March 5, 1974

Israeli Premier Meir reverses herself on Mar 4 and agrees, under pressure from her Labor party colleagues, to try to form new coalition cabinet in next 48 hrs; is expected to continue as Premier; had announced on Mar 3 that she was giving up her effort to assemble new coalition because of factionalism that splintered her Labor party; meets with Pres Ephraim Katzir; Katzir says Meir has until midnight Mar 6 to complete new coalition; Opposition leader Menahem Begin suggests that Katzir take initiative in forming emergency natl coalition, embracing both Labor party and his right-wing bloc, Likud; Meir, by agreeing to resume her efforts to form minority govt, virtually rules out possibility that broad coalition might be formed that would include Likud; sources say they doubt Defense Min Dayan would agree to join new govt unless it is expanded to bring in at least ultra-Orthodox Natl Religious party; Defense Ministry is expected to go to Itzhak Rabin if Dayan refuses to join coalition; Meir illus (M)

Judge John J Sirica sets hearing for Mar 7 to hear arguments 'by all interested counsel' on what is to be done with sealed grand jury rept believed to bear on Pres Nixon's possible role in Watergate cover-up; Sirica acts after meeting with Leon Jaworski, Richard Ben-Veniste, Richard Hauser, Henry S Ruth Jr, Philip A Lacovara, James D St Clair and John J Wilson, atty for H R Haldeman and John D Ehrlichman; Sirica's law clerk D Todd Christofferson says 'interested counsel' to be notified are attys for 7 men indicted Mar 1, attys for HR Judiciary Com and those at meeting with Sirica; White House deputy press sec Gerald L Warren says Pres Nixon stands by his Aug 22 '73 statement at a news conf that backs up H R Haldeman's words that 'it would be wrong' to raise hush money for Watergate burglars (L)

EEC on Mar 4 offers tech, econ and cultural cooperation to Arabs, emphasizing to Sec Kissinger and press that move is not initiative for oil; West Ger Min Scheel says offer is not intended to interfere with follow-ups of Washington oil consumers conf (S)

univ students in Madrid and Barcelona on Mar 4 clash with police after demonstrating against garroting execution of Catalonian anarchist Salvador Puig Antich, condemned for killing policeman during Barcelona shootout; execution was carried out despite numerous appeals for clemency; students had sought right to assemble in various campus depts but began rioting when police attempted to break up meetings; demonstrations are seen as extreme example of restlessness that has gripped country in last few days; crisis in relations between ch and state developed when Bishop Antonio Anoveros Ataun called for greater freedoms for Basques and was placed under house arrest by police; Vatican publicly expresses hope that case against Anoveros Ataun will be settled 'through effort of goodwill by all parties involved' (M)

survey prepared by Carnegie Endowment for Internatl Peace on relief efforts by US and internatl agencies for victims of '73 drought in W Africa says thousands of inadequately fed nomadic children face imminent death from measles, for which vaccine is lacking (S)