March 19, 1973

Gov Rockefeller on Mar 18 endorses former Mayor Wagner as man who can 'lead and heal' NYC and politicians assert that statement seals deal that would give Wagner Repub and Liberal lines for Mayor in '73 election; 2-party coalition is put together despite public protests of 4 of city's 5 Repub leaders; Rockefeller, apparently confident that he can place Wagner on Repub line, issues statement highly praising Wagner; declares that city needs 'coalition for good govt' and that Wagner is best qualified to lead coalition; politicians say that announcement had been held up until Rockefeller was certain there would be no challenge in Repub primary from State Sen J J Marchi of Staten Island, who reptdly is furious at idea of giving Repub endorsement to Dem; there is no immediate comment from Wagner or Marchi but 3 of Repub leaders continue to protest; State Sen J D Calandra, Bronx Chmn, shouts Wagner is 'moron'; Wagner has reptdly sought assurances that there would be no significant opposition in either Repub or Liberal primaries; Liberal leader A Rose is said to be able to provide such assurance; state Liberal Chmn Rev Dr D S Harrington says he believes Wagner will run; Rockefeller is seen believing that having Wagner run on Repub-Liberal lines would ensure that Mayor Lindsay could not reconsider his decision not to seek re-election

NY Times survey on shifts in Fed aid to special revenue sharing, under which many programs of New Deal and Great Society will be replaced with 'block' grants for states to allocate, is generating confusion and suspicion in South; gen revenue sharing, which provides totally unrestricted funds that communities can use as they wish, will continue; notes signs that 1st wave of gen revenue sharing money is being used in highly pol way to consoldate middle-class support for program

Benton, William

'Heldentenor' L Melchoir dies on Mar 18 at age 82; career as principal Wagnerian tenor of his times revd; por

J P Sterba series on conditions of life in southern Asia; repts that population growth is accused of sabotaging most concerted effort in human history to improve lot of impoverished majorities in underdeveloped countries; notes population-control programs have only begun in Asia and are least successful where most needed; notes S E Bunker, specialist on Asian population, recently stated that motivation is major factor and is basically lacking in most Asian societies; cites situation in India where about 1-million men and women were sterilized in '72 but total was still inadequate; map indicates world population, chart shows pressure of population; Indian family illus