September 19, 1974

Justice Dept spokesman John Russell repts mil deserters, under Pres Ford's conditional amnesty plan, will be able to return to US and receive undesirable discharges without performing alternate service; upon completing 24 mos of type of public service, will receive clemency discharges; special Asst to Pres Theodore Marrs comments; Justice and Defense Dept officials say there is no civilian law requiring deserters to perform alternate service; Canadian Embassy spokesman notes deserters who have reaffirmed allegiance to US, required when reptg to US mil authorities, relinquish rights to return to Canada to live; deserters now living in Canada as either landed immigrants or Canadian citizens must declare allegiance to only 1 country; draft evaders will not benefit from plan as they must complete public service commitments before indictments against them are dismissed; ACLU lawyer David Addlestone notes failure of deserters to complete work program would be reflected on discharge papers, which could create later difficulties in finding jobs; Defense Sec Schlesinger concedes deserters’ discharge papers will be stamped to indicate no of mos to which deserter committed himself; Addlestone adds war resisters are not likely to return to US when so many issues remain unresolved; AMEX (Americans Exiled) war resisters group spokesman John Colhoun repts orgn, representing largest group of Amers in Canada, will continue to struggle for unconditional amnesty; number of inquiries received by Defense Dept to date noted (L)

Pres Ford, in speech to UN Assembly on Sept 18, departs from prepared text to say that Sec Kissinger has his full support and unquestioned backing of Amer public; tribute followed repts that Kissinger would be stripped of post as Pres adviser on natl security (S)

Towers Nursing Home (NYC), for many yrs target of investigations and allegations of scandal, has been declared ineligible for Medicaid because of violations of Fed fire safety code; home will continue to operate and receive Medicaid payments because NYS Health Dept notice was blocked after warning by counsel that Towers might put state in contempt of ct injunction obtained by proprietary nursing home indus in NYC; was ruled in temporary compliance in Apr on promise to effect certain improvements; admr Jack Stern says home will move in 18 mos to new bldg; Towers is 1 of some 40 old nursing homes that faced closure in ‘72 because of Fed fire safety violations; NYS Sup Ct Judge Harry B Frank barred state from decertifying any without formal hearing; state has applied to Frank to modify injunction; Towers illus (M)

WASHINGTON Sept. 18—The political arm of the New York State United Teachers centributed more than. half a million, dollars to political candidates in 1972 and did not file the regular Federal reports required bylaw until this month.

Article notes that in ‘73 there were 31,098 felony arrests in Manhattan, and only 545 of these went to trial on original charges; 4 of 5 felony cases were subject to plea bargaining, which is seen by many ct officials as necessary for functioning of ct system (S)