September 29, 1973

attys for Vice Pros Agnew file suit in Fed Dist Ct, Baltimore, Md, on Sept 28 seeking to halt grand jury investigation of Agnew's possible role in pol corruption in Md; legal papers contend that Const prohibits criminal proceedings against a sitting Vice Pres; suit asks that ct issue order 'prohibiting grand jury from conducting any investigation looking to possible indictment of applicant and from issuing any indictment, presentment or other charge or statement pertaining to' Agnew; petitions ct to enjoin Atty Gen, US Atty for Md and all Justice Dept officials from presenting to grand jury any testimony, documents or other materials that might be used to indict Agnew; Judge W E Hoffman rules that Fed grand jury can continue to hear evidence against Agnew pending final decision on suit and prosecutor says investigation will continue; Agnew atty J H Topkis, in 10-page affidavit accompanying suit, accuses Justice Dept of mounting 'deliberate campaign' to leak information on case to major newspapers and magazines; Justice Dept issues statement denying this contention; legal arguments in suit are largely based on interpretations of const law contending that a Vice Pres cannot be subjected to criminal proceedings until he has been removed from office by impeachment; dates for submission of briefs noted; final arguments will be heard Oct 12; Justice Dept holds it is 'patently ridiculous' to assert, as Agnew's attys have, that investigation is plot to 'drive the Vice Pres from office'; Agnew flies to Palm Springs, Calif, to stay with entertainer F Sinatra; illus; illus of Asst Atty Gen Petersen, of Agnew's attys

State Dept and Purdue Univ announce on Sept 28 scientific discovery of 2 naturally occurring strains of sorghum that are nutritionally far superior to other varieties on which more than 300-million people subsist; discovery promises to be powerful new weapon against starvation and malnutrition for poorest people in the world; scientists say that nutritionally valuable trait of these sorghums should be easy to transfer to other types of sorghum; sorghum is 4th most important cereal crop in the world because it can be grown on land that is too dry and too infertile for other crops; sorghum, however, provides low quality of protein and lysine; scientists, analyzing 9,000 kinds of sorghum from all over the world, found 2 strains in Ethiopia that are richer in protein and lysine than any commonly used types; say that trait for lysine richness proved to be governed by single gene, thus making trait relatively easy to transfer to other varieties; AID Admr Dr J A Hannah claims that improving protein quality in sorghums will amount 'to gift of life' to poor people; AID, which has supported research at Purdue under $1.7-million contract, estimates that it will take 3 to 5 yrs before improved sorghum varieties become available for human consumption; it is not known, however, how long it will be before new product will make any impact on agr and nutrition in protein-poor regions; Dr J D Axtell and Dr D L Oswalt, members of Purdue research team, comment; graduate student R Singh is credited with principal role in finding strains

Time bomb demolishes 4 rooms in Latin-Amer section of ITT on Madison Av, NYC, on Sept 28, apparently in protest against co's activities in Chile; young man calling himself 'Weatherman underground' phoned NY Times 20 mins before before explosion to say bomb would go off 'in retaliation of the ITT crimes they committed against Chile'; police rept that about same time they reed call from unknown male' telling of bombing; NY Post also reed call but repts it was indistinct and came few mins after explosion; FBI and police are seeking links between explosion and fire at ITT-Standard office in Rome 8 hrs earlier; Rome police rept unknown persons poured gasoline on 2 main doors of office and ignited it; ITT repts there were no special security precautions at NYC bldg and anyone could have planted bomb previous day; repts it has now put security precautions into effect; 2 demonstrations took place during wk of Sept 21 outside ITT bldg at Park Av, 1 by Ad Hoc Com for Chilean Solidarity and other by Socialist Workers Party; both protested alleged ITT involvement in Chile; illus of damage in NYC

Agr Dept repts on Sept 28 that farm prices dropped 8% in mo ended Sept 15; Cost of Living Council official K J Fedor predicts as result of drop sharp declines in meat animals will be reflected soon at retail counters; says that only part . of agr price declines are likely to be reflected in retail prices because not all of Aug increases were passed onto consumers; prices as of Sept 15 are still above levels of 2 mos ago and 48% above prices recorded in '72; prices for several farm products cited

2 armed Arab guerrillas raid Moscow-to-Vienna train and kidnap 3 Soviet Jews and Austrian customs official; free hostages and leave Vienna after Austrian Govt agrees to suspend large-scale transit of Israel-bound Jews through Austria