May 14, 1974

White House deputy press sec Gerald L Warren acknowledges that part of edited transcripts of Watergate tapes were erroneously transcribed; says 3 pages of transcripts covered 2 different versions of same part of conversation between Pres Nixon and Asst Atty Gen Henry E Petersen on Apr 16 '73; Washington Post says 2 typists apparently transcribed same part of 2-hr meeting and their versions of what was said are quite different; 2 versions include following differences: 1 uses 'President' the other uses 'press'; ex-FBI Acting Dir L Patrick Gray appears as 'Gray' and as 'they'; 'you' appears as 'we' and 'bah' appears as 'act' (S)

Reliable sources on May 13 rept Pres Nixon, in lr sent 2 wks ago to Fed Judge Gerhard Gesell, declared that White House plumbers unit was operating under gen delegation of his Pres authority when it broke into office of Dr Daniel Ellsberg's former psychiatrist, Dr Lewis Fielding, in 71; lawyers int say lr could prove significant in trial, set for June 17, because under criminal statute involved, prosecutors must prove that intent of defendants was to commit crime; some say that lr greatly improves defendants' chances of successfully arguing that their intent was to follow Pres instructions on matter of natl security; other lawyers say lr will have minimal impact on trial because Watergate prosecutors will focus on what they believe to be goal of plumbers--to get pol damaging information about Ellsberg; sources say Nixon, in lr, said he made full delegation of his Pres powers in attempt to stem series of newspaper leaks that he perceived as threats to natl security and foreign relations; say Nixon wrote that his intention was to give subordinates fullest auth under Const to halt leaks; deputy White House press sec Gerald Warren confirms that private communication has been sent to Judge Gesell but refuses to comment on its contents; case detailed; defendants listed (L)

Consolidated Edison, long beset with charges of mismanagement and waste, now faces what many experts see as the possibility of bankruptcy. An article on Page 44 outlines some questions and answers on the future of the utility.

US Sup Ct on May 13 rules that group of narcotics dealers were illegally convicted in '70 because Justice Dept obtained evidence against them with invalid wiretapping orders (M)

Communist Chinese Premier Chou En-Lai explains failure to greet Pakistan Pres Zulfikar Ali Bhutto at airport in Peking as result of ill health (S)