2D DAY ON STAND
exâAtty Gen Mitchell, under crossâexamination by Sen Watergate com on July 11, clings to his sworn declaration that Pres Nixon was shielded from knowledge of Watergate breakâin and its coverâup; testifies that exâWhite House aides Haldeman and Ehrlichman participated last yr in âdesign not to have the stories come outâ because they might have jeopardized Nixon's bid for reâelection; insists Nixon never asked him for explanation of Watergate scandal after June 20 â72; says he is confident that other close associates of Pres had decided âindependentlyâ to protect Nixon by withholding information from him; interrogation is openly skeptical; Mitchell mutters âIt is a great trial being conducted up here, isn't it?â; Mitchell concedes that his attempt to protect Pres may ultimately have helped diminish public confidence in Nixon by surrounding White House with doubt; repeats that he thrice rejected Watergate conspirator G G Liddy's proposals for various illegal acts and never dreamed they would be implemented; repeats that he was concerned not so much about Nixon's ability to withstand public exposure of Watergate case itself, but that inquiry would lead to exposure of âWhite House horror storiesâ that would damage Nixon's candidacy or his 2d term; contends that his judgment, however flawed it may seem now, was correct in midst of â72 campaign; says if Nixon had known truth, he would have âlowered the boomâ on those involved and thus affected his prospects for reâelection; repeats that he bases his confidence in Nixon's innocence of any involvement upon his knowledge of Nixon rather than any specific 1stâhand information; illus of Mitchell, attys P C Cacheris and M Segal, Sens Ervin, Baker, Weicker, Talmadge, and Inouye and chief com counsel Dash
