelligence assignments; Magruder establishes for 1st time that Liddy was hired by re-election com on recommendation of J W Dean 3d, counsel to Pres; R C Odle Jr and H L Porter also testify

 

Pres Nixon's reference to 'peace' in SE Asia in Jan 23 TV speech announcing Vietnam cease-fire accord suggests that accord extends to Laos; however, there is no direct mention of Laos and it is not known if cease-fire extends to it as well

Following is a transcript of President Nixon's televised address to the nation last night on the Vietnam war, as recorded by The New York Times:

map shows approximate areas held by Govt and Communist forces in Cambodia and Laos