December 10, 1974

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Pope Paul VI takes final steps on Dec 9 to clear way for formal announcement of 1st Amer-born saint, Blessed Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton, as Vatican officially approves legitimacy of miracle attributed to her; cause has been officially pursued at Vatican since '40; she was beatified on St Patrick's Day, '63; Sacred Congregation of Rites also approves Abp Oliver Plunket, 17th century bishop from Ireland, and Spanish founder of Daughters of Immaculate Mary, Vicenza Maria Lopez; brief biog of Mother Seton; illus of painting of her (M)

John D Ehrlichman testifies on Dec 9 in his own defense, a defense that seeks to shift blame to former Pres Nixon; prosecutor James F Neal accuses Ehrlichman of participating in a 'charade' with Nixon; charges that Ehrlichman wrote 'phony rept' on Watergate for Nixon to use in Apr '73 in explaining Watergate to public; says rept, which Ehrlichman contends was written on Apr 13 '73, contained only fraction of information that Nixon recd 3 wks earlier, on Mar 21, from John W Dean 3d; charges take place out of jury's presence; Ehrlichman says he did not learn until last summer, when Nixon ordered release of transcripts of 3 conversations he had on June 23 '72, that Nixon had ordered for pol reasons that an FBI inquiry into Watergate be curtailed; Ehrlichman's atty William S Frates argues that 8-page rept in question and a 2d, briefer rept are admissible as evidence as part of the proof of Ehrlichman's contention that he had sought to find out truth about Watergate for Nixon and that he had then urged Nixon to get the truth out; Ehrlichman testifies that Nixon instructed him at end of Mar '73 to put himself 'in a position' to advise Nixon on Watergate matters on both 'underlying law' and 'facts'; says Nixon gave him this assignment after it became apparent that Dean was too deeply involved to do so; Judge John J Sirica reserves decision on admissibility of documents; attys for Robert C Mardian, J N Mitchell and Kenneth W Parkinson object to admission of documents; 2d rept is on an int Ehrlichman had with Paul O'Brien, an atty for Nixon re-election com; Neal does not object to introduction of rept; essentially, rept is summary or mention of some of events that have been reptd at trial; Neal says it contains much less information than did oral rept that Dean gave to Nixon on Mar 21 and contains incomplete information about events that Ehrlichman has been shown to have had information about; Ehrlichman testifies that he talked to Nixon's personal atty Herbert W Kalmbach in summer of '72 about raising money for Watergate burglars; describes conversation as far more limited than Kalmbach described it; says he learned in Mar '73 of existence of $350,000 cash fund controlled by H R Haldeman from which money was taken for burglars; Neal notes rept does not mention fund; says Ehrlichman previously testified that no such document existed; Ehrlichman testifies about June 23 '72 meeting he attended in which Haldeman told top CIA official to intervene with FBI head regarding Watergate investigation; says that on July 6 '72, Nixon told him that a vigorous FBI ivestigation in Watergate affair 'could well uncover' confidential CIA activities to detriment of natl interest; courtroom sketch of Ehrlichman (L)

US concern over possible take-over of critical defense indus by investors from oil-rich nations discussed; attempts by Iran to gain foothold in Grumman Aerospace Corp, Lockheed Aircraft Corp and Pan Amer World Airways noted (M)

Robert C. (Sonny) Carson, once a black militant leader from Brooklyn and the subject of a film, “The Education of Sonny Carson,” was found guilty, along with four other men, of kidnapping in a 1973 vigilante action against two robbery suspects. The defendants still face murder charges. Page 49.