April 18, 1973

I have two announcements to make. Because of their technical nature, I shall read both of the announcements to the members of the press corps.

Pres Nixon announces on Apr 17 that 'major developments' have come to light in Watergate case as result of new investigation that he himself conducted, press briefing; Nixon reads 2 announcements promising ltd testimony from his aides before Sen investigating com and asserting that 'real progress' has been made in getting to bottom of case; says he will suspend any Govt employe indicted in connection with Watergate break-in and discharge immediately anyone who is convicted; White House press sec Ziegler says that Nixon's past statements denying involvement by White House staff members are now 'inoperative' as they were based on 'investigations prior to developments announced today'; Dem Natl Com atty S S Cohen says com recd 'some serious offers' from Nixon's re-election com to settle civil damage suits arising from Watergate incident; some repts say offers involved as much as $500,000; Ziegler specifically refuses to repeat his Mar 24 comment in which he said that Pres retained full confidence in his counsel J W Dean 3d; Adm sources say it does not appear that White House chief of staff H R Haldeman is involved in new developments; ex-Atty Gen Mitchell, when asked whether he might be target of President's statements in case, says he cannot imagine why, int; ambiguities in Nixon's statement regarding appearances of witnesses discussed; sr White House official says strategy meetings, in which Haldeman was involved, were held on Apr 12 and 13; Ziegler discloses on Apr 18 that Mitchell came to White House on Apr 14 to talk with J D Ehrlichman in an unannounced meeting; Nixon conferred with Atty Gen Kleindienst and Asst Atty Gen Petersen on Apr 15; Nixon illus

3d and last article in NY Times series on energy crisis; possibilities of solving energy problems by tapping nuclear sources or harnessing solar power discussed; current research in areas described; Dr P Glaser plan to employ photo-voltaic cells to collect solar energy outside atmosphere detailed; Glaser por; solar power station diagram

Fierce battle erupts on Apr 17 between Govt forces and insurgent Indians holding Wounded Knee (SD), injuring at least 2 Indians; battle shatters 3-wk-old cease-fire; 1 occupier is seriously wounded in head, requiring neurosurgery; hosp spokesman says that man, who has not been identified, is in 'very critical' condition; Govt spokesmen say that shooting started sometime after 3 light planes dropped 7 pkgs into village by parachute; Boston Globe reporter T Oliphant, who was aboard 1 plane, says that pkgs contained food for insurgents; Asst Atty Gen J S Pottinger says that 3,000 to 4,000 rounds of ammunition were fired by insurgents by 11:00 AM and that some of fire appeared to have come from automatic weapons; Govt repts that firing had been begun by insurgents who reptdly moved out of their bunkers in an 'aggressive' action and assaulted Govt positions; Amer Indian Movement lawyer M Lane says that he had been told by Dr M Silverstein, physician who accompanied injured man from Wounded Knee, that fighting stemmed from clear case of 'unwarranted aggression' by Govt; Pottinger holds that Fed forces were ordered to return insurgents' fire only to protect themselves and were not to counterattack; says that before shooting started he talked with Amer Indian Movement leader R C Means and group's lawyer R Roubideaux about re-establishing negotiations intended to end confrontation; Oliphant says he is certain that no weapons or ammunition had been dropped into Wounded Knee; notes that there was no visible activity in village or among Fed forces as planes made their pass; says that after supplies were dropped about 50 people 'suddenly burst out of bldgs and came running toward the stuff; illus

transcript of Pres Nixon's Apr 17 speech concerning Watergate investigation