February 12, 1973

South Vietnam delegate to Four-Party Joint Mil Comm Lt Gen Ngo Dzu is replaced by Lt Gen Du Quoc Dong; latter por; Dzu was accused in '71 by US Repr Steele of being 1 of chief traffickers in narcotics in Southeast Asia; was dismissed as comdr of mil region in Central Highlands in '72 after troops under his command lost series of key defensive positions; was accused on FEb 9 by North Vietnamese radio of shoddy treatment of Communist delegations to mil comm; Brig Gen Phan Hoa Hiep is named Dzu's deputy

US Census Bur rept, released on Feb 11, notes men in professional and technical fields earned annual avg salary of $12,262 in '69, compared with $5,927 avg by their female counterparts

Laotian Govt sources say on Feb 12 that Govt and Pathet Lao will sign cease-fire agreement on coming day to halt fighting on Feb 18

most foreign exch mkts in W Eur and Japan are ordered closed on Feb 12 as major indus powers enter phase of intense bargaining over new patterns of currency values; Eur monetary officials hold series of secret meetings in several Eur centers to determine whether there is sufficient common ground to hold new monetary conf; US Under Sec Volcker holds talks in Paris with French Min Giscard d'Estaing before leaving for Rome, where he meets with Italian Min G Malagodi; Volcker and Malagodi then fly back to Paris, where they are joined for dinner by W Ger Min Schmidt and Brit Chancellor Barber at residence of Giscard d'Estaing as part of intensive round of consultations; US has been putting heavy pressure on Japan and Eur to liberalize trade or revalue currencies, but Japanese have said they will not revalue yen unless W Gers act and Gers have said they will not change value of mark at all and have reinforced exch controls; high-level Japanese envoy T Hosomi will arrive in Bonn on Feb 11 for what is officially described as information-collecting mission; '71 monetary crisis revd; list of currency exch rates established by Smithsonian Agreement on Dec 18 '71

Repatriation of Amer POWs from N Vietnam begins Feb 12; 3 US med-evacuation planes and advance plane bearing support team and officials officials at Hanoi's Gia Lam airport, an loaded with POWs after a ceremonial turnover and take off for and arrive at Clark Air Base, Philippines; one POW, Comdr B D Woods, not scheduled for Feb 12 release, is added to list at Four-Party Joint Mil Comm request because his mother is critically ill; repatriation is 1st phase of POW exchange to be completed within 60 days of signing of cease-fire pact signed Jan 27; approximately 1/4 of 592 POWs Communists say they hold included in Feb 12 repatriation; those remaining are to be released in installments in proportion to withdrawal of remaining US troops from S Vietnam during 60-day period; some 1,300 Amers listed as captured or missing in action remain unaccounted for; 2 US Govt officials in charge of POW matters unexpectedly left Clark Air Base for Hanoi, Feb 12, with 18-man advance team; they are R E Shields and F A Sieverts; security tightened around Clark Air Base and at hosp where POWs will be housed and examined for 3 or 4 days before return to US; preparations for repatriation, known as Operation Homecoming, began in May '69; operation detailed; details on length of capivity of those released; welcoming preparations at Clark Air Base described; hosp officials warns hosp staff against speaking to any of 131 newsmen covering POWs return; all statements and opinions by people at base are authorized only when made in presence of one of 66 public relations officers and enlisted men flown in to deal with press; illus of planes and map of plane routes