July 8, 1973

Shakespeare play As You Like It, presented by NY Shakespeare Festival, revd by W Kerr

Amer Airlines voluntarily announces on July 6 that it made $55,000 contribution in '72 to Pres Nixon's re-election campaign after it was solicited by H W Kalmbach; Eastern Air Lines repts that similar request was made by White House but that co refused

Burglars break into L & S Plate & Wire Corp in Queens on July 7 and make off with $500,000 in gold; police rept burglars' electronic device caused voltage fluctuation that was monitored at offices of Holmes Protection, tipping off their presence; describe premises as 'very secure' and note there had been attempted burglary at supply house 10 days ago, possibly by same team because methods were similar; says vault on that occasion was not breached and nothing was taken; detectives say gold constitutes merchandise that co sells to dental labs and other businesses that use gold for indus purposes; methods used by intruders to gain access to vault described

Iraqi radio announces on July 7 execution of 23 persons accused of having attempted to overthrow Govt on June 30; executions follow swift trial before special 3-member tribunal headed by I I al-Duri, member of Revolutionary Command Council; 1 of men executed, Col N Kazzar, was dir of natl public security dept, key police post, but he was not member of 15-member council, which is inner circle of power; Vice Pres S Hussein statement says that 'Kazzar clique' was limited to public security dept and had no support in armed forces or in ruling Baath party; special investigating comm continues its attempts to determine origins of Kazzar's bid for power, including possible foreign support, and tribunal that issued death sentences says these were dealt to '1st group of the Kazzar clique' brought to trial; Kazzar and supporters, in attempted coup d'etat, kidnapped Defense Min H Shihab and Interior Min S Ghaidan, who were seized at gunpoint on June 30 as they arrived for luncheon to which they were invited by Kazzar; kidnapping came several hrs before Pres A H al-Bakr was due to return form trip to Bulgaria and Poland; absence of 2 mins and of Kazzar from airport came to attention of authorities and led to alerting of armed forces and security orgns; if Kazzar were awaiting action by other plotters against Govt, it did not take place; at nightfall on June 30 Kazzar fled with 2 captive mins in convoy of automobiles toward Iranian border; Govt sent helicopters to watch rd movements and convoy was intercepted at Zarbatiya by armed Baathist militiamen; Kazzar, with escape route cut off, fired his pistol at 2 mins killing Shihab and wounding Ghaidan; Kazzar's fleeing toward Iran has raised speculation that coup attempt originated abroad; special tribunal that condemned Kazzar says that it confiscated about $156,000 found on him; other men executed on July 7 with Kazzar include 2 lieutenants, 7 commissars, 6 noncommissioned officers from public security forces and 7 persons whose identity is not reptd

J Kodes defeats A Metreveli on July 7 to win Wimbledon men's tennis champ; B J King defeats C Evert to win women's champ; I Nastase and J Connors win men's doubles champ; King and R Casals win women's doubles champ; illus