June 1, 1973

Greek regime announces on May 31 that Vice Adm C Margaritis has been retired as navy chief after being promoted to rank of full adm; says he was replaced by Rear Adm P Arapakis

June 1-15: ex-White House aide H R Haldeman denies 'categorically' on May 31 before Sen Appropriations Subcom on Intelligence Operations that he participated in Watergate cover-up; disputes earlier testimony by CIA Deputy Dir Walters that he had instructed Walters to try to get FBI to stop investigating certain aspects of Watergate affair; Sen Pastore, after hearing Haldeman's testimony, complains of 'glaring inconsistencies' between testimony of Haldeman and J D Ehrlichman on 1 hand and that of Gens Walters and Cushman on other; 2 basic points of conflict are over what was said at a June 23 White House meeting that was called on Pres Nixon's orders and over source of instructions to Walters to provide assistance to Watergate conspirator E H Hunt Jr; Haldeman says 'I can categorically state...that at no time nor in any way did I suggest, direct or participate in any cover-up of the Watergate Investigation,' statement to newsmen following testimony before subcom; says he never asked CIA to participate in any Watergate cover-up and never suggested that CIA take any responsibility for break-in; Sens Pastore and McClellan point out direct conflict between statements of Haldeman and those of Walters; Walters has testified that he was ordered by Haldeman to try to get FBI to stop investigating Mexican aspects of Watergate case; Haldeman says Walters was asked to meet with then-FBI Acting Dir Gray to insure that any unrelated covert operations of CIA or any unrelated natl security activities had been previously undertaken by some of Watergate principals not be compromised in process of Watergate investigation and attendant publicity and pol furor; says this was done with 'no intent or desire to impede or cover up any aspect of Watergate investigation itself; McClellan says he cannot understand why, if their stories were accurate, Haldeman and Ehrlichman did not simply ask then-CIA Dir Helms whether CIA operations would be endangered; also questions why, if purpose of meeting was 'to get the 2 agencies together, Gray was not invited to be present so they could have them all there'; Sen Hruska says Haldeman told subcom that Gray was not invited because there could have been 'high-level discussions' about secret CIA affairs that Gray should not have known about'; Haldeman suggests that ex-White House counsel Dean 1st suggested possibility of CIA involvement in Watergate burglary and that it was because of Dean's suggestion that meeting was called with Helms and Walters; illus of Cushman, Haldeman and Haldeman's atty F Strickler

Nixon and Pompidou conf for nearly 5 hrs in Reykjavik, Iceland, May 31, but fail to narrow significantly questions that divide France and US on US-W Eur relations; Kissinger, for US, and D Baudoin, for France, reveal divergencies during their news briefings on conf; divergencies also revealed in Nixon and Pompidou toasts at state dinner; revolve around French desire for discussion of specifics and US desire to put talks in broad context; Kissinger says a summit conf is possible during Nixon's Eur tour in Oct, but French officials see no possibility for early meeting; Kissinger goes to some lengths to allay Eur fears of Amer domination; says US is not going to hand Eurs and Amer blueprint

J L Loeb, sr partner of Loeb Rhoades & Co, on Apr 30 pleads no contest in Fed ct to 3 charges of having disguised campaign contributions to Sen H H Humphrey's '72 Pres campaign totaling $48,000; tells Fed Judge J M Cannella that he felt it would be 'unfair' to subject his family and friends to ordeal of trial; will be sentenced on June 7 and could receive $1,000 fine and 1 yr's imprisonment on each count; Loeb's atty W D Scott says Loeb was asked by Sen Humphrey to help provide urgently needed funds to aid Humphrey's Calif primary campaign; says Loeb agreed and spoke to Humphrey's counsel J Chestnut with respect to mechanics of contributions; says Loeb asked aide A Griffiths to find some employes at Loeb Rhoades & Co who supported Humphrey and would contribute to his campaign; 9 employes agreed and were told that Loeb would reimburse them; Humphrey aide B Solomonson personally picked up checks from Loeb on May 12, '72; facts about contributions began to emerge in '72 after Humphrey Com filed preliminary repts on May 24, '72 of receipts and expenses; reporters' curiosities were aroused when they found that 9 loeb contributors' addresses were listed as addresses of their banks because com evidently did not have their home addresses; Scott said that Loeb was 'unaware' of law's requirements and had 'responded to the call of an old friend'; Asst US Atty J J Tigue Jr says that Govt's position is that it has 'indiputable' proof that Loeb knew exactly what law was regarding disclosure of campaign contributions; says this had been determined through int with Loeb and through documentary evidence

NYC Bar Assn gives Manhattan Dem Dist Atty aspirant W J vanden Heuvel lowest rating, 'not approved,' while bestowing rarely-used highest rating on incumbent Hogan, 'approved as highly qualified and preferred'; gives no explanation; vanden Heuvel por; exec sec P De Witt makes announcement after assn exec com holds 7-hr meeting considering earlier ratings by judiciary com; repts exec com member A J Scotti disqualified himself because he is Hogan aide; vanden Heuvel, at earlier news conf, presents 2 crime victims to dramatize charge that crime victims are often victimized by justice system; Hogan issues statements demanding immediate destruction of dangerous drugs seized by authorities and proposing to limit immunity granted public officials in ct cases