December 16, 1974

Jim (Catfish) Hunter, baseball's top pitcher in recent years, is now a free agent and can offer his services to any of the 24 major league clubs. Official announcement of an arbitrator's decision that the Oakland A's violated terms of Hunter's contract is Scheduled to be made today. Details on Page 51.

 

NYC Council leaders will ask Councilmen to give up $2,500 each, or half of annual expense allowances, in what would be symbolic move to strengthen Mayor Beame's hand in pressuring 8 Estimate Bd members to forgo $5,000 raises due in Jan and in effecting similar cuts among other elected officials, ind agency heads and apptd dept heads (S)

James A Austin, Bronx, NYC, resident who posed as physician but who, according to Fed officials, operated $25-million-a-yr cocaine smuggling ring is arrested at Kennedy Internatl Airport after disembarking from flight from Peru; Bronx Dist Atty Mario Merola, who announced indictment of Austin on Nov 23, says arrest has capped investigation that began more than yr ago, spanned more than 3 continents and employed team of 35 Fed, state and local officials working 12-hr days for more than 6 mos; Austin is charged with selling narcotics to undercover agents on 3 occasions; Fed officials rept ring was in operation for at least 5 yrs and that Austin purchased Bolivian cocaine from Jaime Hergueta, chief Latin-Amer operator; Hergueta was arrested in NYC on Nov 23 and wife Rosario was arrested with Austin on arrival in NYC; Austin was arrested by Peruvian officials on Nov 22; reptdly headed band of couriers who smuggled narcotics into US in chinchilla coats and specially designed attache cases; Austin's activities described; brief biog sketch (L)

Article on numerous remaining barriers to settlement between white Govt of Rhodesia and black majority; cites apparent continuing divisions among black nationalist movements; Zimbabwe African Natl Union exec sec Robert Mugabe has said in int that his group was very reluctant to leave detention, when freed by Prime Min Ian D Smith's Govt to join talks in Zambia that led to formation of united front of black nationalist leaders; contradicts Smith's announcement of cease-fire in guerrilla war, saying informal cease-fire is taking effect, but that he had been promised that there would be no formal cease-fire until date is set for const conf; indicates his faction would take part in such a conf, but would not let down its fighters and people; he and union pres Rev Ndabaningi Sithole have taken hard line in last few days, while Zimbabwe African People's Union pres Joshua Nkomo and other movement leaders have not answered pol questions and have shown greater willingness to work toward negotiated compromise with Smith; says transfer of power from white Govt to majority-must be agreed upon as basic principle at const conf; concedes that new Const would have to be drafted and legislated before majority election could be held, allowing some period of transition; denies there has been leadership struggle between himself and Sithole or 1 involving Herbert Chitepo, exiled in Zambia; says Sithole has always been leader; says his faction refused to go to Zambia until recg invs from Zambian Pres Kenneth Kaunda, Tanzanian Pres Julius Nyerere and Botswana Pres Seretse Khama and from Mozambique Liberation Front pres Samora Machel; Smith indicates in radio int that he still opposes universal, unqualified franchise and will seek gradual pol changes; discounts possibility that his own white right wing will rebel against him; stresses educ and property ownership as qualifications for voting; denies he plans black-white pol parity in Parliament in 3 yrs and majority rule in 5; says he wants multiracial sharing of power, not transfer of power from white to black; hopes outside forces will let Rhodesia settle own problems (M)