May 10, 1973

US Army, unknown to Defense Sec Richardson, has ordered several thousand new nuclear shells for its 155-mm and 8-in howitzers in W Ger; cost of 'modernization' program is being kept secret by Pentagon but Cong sources say plan will run into 'millions and millions of dollars'; issue raised by Sen Symington during questioning of Richardson before Sen Foreign Relations Com My 9; Symington said he was 'shocked' to learn of program's cost; Richardson expressed ignorance of program; his ignorance seen possibly stemming from unusual budgetary procedures for nuclear weapons, under which AEC builds and pays for Defense Dept requirements

G McM Godley, ex-US Amb to Laos, appearing before Sen Foreign Relations Com for hearing on his apptmt as Asst Sec of State for East Asian Affairs, tells com that despite the Vietnam and Laos cease-fires, 15,000 to 20,000 Thai 'irregular' troops, financed by US, are now based in Laos; figure is marked increase from the 5,000 to 8,000 troops estimated to be in Laos until recently; says they are being paid about $26-million yrly; Thai troops were introduced into Laos several yrs ago primarily to combat N Vietnamese regular forces in N Laos; under terms of Laos cease-fire reached in Feb, all foreign forces, including the Thais, were to be withdrawn within 60 days of the formation of a new coalition govt; so far no pol settlement has been achieved in Laos and as a result, both the Thais and the N Vietnamese have remained there; G A Martin, nominated to be Amb to S Vietnam, and Godley tell Sen com they back US actions in Laos and Cambodia as necessary on the ground there is one Indochina war; Godley says US gives Laos about $350-million yrly

 

Atty Gen-designate Richardson says that if he is confirmed, he will maintain 'ultimate responsibility' for Watergate investigation and prosecution, testimony, Sen Judiciary Com; says he will delegate considerable authority to special prosecutor and that he has begun search for one; repeats that final decisions will be his own; Richardson says that if Sens do not trust him to act properly they should not confirm him; Sen Hart, declaring that he has no reservations about Richardson's integrity, says that 'appearance becomes as important as fact'

Sources rept May 9 that Sen and Fed investigators say, on basis of ints with ex-White House counsel J W Dean 3d, that they believe he has no evidence to link Pres Nixon either to prior knowledge of Watergate bugging or to any subsequent cover-up; sources in Justice Dept and Sen Select Com say Dean gave his account in full in recent wks to both investigating groups as he sought to bargain for immunity; say that, because of limited scope of Dean's testimony, prosecutors in Watergate case are angry with Sen com for its decision to seek immunity for Dean before com begins public hearings; each investigating com is accusing other of failing to share information and of refusing to cooperate in other ways; Sen com chief counsel S Dash says he is cooperating fully but questions whether 'they're cooperating with us'; Dash is apparently referring to May 9 Justice Dept decision to go slow on Sen com's request for immunity for Dean; 8 previous Sen requests for immunity were processed through Justice Dept with no delay; Sen Ervin is irked by go-slow decison in Dean's case; Sen sources says Justice Dept's decision to invoke 30-day delay came as no surprise to many Sen com members, in view of importance of Dean as witness against ex-White House aides H R Haldeman and J D Ehrlichman and competition between 2 investigating groups; source says Sen com expects Fed prosecutors to seek to indict Dean during 30-day delay; Sen and Fed sources say they do not expect classified documents Dean took from White House to provide any new information about Nixon's involvement in Watergate affair; Justice Dept source describes papers as natl security documents that 'have nothing to do with anything'; Justice Dept sources say prosecutors are upset over granting of immunity to Dean because they are convinced it would hamper any subsequent trial of Dean; Dash says immunity would be granted to Dean for those areas in which com members reach conclusion that he has essential evidence that could not be learned from any other source; C W Colson and Ehrlichman testify before grand jury May 9