January 16, 1974

Sen source repts that Richard G Danner, Howard Hughes employe who worked on Pres Nixon's ‘68 Pres campaign, reptdly told Sen Watergate com that Pres Nixon personally suggested that he solicit campaign contribution from Hughes sometime before ‘68 election; rept contradicts assertion made many times by Nixon that he never discussed and did not learn of Hughes’ $100,000 contribution until after ‘72 election (M)

Ct‐apptd panel of 6 technical experts rept on Jan 15 that 18 1/2‐min gap on crucial Watergate tape recording was caused by at least 5 separate erasures and recordings and not by single accidental pressing of wrong button on tape recorder, as White House has suggested; repts that conversation on tape‐‐in which Pres Nixon apparently ordered his then‐White House chief of staff H R Haldeman to carry out ‘public relations’ offensive to counteract effect of Watergate break‐in at Dem Natl Com hq 3 days earlier‐‐could not be retrieved; disclosure seems certain to strain Pres's credibility even further for it suggests to many that someone in White House purposely destroyed subpoenaed evidence; White House refuses to make ‘premature comment’ on experts’ findings but asserts conclusions should not be drawn while matter is still before ct; legal experts say fact that White House did not rept that there had been at least 5 separate acts of erasure on subpoenaed tape could be basis for contempt of ct citation against either Nixon or his attys, should a ct determine that officials knew of erasures; say if it is determined that someone deliberately made erasures, that person could be prosecuted for obstruction of justice; matter is especially damaging because erased gap apparently contained the only mention of Watergate in Haldeman‐Nixon conversation of June 20 ‘72; panel declines to say whether it thinks erasures were caused accidentally or deliberately; agrees that technical evidence would be ‘consistent’ with results that would be found if there had been deliberate attempt to erase tape; experts indicate someone's hand was probably present near tape machine at 1 point in gap; experts testifying include Dr Thomas G Stockham Jr, Mark Weiss and Richard H Bolt; technical evidence, including ‘quartet signature’ which ‘erase head’ of recorder marks onto tape each time erase function is halted, discussed; previous testimony about gap noted; tape exerts’ sketch of actions causing gap (L)

NY Times survey of New Yorkers’ attitudes toward crime notes that 2 of 5 residents have no confidence that criminal who robbed them, if caught, would go to jail; 1 out of 6 said he had no confidence he would receive fair trial if he was arrested (S)

TRENTON, Jan. 15—Bgendari T Byrne was ihaupratel. as NeW; Jersey Governor here todayi‐‐igidgine'd'AieintiCratic state administration that would end political corruption and that would seek to guarantee an equal educatien for all public school students in the state.

Fed Energy Office new rules for allocation of fuel favor mass transit systems and trucks at expense of private autos; transit systems will receive 100% of their current fuel requirements