December 27, 1974

Israel and Egypt remain adamant in demands for control of Abu Rudeis oil fields on Sinai Peninsula (S)

Israel and Egypt are reptd on Dec 26 to be very far apart in their initial positions for next round of negotiations over Sinai; diplomats and US officials say each side has passed on to Sec Kissinger positions that are clearly unacceptable to other; but both Israel and Egypt indicate to Kissinger that they remain interested in his promotion of Sinai negotiations; Kissinger is reptd to have said in unpublicized meeting Dec 23 with Israeli Amb Simcha Dinitz that he does not foresee any significant progress toward negotiations until after planned meeting Jan 1 in Cairo among Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Palestine Liberation Orgn and after scheduled mid-Jan visit to Cairo of Soviet party leader Brezhnev; has told Israeli officials that Egyptian Pres Sadat will not be interested in negotiations that do not at least hold out strong possibility of Egypt's recovering either key Mitla and Gidi passes in central Sinai or Abu Redies oil fields now controlled by Israel; Israel has ruled out return of either passes or oilfields; Israeli Deputy Premier Yigal Allon recently told Kissinger that Israel is prepared to withdraw roughly 18 to 30 miles in Sinai in exch for pol concessions by Egypt; Israeli ideas were passed on to Sadat by US Amb Hermann F Eilts; Sadat reptdly rejected them and made no countersuggestions (M)

Weather: Partly sunny today; rain likely late tonight and tomorrow. Temperature range: today 26.43; Thursday 28–36. Details on Page 62.

PBA pres Kenneth McFeeley on Dec 26 directs NYC policemen to defy Police Comr Michael J Codd's order to begin wearing name tags on their uniforms Jan 2; holds tags are 'highly inflammable'; admits he uses safety issue to bar wearing of tags until City Council can consider bill to ban their use; fears tags will lead to harassment of policemen's families; says PBA would not object to new badges that had no names but larger-sized badge numbers; says 4 Council members have promised to sponsor anti-tag bill; pledges ct action on safety issue; burns tag; illus; says PBA delegates will collect tags at pets and bring them to PBA hq; Deputy Comr Francis J McLoughlin says order is still in effect; supervisors of rank of lt or higher have been wearning tags since Nov 10 (M)

Benny, Jack