October 20, 1973

Pres Nixon refuses on Oct 19 to accept order by US Appeals Ct to surrender Watergate tapes, declines to take appeal to Sup Ct and orders special prosecutor A Cox to drop case; announces that he will personally edit summary of recorded White House conversations, have it verified by independent authority--Sen Stennis--and furnish it to Watergate grand jury and Sen Watergate com; Cox indicates strongly that he will defy Nixon's directive to end any attempt to obtain White House records through ct action; says instructions are in violation of promises which Atty Gen made to Sen when his nomination was confirmed and that to comply with instructions would violate his solemn pledge to Sen and US to invoke judicial process to challenge exaggerated claims of exec privilege; Sen com leaders agree to Pres's compromise after 40-min meeting with him; under Pres's plan, he himself would prepare 'statement' of all Watergate-related information on tapes; then Stennis would listen to tapes and 'authenticate' fullness and accuracy of Nixon's summary; Nixon's action, as matter of law, appears to leave standing Appeals Ct ruling that tapes be submitted to Judge Sirica, who would review them and pass relevant portions on to grand jury over which Cox presides; if Nixon succeeds in restricting Cox it is uncertain whether another person can attempt to enforce that decision in ct; Pres says Stennis agreed to play role of verifier; Stennis says he cannot give 'full answer' until he learned what all facts are and full outline of service he is expected to render, telephone int; Nixon, in statement, suggests that tapes controversy has internatl as well as domestic significance; says his compromise will 'assure unity of purpose at home and end temptation abroad to test US resolve'; says he adopted compromise with 'greatest reluctance'; preserves nearly intact his basic position that he alone has authority to decide what White House records can be made available to grand jury; Cox declares that if he accepts Nixon's proposal he would 'defeat that adm of criminal justice'; says plan would deprive prosecutors of admissible evidence in prosecuting wrongdoers who abuse high govt office; some Cong Dems speculate that displeasure that developed over Pres's attempt to resolve tapes controversy might tend to make confirmation of Vice Pres-designate more difficult; Nixon makes it clear that he believes he has power to order Cox, appointee of Atty Gen Richardson, to do or not to do whatever he wishes; illus of A Cox

analysis of Pres Nixon's Oct 19 compromise proposal on Watergate tapes says effect is to create biggest const crisis so far this yr; says legal experts say Nixon is violating law with his refusal to appeal Appeals Ct ruling and his refusal to release tapes; says question is how Nixon can be forced to obey law as cts have little, if any power, in this case at least to enforce their ruling; says other legal questions raised by proposal include what will happen to pending and future prosecutions of persons involved or allegedly involved in Watergate scandal; notes special Watergate prosecutor A Cox and others forecast that at least some of these prosecutions will have to be thrown out as under law, defendants are entitled to any evidence Govt has that tends to exculpate them

Siege of Bank of America branch, seized by leftist guerrillas in Beirut, Lebanon, on Oct 18, ends on Oct 19 with policemen and army commandos fighting their way in to rescue 39 hostages

Pres Nixon on Oct 20 dispatches Sec of State Kissinger on mission to USSR to discuss with Soviet leaders 'means to end hostilities in the Middle East'; announcement comes within 1 day of return of Soviet Premier Kosygin to Moscow from discussions with Egyptian Pres A Sadat on situation and possibility of finding diplomatic solution to war; White House spokesman G L Warren says Nixon is sending Kissinger 'at the request of the Soviet Govt'; says Nixon and Soviet party leader Brezhnev have maintained close contact through diplomatic channels since start of war on Oct 6; Kissinger takes with him Asst Sec J J Sisco, Deputy Asst Sec A L Atherton, Natl Security Council staff asst H Sonnenfeldt, State Dept exec sec T R Pickering, Kissinger's exec asst L Eagleburger, Natl Security Council staff Soviet affairs specialist W G Hyland, State Dept policy planning head W Lord, Kissinger's personal asst P Rodman and acting State Dept spokesman R J McCloskey; Soviet Amb to US A F Dobrynin also flies with group to Moscow; US officials caution that major diplomatic progress still awaits decisive turn in heavy fighting between Israel and Egypt on Suez front; refuse to comment on dipatch from Cairo by Yugoslav press agency Tanyug, purporting to give USSR's '4-point cease-fire plan'; agency says that plan calls for cease-fire with Israel returning to borders that existed before '67 war 'with minor corrections'; says borders would be safeguarded by internatl forces, predominantly US and USSR, and agreement would be guaranteed; says that US and USSR would make firm commitment to inviolability of borders

Egyptian officials rept on Oct 19 that an Israeli tank column that crossed to west bank of Suez Canal is no longer serious threat; say that Israelis have started operation for pol and psychological purposes and that it has little if any mil significance; hold that most crucial point is fierce battle involving hundreds of tanks that continued for 3d day on eastern bank in central sector of Sinai front; Egyptian command, however, repts that Egyptian forces are still fighting Israeli infiltration force on west bank; Egyptian command arranges trip for group of foreign correspondents to southern end of canal; newsmen conclude from their observations that southern Sinai was quiet during day; crucial battle is reptd to be taking place in central sector of front, east of Ismailia, where opposing forces have been trying to wear each other out; Egyptians insist that purpose of battle is not to reconquer more land but to destroy as many Israeli tanks as possible; Egyptian command claims that 3 Israeli planes were shot down during day and that 1 pilot was captured; quotes captured pilot as having said that he had seen 35 new Phantom fighter-bombers arrive in Israel from US; illus of Israeli Defense Min M Dayan and Maj Gen A Sharon