July 13, 1973

Labor Sec P J Brennan forecasts on July 12 that if prices, especially food prices, continue to rise labor will expect wage increases well in excess of 5.5% Fed guidelines

Nixon Adm interprets Sen Foreign Relations Com's rejection of ex‐Amb to Laos G McM Godley, Nixon's nominee as Asst Sec of State for E Asian Affairs, as a further sign of the com's long‐standing opposition to Adm policies in Indochina

White House official R A Moore in July 12 testimony before Sen Watergate com contradicts charges by ex‐White House counsel J W Dean 3d that Pres Nixon knew of efforts to cover up scandal as early as Sept ‘72; says that Dean informed him on Mar 20 that he had not informed Nixon of cover‐up and that he did not think that anyone else had done so; Moore says that nothing said in his meetings with Dean or with Pres suggests in any way that Nixon knew or that Dean believed Pres knew before Mar 21 of any involvement of White House personnel in bugging or cover‐up; significance of sessions before Mar 21 is based on Nixon's statement that on that date he learned for 1st time of ‘serious charges’ about Watergate affair and began investigation of them; Moore says he urged Dean to tell Nixon ‘everything’ on Mar 21; says Dean took advice and afterward informed Moore that he ‘told the Pres everything’ and that Pres had been surprised; discusses Mar 14 meeting with Nixon, Dean and White House press sec Ziegler and subsequent sessions of Mar 15, 19 and 20 at which only Nixon, Dean and Moore were present; says that ‘at no time. did anyone say anything in my presence which related to or suggested the existence of any cover‐up or any knowledge or involvement by anyone in the White House, then or now, in the Watergate affair’; ex‐Atty Gen Mitchell acknowleges, in his July 12 testimony before Sen Watergate com, that some of his testimony during this wk's hearings differ from his prior statements; chief counsel Dash questions Mitchell's veracity

Incoming Amer Bar Assn pres Chesterfield Smith, in July 12 telephone int, pledges major thrust toward improving way in which nation's lawyers are regulated and disciplined in light of Watergate Affair testimony in which many lawyers have either admitted or been accused of crimes including perjury, burglary and destruction of evidence; embarrassment of lawyers reached peak with admission of J N Mitchell, formerly highest‐ranking atty in country, that he participated in Watergate cover‐up; Smith says legal profession has not done enough to discipline its members; says assn will set up permanent unit to hold seminars, collect data and generally assist disciplinary units of each state; Watergate is seen raising issue of whether non‐lawyers should be allowed to participate in disciplining lawyers; NYU prof of const law N Dorsen comments; findings of ‘70 study by ABA com headed by former US Sup Ct T Clark that found lawyer discipline ‘scandalous’ and advocated array of reforms, revd

Ex‐White House chief of staff H R Haldeman has told Sen investigators that he took no part in planning Watergate burglary and did not know of efforts to block investigation and cover up facts until Mar ‘73; Haldeman's statements, in int with Sen Watergate com staff on May 4, contradict sworn testimony of other witnesses including ex‐White House counsel J W Dean 3d, former deputy campaign dir J S Magruder and ex‐Atty Gen Mitchell; Haldeman also denies any involvement in over‐all Watergate affair in public statements, in civil deposition and in testimony given privately to Sen subcom; Fed prosecutors are known to believe that Haldeman played major role in scandal's cover‐up; prosecutors are said to believe that Haldeman did so to protect Nixon's pol position in mos before ‘72 election and to prevent other illicit White House activities, such as ‘plumbers’ operations, from coming to light; Haldeman, in int with Sen com staff, refused to discuss any conversations he had with Pres or any knowledge he obtained in his position as ‘conduit’ of information intended for Nixon, citing exec privilege; Haldeman contradicts other witnesses in saying that he did not know that campaign official H L Porter had been induced by Magruder to commit perjury at Watergate trial; that he did not ‘have occasion in Sept‐Oct ‘72, after the return of the indictments, to congratulate Dean for the job he had done’; that he took no part in cover‐up; that he did not know until Mar ‘73 that there was a White House cover‐up of facts about burglary of Dem Natl hq; that it was possible that espionage repts were sent to his office before Watergate burglary but he does not recall seeing them and never ordered such material destroyed; Haldeman acknowledges that, for a time, he controlled a $350,000 cash fund and that, in Jan ‘73, then‐Haldeman asst G Strachan turned money over to F C LaRue, aide to Mitchell; says he knew that ‘defense fund’ was being raised to assist Watergate defendants but that he did not know of any relationship between cash fund and ‘defense fund’ and that he believed ‘defense fund’ was intended only to pay defendants’ legal fees; acknowleges that he approved hiring of atty D H Segretti, who has been accused of running illegal sabotage operation against Dem Pres candidates; says he insisted that there be ‘specific stipulation that he was not to engage in illegal or improper activities’; says he was ‘generally aware’ of over‐all plumbers project but did not know of activities of E H Hunt Jr and G G Liddy, 2 of plumbers who were later convicted in Watergate conspiracy