May 25, 1973

Watergate conspirator B L Barker testifies on May 24 at Sen Watergate hearings that he broke into Dem Natl Com hq to search for proof of financial support of party by Cuban Govt but was unsuccessful; says his role in Watergate affair was ‘to obey orders, not to think'; says he and his ‘team’ hoped their participation in break‐in would speed ‘liberation of Cuba'; says, in response to question by Sen Baker, that ‘fact that the Castro Govt was aiding the Dem party had been rumored’ in Miami but that he had no hard evidence that this was true; says his prime motivation for taking part in break‐in was belief that he could later get help from co‐conspirator Hunt and ‘others in high places’ for overthrow of Castro; says he ‘personally was convinced at the time‐‐and I am today, too‐‐that what I did at the time was correct'; insists he was not under pressure to plead guilty and keep silent about Watergate scandal and that he had never been offered exec clemency in return for guilty plea; says that after his arrest he recd from Hunt's wife payments of about $45,000 or $46,000 for bail, expenses and lawyers’ fees, but says this was part of aid he expected to receive ‘if you are caught by the enemy'; A C Baldwin 3d follows Barker as witness; illus of Sen Ervin and Barker

Sec Dent announces on May 24 that US foreign trade balance for Apr registered $196‐million surplus, first surplus since Sept ‘71; says exports rose by $107.5‐million, or 2%, to record $5.49‐billion while imports declined $141.4‐million, or 2.6%, to $5.29‐billion; warns it is too early to predict extent of improvement in trade balance for ‘73 as whole but says continued improvement in trade position is thought to be significant since exports are showing considerable strength and imports are turning sluggish; holds trends indicate that currency shifts of past 2 yrs are having stimulating effect on sales of US‐made goods, which are also benefiting from econ boom abroad and are dampening purchases of foreign goods; announcement by Dent comes 1 full day before scheduled release of figures, assuring Adm of possibility of 2 days of impact on stock mkt before weekend; gen view of officials and private economists is that main explanation for big improvement in trade balance is 2‐step devaluation of dollar against most of major currencies; officials say they would not be surprised if trade balance turns back to deficit in some future mos

NYS Sen and Assembly on May 24 approve Gov Rockefeller‐backed bill to defer until 75 public referendum on recommendations of special State Comm to Revise NYC Charter; bill would abolish original schedule under which comm was to complete findings by June 1 and submit recommendations to electorate next Nov; measure, which extends life of comm, also includes $600,000 appropriation for further studies and final rept; Sen passes bill with no debate; some Dem Assemblymen oppose bill; Assemblyman Stavisky, Dem, defends it; holds it would have been impossible for comm to have met original deadline; holds extension will give comm ample opportunity for further research and hearings; Assemblyman Koppel recommends holding of special election on comm recommendations; Assemblymen Olivieri and Hevesi score bill

3 US astronauts complete preparations on May 24 and will be launched from Cape Kennedy on May 25 to repair over‐heated Skylab space station in effort to salvage $2.5‐billion project aimed at learning how men react to long‐duration space flights; launching is scheduled for 9 AM, and technicians are feverishly employed in stowing repair equipment aboard Apollo spacecraft; engineers are trying to find room for additional 400 pounds of gear, including new photographic film and med supplies to replace those believed to have been damaged by high temperatures, as well as new thermal shields and tools for their deployment; improvised thermal shields described; tentative flight plan calls for astronauts to fly around Skylab in Apollo command ship to inspect damage before affixing awning; launching of crew was delayed after Skylab lost thermal and micrometeroid shield during launching from Cape Kennedy and after solar panel failed to deploy; Skylab crew illus with NASA officials at Houston Space Center inspecting gear to be used in repair of spacecraft

US Atty H H Titus Jr announces May 24 that 1 of key figures in Watergate case has agreed to plead guilty and serve as prosecution witness at trial; Govt sources indentify key witness as J S Magruder; other Govt sources say Magruder has been assured that if he pleaded guilty and testified for prosecutors, Govt attys would ask ct to be lenient in his sentence; Titus says additional indictments in Watergate case are expected within 60 to 90 days; says that other persons have admitted their guilt in case; indicates that similar exchanges of light sentences for guilty pleas are being negotiated with them; announces that 3 prosecutors who have been handling Watergate investigation since it began will stay on job; A Cox, special Watergate prosecutor who will be sworn in May 25, has told Titus that final decision on retaining 3 men will be made later; 3 prosecutors E J Silbert, S Glanzer and D E Campbell threatened May 22 to resign; Cox met with them May 23; Magruder por