April 18, 1974

For a copy of the 1973 Willcox & Gibbs Annual Report call 565‐7920 (WC‐AMEX)‐Advt

Israeli Army bulldozers on Apr 17 are busy fortifying their positions on upper flank of Mt Hermon and clearing track to its peak; new Israeli rd is latest development in bitter scramble between Israel and Syria for control of Mt Hermon's previously inaccessible summit; for both sides peak represents crucial bargaining card in separation of forces negotiations that Sec Kissinger will conduct when he arrives in area next wk; Israel on Apr 16 claimed initial victory in race for summit when it announced completion of track to top and established small fortified position there; illus of Israeli armored vehicles on new track near peak; map (M)

4 Black Liberation Army sympathizers armed with 2 handguns and acetylene torch on Apr 17 attempt to free 3 BLA members from Tombs; flee when torch runs out of fuel; 2 men and 2 women disarmed guards Thomas Hackel, Roy Lykes and Doris Harrisson, handcuffing men and forcing Harris into washroom with 3 visitors and attempted to cut opening in steel partition separating visitors from prisoners; inmates to be freed apparently were Henry Brown, Francisco Torres and Albert Washington; 2 men are identified as Harold Simmons and Michael Alston, who were arrested on Dec 28 in open manhole near Tombs in another alleged attempt to free BLA suspects; Correction Comr Benjamin J Malcolm begins probe to determine why suspects' bag containing torch was not checked at visitor's entrance; illus (M)

Govt sources rept SEC will soon file fraud charges against unnamed parties involved in financial collapse of Penn Central Co; investigation reptdly centers on former chief financial officer David Bevan and Goldman, Sachs & Co, NY investment banking house that sold line's short-term commercial paper just before rr went bankrupt; SEC case, in preparation since '70, is considered 1 of most important brought by comm in recent yrs, encompassing misuse of inside information, responsibilities of corp dirs and issuance of commercial paper; SEC officials decline comment on rept that fraud charges are forthcoming; sources say action has been delayed by need to clarify important issues, controversial nature of case and rapid turnover in SEC comrs; com reptdly was prodded to action by Repr Harley Staggers; '72 rept on case by SEC staff stated Goldman, Sachs gained possession of information indicating continuing deterioration of co's financial status and did not communicate such data to its commercial paper customers; other findings of '72 rept revd (L)

Amer Express agrees to allow merchants honoring its credit cards to offer discounts to cash customers in return for Consumers Union's dropping of antitrust suit; agrees to eliminate from contracts with merchants language barring such discounts; Consumers Union, calling agreement 'a tremendous victory,' estimates 3% to 6% price cuts for cash-paying customers; has filed identical suit against Bankamericard; settlement stipulates that merchants giving discounts must offer them 'clearly and conspicuously to everyone; H Spencer Nilson, publisher of newsletter about credit card business, estimates there are 503 million credit cards in use today (M)