May 22, 1973

special Watergate prosecutor A Cox says on May 21 that he will pursue his investigation into Oval Office of White House if trail leads him there, testimony, Sen Judiciary Com hearing on E L Richardson's confirmation as Atty Gen; Sec Richardson says, in response to question on what he would do if Pres asked him for progress rept, that he would refer it to special prosecutor and let him decide; Cox, when asked same question, says he feels he would have absolute right, if 'I felt it were against the interests of the investigation, to refuse'; Sen Byrd announces that he will 'reluctantly' vote for Richardson's confirmation; calls apptmt of Richardson 'regrettable and unfortunate' and says he wishes Nixon had 'gone outside the Adm and brought in a fresh name and a fresh face'; Cox says he will work within guidelines laid down by Richardson; Sen Tunney questions Richardson about his personal friendship with C W Colson, former White House aide who has testified before Watergate grand jury

Foreign exch dealers link May 21 rise in gold price to record closing of $112 an ounce in London and Zurich to renewed worries over US in light of unfolding Watergate scandal

The second trial of four Black Panthers charged with the 1971 murder of a member of a rival faction of the party ended abruptly in State Supreme Court in Queens yesterday when the defendants pleaded guilty to the reduced charge of attempted manslaughter in the second degree.

Sen Symington repts May 21 that ex‐White House aide H R Haldeman reptdly told CIA Deputy Dir Gen Walters nearly 1 yr ago that 'it is the Pres' wish' that CIA attempt to halt investigation into at least 1 aspect of Watergate case; Symington says statement regarding Pres was contained in 'memorandum of conversation' that Walters said he prepared after White House meeting with Haldeman and ex‐White House aide J D Ehrlichman 6 days after Dem Natl Com hq break‐in; another of Walters's memorandums, written last yr but disclosed May 21 by another Cong source, quotes then‐FBI Acting Dir Gray as saying that Pres, during a telephone conversation, had inquired about 'the case,' an apparent reference to Watergate inquiry; memo quotes Gray as telling Pres that Watergate case could not be covered up and that he thought Nixon should get rid of those involved; Sen Symington discloses that Sen Armed Services Com has acquired 2 sets of documents purporting to deal with Adm plans in summer of '70 to permit burglary and other violations of law in collection of intelligence information about US citizens; says plans were never carried out; illus of Sens Symington, Muskie and Mansfield

Source says on May 21 that J W McCord Jr, convicted Watergate burglar and conspirator, before Watergate trial began in Jan, made telephone calls to Israeli Embassy, which he knew from his days as CIA official to be wiretapped by FBI; say McCord later demanded that White House officials prevail on Fed prosecutors to concede that he had been overheard on illegal wiretap and dismiss charges against him; during 1st wks of trial Fed prosecutors reptd that search of all relevant wiretap logs proved negative; intelligence officials confirm on May 21 existence of wiretaps on Israeli Embassy; Govt source says top‐secret FBI wiretap program was known by code name 'Scope' when it was initiated during Johnson Adm; recalls reading transcript of conversation involving Israeli Premier Meir and former Israeli‐US Amb I Rabin during Middle East crisis of '70; says Meir and Rabin were discussing US Sec Rogers; says copies of 'Scope' material were routinely distributed by FBI to offices of Pres Nixon's natl security adviser H A Kissinger, and to CIA and Natl Security Agency; US has never acknowledged wiretapping Israeli Embassy