May 11, 1973

The United States Steel Corporation announced plans yesterday to raise prices of sheet and strip products by an average of 4.8 per cent, effective June 15. In Washington, the Cost of Living Council said it planned to review the action to determine if the increases were “costjustified.” Details, Page 51.

Atty Gen-designate Richardson says on May 10 that he feels 'betrayed by the shoddy standards of morals' of those Nixon Adm officials who have been involved in Watergate affair, confirmation hearing, Sen Judiciary Com; has become more conciliatory in promising to give special Watergate prosecutor, once he selects one, wide latitude in conducting investigation; says he plans to maintain 'arm's lenth' relationship, even at times 'adversary relationship' with White House throughout investigation; says Pres Nixon has told him that he does not want to be informed about investigation's progress; says he hopes to select special prosecutor 'tomorrow or the next day,' submit his name for clearance to FBI May 14 and announce choice by end of next wk; says he expects prosecutor to keep him up to date on investigation and ask for advice 'when a close call had to be made' but that he does not expect to 'stick my finger in the day to day prosecution'; says he is drawing up what will amount to contract between himself and special prosecutor outlining precisely what responsibilities will be delegated to prosecutor; says he and prosecutor will sign document and it will be made public; Sen Bayh is concerned about whether there would be 'appearance' of independence; 61-member Dem Advisory Council calls on Richardson to disqualify himself from Watergate prosecution; illus

NYS Investigation Comm, as part of broad investigation into NYC criminal justice system, has examined role of R R Aurelio in selection of city judges since he resigned as Deputy Mayor in Nov '71; several of recently appointed judges have testified before comm on their backgrounds, manner of their selection and criminal justice system; Aurelio confirms that he has interviewed a number of judicial candidates; neither confirms nor denies that he has testified before comm; M Dontzin, counsel to Mayor Lindsay concedes that Aurelio was 1 of persons he consulted before recommending a candidate to Mayor; cites Aurelio's experience, pol knowledge and knowledge of people in communities; declines to say whether he has appeared before comm; comm chmn P J Curran says broad inquiry is under way; refuses to say whether comm has inquired into roles of Aurelio and Dontzin in judicial selection process but sources close to investigation say comm has made such inquiries; Dontzin says only 2 of 14 judges appointed by Mayor since he took office have failed to win NYC Bar Assn approval but all were approved by Mayor's screening com; Aurelio por

Article based on ints over last 2 wks with informants dose to Cambodian mil situation and on monitoring of radio conversations of personnel in the air and on the ground who are involved in directing air raids says survey shows that bombing is an Amer operation modeled to give the appearance that the Cambodians are playing a significant role in directing it; article says full-scale US bombing is being conducted with the aid of US Embassy under circumstances that raise questions about safeguards against striking civilian targets and about violations of the US Cong act under which the embassy functions; embassy refuses to give newsmen detailed information on bombing, arguing that it has no direct involvement and acts as a conduit on requests from Cambodian Govt to the 7th Air Force in Thailand; article says survey shows embassy's role is considerably larger than that; comment on cost to US of bombing and on civilian casualties; ground mil action illus; map

Pres Nixon announces on May 10 apptmts of J B Connolly to be special adviser to Pres on part-time basis; J R Schlesinger to be Defense Sec, W E Colby to be CIA Dir; Defense Dept gen counsel J F Buzhardt Jr to be special White House counsel on Watergate matters; and that super-Cabinet will be mostly demolished; major reorgn follows as result of Watergate scandals; White House press sec Ziegler announces changes following Cabinet meeting; questions are raised about possible conflict-of-interest it Connally is Pres adviser without giving up his position as sr partner in Vinson Elkins Searls & Connally; Ziegler says Connally has been advising Pres in past on variety of matters and that he will have no operational functions in White House; says Nixon told Cabinet that HEW Dept Sec Weinberger, HUD Dept Sec Lynn and Agr Sec Butz will no longer have title of Counselor to Pres; positions of Treas Sec Shultz and Dr Kissinger are not affected; Ziegler seems to be saying that return to traditional Cabinet system is based on departure of H R Haldeman and J D Ehrlichman; illus of Connally, Colby, Schlesinger and Buzhardt