January 1, 1975

Diplomats say on Dec 31 that Soviet party leader Brezhnev was forced by ill health to postpone his Jan visit to Iraq (S)

Prices farmers receive for raw agricultural products fell 3 per cent from Nov. 15 to Dec. 15, the first decline in three months, the Agriculture Department reported. Page 23.

Brit Sec of State for N Ireland Merlyn Rees announces on Dec 31 that 20 of nearly 600 pol prisoners held under detention orders in N Ireland will be released and 50 more will be allowed to go home for 3‐day parole; says 100 convicted prisoners whose terms expire between now and end of Mar will be freed immediately; promises, in lr to people of N Ireland, that if halt in violence is made permanent, there will be gradual release of all detainees and steady reduction in army activity; official response from Provisional IRA leadership is expected shortly; sources predict that IRA will order extension for at least 1 mo of 11‐day holiday cease‐fire, which expires Jan 2; negotiations for cease‐fire and Brit reponse have been carried out through leading Irish Prot churchmen, joined at later stage by Cath primate William Cardinal Conway; there are unconfirmed repts that in last few days Brit officials met directly with IRA men in County Armagh, N Ireland (M)

Govt sources rept that CIA Dir William E Colby, in rept to Pres Ford, confirmed that CIA agents maintained thousands of files on Amer natls and participated in wide program of electronic surveillance, break‐ins and surreptitious inspection of mail inside US; say that Colby did not provide specific instances of wrongdoing; say that rept reflects fact that it had been ordered by Ford in response to spying allegations reptd on Dec 22 in NY Times and seems to be limited to areas of wrongdoing outlined in Times dispatch; Los Angeles Times repts on Dec 31 that Colby rept acknowledged that CIA kept files on more than 9,000 Amers and stated that there were at least 3 illegal break‐ins; Times's sources confirm acct, but add that Colby also told Pres of electronic surveillances and opening of mail; rept that in case of mail covers, Colby said that operations were approved in advance by various Attys Gen or Postmasters Gen; describe rept as far less voluminous than was indicated by published repts last wk; say that it includes number of papers and materials not directly pertinent to charges of domestic spying; Vice Pres Rockefeller tells newsmen on Dec 31 that CIA or any other inst that breaks law should be punished, but adds that ‘CIA is in Mr Kissinger's area and 1 don't intend to interfere’; Colby por (L)

Assemblyman Stanley Steingut, whose business dealings with nursing indus have led to his being subpoenaed in special US Sen investigation, has told friends that neither nursing home controversy nor apparent public pressure from Gov‐elect Hugh L Carey for greater disclosure of business interests of politicians, is factor in his decision to break business ties to Grand Brokerage Inc and devote himself full time to Speakership, which he is seeking; Carey, asked whether he might ask Steingut to step aside after becoming Speaker, says it would be premature to come to any conclusions because he has not yet recd special rept on nursing home issue that he ordered from Sec of State‐designate Mario M Cuomo; Steingut and Bklyn Dem leader Meade Esposito run Grand Brokerage and Steingut is also dir of City Title Ins Co; Grand Brokerage writes premiums on nursing homes controlled by Bernard Bergman, principal nursing home operator in NYS whose interests are being investigated by US Sen Subcom on aging; Bergman and his family have made campaign contributions to Steingut's legis fund of at least $4,000; Steingut and his legis counsel Daniel Chill, who has at times served Bergman, both deny that there has been any compromising assn with Bergman; Steingut illus (M)