November 12, 1973

Interior Sec RCB Morton says on Nov 11 that 'odds are better than 50-50' that Govt will institute gasoline rationing within next 2 or 3 mos, int on ABC Issues and Answers TV program; says that he does not think it could be implemented much before 1st of yr though pressure may be great enough to force implementation before then; Charles DiBona, deputy to White House Energy Policy Office dir J A Love, duplicates Morton prediction; Morton says that rationing, once imposed, would continue for 1 or 2 yrs; Environmental Protection Agency Admr R E Train less optimistic, foreseeing 5-10 yrs of chronic shortages; Morton's remarks make plain fact that Govt, even before Arab boycott, had been doing some planning on rationing system; he says that system will have to deal with priorities; appears to discount system under which person would be given ration and pay heavy excise tax, as high as 40%, on any gasoline above his ration; adamantly opposes rationing for heating oil; repr for Sen H M Jackson says Sen Interior Com should complete action on Nov 12 on bill to give Pres large powers to cut and direct energy uses; details; Sen E S Muskie to hold hearings this wk on bill that would limit clean-air variances to 6 mos; Train says that relaxation of emissions should be on case-by-case basis and temporary

The advisory committee of the Federal Cost of Living Council yesterday issued its salary recommendations in the week‐long strike at 48 voluntary hospitals and nursing homes here, and the union's leadership voted overwhelmingly last night to approve the recommended raise.

Egypt and Israel are unable in 2 negotiating sessions on Nov 11 to agree on first 2 steps toward carrying out cease-fire agreement they had just signed; authoritative sources rept Israelis refuse to lift roadblock to city of Suez and have it replaced by UN checkpoint; Israeli refusal believed linked to Israeli demand that POWs release be given top priority; Egypt is anxious to get more supplies to its 3d Corps on east bank of Suez Canal and to evacuate 1,400 wounded civilians who are blocked in Suez City; after signing of agreement worked out by US Sec of State H A Kissinger and Egyptian Pres A Sadat in Egypt on Nov 7, Israeli Maj Gen A Yariv and Egyptian Lt Gen M A G el-Gamasy can be seen addressing each other and UN Emergency Force comdr Maj Gen E Siilasvuo in big tent at kilometer 101 on Cairo-Suez rd; negotiations and talks scene described; illus of Sadat and Palestine guerrilla leader Y Arafat in Cairo

Pres Nixon plans to meet this wk with all 234 Repubs in Cong and answer all their questions on Watergate and related matters; Pres spokesman acknowledges that series of 6 meetings on Watergate are scheduled in White House; says there is no plan now for similar meetings with Dems even though Sen C Percy says he understands Nixon will meet with 'every member of Cong, Dem and Repub'; meetings are part of White House promise to make more information on Watergate available to public, Cong and cts in effort to stem rising tide of demands for Pres's resignation and steady decline in Nixon's standing in public opinion polls; White House officials confirm that they did not expect amount of adverse public reaction that followed dismissal of A Cox and disclosure that 2 of 9 White House tapes did not exist; D Yankelovich Inc poll, released Nov 11, shows that 49% of people want Nixon to continue in office; that 56% believe Nixon violated his promise to people to 'get to the bottom' of Watergate affair; that only 32% say they believe he kept his promise and 55% say they believe he is not telling truth about nonrecording of tapes and is trying to cover up what they consider his involvement; Sen Percy says on Nov 11 that Nixon, in order to restore public confidence, will have to make 'total and complete disclosure' of everything relating to possibility of criminal activity, int, NBC TV program Meet the Press

Nonprofit Children's TV Workshop has recd $7-million in grants to produce next fall health information series for adults based on same educ-plus-entertainment technique used in Sesame St and Electric Co; new series will stress 2 primary themes--that life styles and health are closely related and that individual has more control over his health than he may be aware of; series, aimed at family units in gen, is aimed particularly at ghetto-dwellers and others low on socio-econ scale, whose access to practical information is scant; contributers listed; main categories of interest listed