June 8, 1973

NYC Environmental Protection Admr H Elish, commenting June 7 on burning garbage in Con Ed boilers, hopes process can be found to curb particulate emission; details on preliminary study and projected costs; map

Skylab astronauts Capt Conrad and Dr Kerwin, in 'space walk' on June 8, succeed in effecting deployment of space station's jammed solar-wing panel by using cutting device attached to long pole; Capt Conrad radios: 'It was one lousy single bolt; repair procedure takes almost 4 hours; detailed; Skylab program dir Schneider says deployment of panel should enable space station to operate at full electrical capacity for 1st time, and that crew should complete their full 28-day mission with ample electrical power; flight controllers rept data indicates there already has been increase in craft's electrical capacity; rept malfunction of space station's primary and secondary cooling systems; crew uses inner lining of space suits, warmed by Skylab's hot water tank, to thaw frozen secondary coolant loop; primary coolant system remains inoperative; TV picture of Capt Conrad emerging from Skylab to repair power panel; illus of mission controllers at Houston Space Center

C M Kelley apptd FBI Dir

Former White House chief of staff H R Haldeman says, in deposition taken in private May 22, 24 and 25 and made public on June 7, that Pres Nixon urged his aides, both before and after Nov 7 election, to dear up Watergate case and ease public doubts; says that during Pres campaign, Nixon was concerned about Watergate's pol impact; deposition was given in Dem party's civil suit against Nixon's re-election com; testimony conforms in may respects to that of former White House aide J D Ehrlichman; both defend Pres and place blame on ex-White House counsel J W Dean 3d and J S Magruder; testimony contrasts with respect to ex-Atty Gen Mitchell; Ehrlichman's testimony was damaging to Mitchell on question of whether he approved bugging; Haldeman's deposition tends to support Mitchell's denial; Haldeman, in cautious phrases, often interrupted by claims of exec privilege, pictures Nixon, Ehrlichman and himself as having been kept in dark about Watergate by Dean; says that up until last Mar 22, Dean stoutly maintained that there was no White House involvement; Haldeman pictures his own role as 'conduit' for information to Pres; says he was Nixon's 'basic contact with the re-election campaign in gen' but that 'I would not say that I functioned as a continuing liaison with the com'; says on Mar 28 he met with Mitchell in Haldeman's White House office; says Mitchell told him that Magruder had felt pressure from White House to get on with gathering of intelligence on Dems and that pressure had come from C W Colson; says that as response to this pressure, Mitchell said Magruder said 'he had launched a Liddy intelligence program which included the DNC (Dem Natl Com) project'; says 'Magruder's outline as of that time, as expressed to Mitchell the day before and as reptd by Mitchell to me, was that the Watergate project, the entry and bugging of the DNC, had been conducted with Magruder's knowledge and approval'; says he talked to Colson about it later and was told that Liddy and E H Hunt Jr went to Colson's office because they were unable to get anyone to listen to their intelligence gathering plans; says Colson told him that he did not believe their request involved anything illegal

C W Colson tells Fed prosecutors that ex-White House counsel J W Dean 3d ordered E H Hunt Jr to flee the country 2 days after Watergate burglary; says Dean was 1 of 1st participants in effort to conceal official connections with plot; quotes Dean as saying that he had been acting under orders from J D Ehrlichman; 3 sources close to case say Colson testimony emphasized that Dean took willing, knowing role in cover-up when he ordered Hunt abroad and in several later incidents; Colson's acct, also given to FBI and Watergate grand jury, says it was his own explosive reaction to thought of sending Hunt abroad that killed plan; says Dean told him that order was rescinded after Colson lost his temper; Colson, who has denied all foreknowledge and subsequent involvement in Watergate affair, is now referring to discussion of Hunt's flight from country as 1st of many clues that should have aroused his suspicion about case; says number of incidents involved Dean; Colson insisted, in recent int, that it was not until end of Aug '72 that he believed that top mgt of Nixon campaign com was involved in burglary; said it was not until Jan '73 that he had reason to suspect that White House officials were involved in cover-up; other incidents discussed