February 4, 1974

Feb 4: Israelis and Syrians exch tank and artillery fire on Feb 3; Israeli mil hq says there were no casualties; unofficial repts say 4 Syrian tanks were knocked out and several Syrian positions struck; Israeli analyst Ehud Yaari says on Israeli Defense Force Radio that daily Syrian attacks and overdramatization by Syrian press and radio are intended to embarass Egyptians; says fighting has not reached scale that would require Egyptian reaction; map of Golan heights area

The tax‐exempt American Petroleum Institute, with a budget of $15.7‐million and reserves of $7.6‐million, is intensifying its efforts to influence state and Federal legislation in behalf of the oil industry, particularly the major oil companies. Article appears on Page 43.

Penna Gov Milton J Shapp and other state and Fed officials, including W J Usery Jr, Pres Nixon's labor asst, and Fed Energy Office Dir William E Simon, meet with ind truckers' reprs in effort to end truckers' work stoppage; Shapp asks truckers to declare 45-day moratorium, news conf; promises quick Govt action to relieve truckers' hardships; repts that progress has been made in resolving hardships; Usery says Adm will have to ask Cong to enact emergency legis to halt stoppage if voluntary solution is not reached; shortages and violence created by stoppage are reptd in various parts of nation; Ind Truckers Council atty J Leonard Fleet says 250,000 truckers are taking part in stoppage, which has spread across more than 20 states; illus of Fed and state officials conferring with truckers' reprs (L)

Weather: Partly cloudy, cold today; clearing tonight. Sunny tomorrow. Temp. range: today 15–25. Sunday 22–23. Additional details on Page 57.

NYC and Fed agencies are investigating suspected 'body-snatching' scheme by undertakers who may be engaged in payoffs to morgue employes and in fraudulent, inflated billing of public agencies for funeral expenses; investigations center on mysterious burial recently of 10 corpses claimed and authorized for interment at public expense by 'friends'; under Fed regulations, morticians can be reimbursed up to $505 in funeral expenses when friend or relative of deceased request burial without assets; 10 cases, which were discovered by NY Times, detailed; Met Funeral Dirs Assn counsel George Goodstein says 'body-snatching' had been prevalent but was believed virtually non-existent now; (L)