July 25, 1974

Pres Nixon's support on impeachment issue declines in HR in wake of 2 events: Sup Ct's 8‐0 ruling ordering Nixon to surrender records of 64 White House conversations sought by Watergate prosecutor Leon Jaworski and Repr L J Hogan's announcement that he will vote for Nixon's impeachment; conservative N Carolina Dem Repr Walter B Jones says if he were to vote today he would probably vote for impeachment; there are strong indications that sizable number of HR Repubs previously considered noncommitted are edging toward impeachment; Reprs J J Rhodes and L C Arends send lr to all HR Repubs cautioning them against taking stand until all evidence is in and arguments concluded; Repr T P O'Neil Jr predicts Nixon will be impeached by ‘minimum of 60 votes’ and does not rule out possibility that ‘tidal wave’ might increase margin to 100 votes or more; Reprs A H Quie and R Preyer are reading evidence; Repr E Landgrebe says he will not vote for impeachment even if Nixon were to defy Sup Ct, news conf; says he has not read transcripts of evidence and feels they are not ‘particularly relative’ to impeachment process (L)

Article describes HR Judiciary Com's opening debate on Pres Nixon's impeachment; notes comments by Reprs C W Sandman Jr, W L Hungate, T F Railsback, L J Hogan, D Edwards, M C Butler, H Fish Jr, W S Cohen, J R Mann, W Flowers, R Thornton, D W Dennis, W Mayne, H V Froehlich, R McClory, H P Smith 3d, G E Danielson, J R Waldie, C E Wiggins, R F Drinan and com Chmn Repr P W Rodino Jr; notes White House aides John McCahill and Malcolm Howard attended hearing; notes 2 bomb threats (L)

The Anaconda Company announced it had reached a $253‐million settlement with the new Government of Chile for the take‐over of its Chilean mining subsidiaries in 1971. Details on Page 42.

New Cypriote Pres Glafkos Clerides says it would be unwise move under present circumstances for Abp Makarios to return to Cyprus, news conf; says question of whether he will ever resume presidency will have to be decided by Cypriote people in gen elections in next few mos; stresses that he has had no contact with Makarios and that he is not acting on directions from anyone; says priority as Pres is to carry out cease‐fire; describes mil situation as standoff but concedes that Turkish forces managed to open corridor from north coast to Turkish enclave in Nicosia and that they had enlarged old boundaries of enclave; notes Greek Cypriote Natl Guard occupies Turkish sectors of Limassol, Paphos, Morphou and other towns and is holding them; implies they could be exchanged in negotiations between 2 communities; says he considers himself temporary pres whose main task is to carry out cease‐fire, soothe wounds that have developed between ethnic Greek and ethnic Turkish communities on island and prepare for elections; says war has inflicted considerable number of casualties on both sides but says he has no accurate estimate yet; stresses that solution on Cyprus's problems will have to be negotiated on Cyprus, not at Geneva talks that GB, Turkey and Greece are expect to begin; declines to say whether 650 Greek officers will be reduced or removed; notes their future role will be determined after fighting stops; confirms that Nicosia airport was taken over by UN forces to permit landing of additional troops; Greek officers reptdly decided to drop initial choice of Nikos Giorgiades Sampson as Pres when it became clear that his Govt would never win internatl recognition needed to survive (L)

HR Judiciary Com begins final deliberations on possible impeachment of Pres Nixon without waiting to determine whether new evidence might emerge as result of Sup Ct's decision on tapes case; com's 2 sr Repubs, Reprs E Hutchinson and R McClory, urged delay in deliberations so com could receive new evidence from additional tapes but Dem leaders pressed ahead, on natl TV, with 2d Pres impeachment in history; telephoned bomb threat interrupts proceedings but no evidence of explosive is found; 2d telephoned bomb threat is ignored; Repr H D Donohue formally moves adoption of 2 broad central articles of impeachment; 1st accuses Nixon of obstructing justice by engaging in Watergate cover‐up; 2d lists number of alleged abuses of Pres authority, including Nixon's defiance of com subpoenas; Rodino opens hearings by tracing history of democracy; caucusing Congressmen agree to include Nixon's defiance of ct and Cong subpoenas under over‐all charge of abuses of authority rather than listing it as separate allegation; Reprs R F Drinan and E Holtzman say they might add amendments that would add to list of charges an accusation that Nixon had overstepped his authority under Const by secretly ordering bombing of Cambodia in ‘69 and subsequently concealing action from most Cong members; Brooks solicits support for charge that Nixon violated const ban against acceptance of ‘emoluments’ while in White House; says charge would be based on IRS findings that Govt‐funded improvements to Nixon's homes in Calif and Fla should have been listed on tax returns as personal income, in excess of Pres's salary; Reprs Railsback, W S Cohen, H Fish Jr and M C Butler meet with Reprs R Thornton, J R Mann and W Flowers; Flowers confirms that group is agreed on basic thrust of impeachment articles that members could endorse; illus of Reprs Rodino and Hutchinson, of people leaving com room after bomb threat and of officer searching room (L)