April 13, 1975

NY Times survey on increase in number of arson cases; says arson is recession-inspired and expected to increase by 20% in '75; notes multimillion-dollar arson-for-profit racket involving home repairs and ins fraud uncovered, where 222 fires were set with Molotov cocktails; recession-inspired fires seen as tactic of desperate businessmen to 'insure and burn' as means to fight recession; other fires classified as juvenile arson, revenge, pyromaniacs and fraud fires; Internal Assn of Arson Investigators say arson has increased by 146% and that figure underestimates scope of problem because arson often goes unrecognized; Robert May, exec sec of Internatl Assn of Arson Investigators, maintains people are killed in deliberately set fires and arsonists attack suburbs and outlying town, where volunteer fire depts and/police are less equipped to deal with problem; Robert Provencher, chief arson investigator for Gen Adjustment Bur, says 80% of bur's work involves arson, and many cases involve insolvent businesses, arson cases in NY and III noted (L)

Mary Jo Cook discloses that she had infiltrated Attica defense camp and reptd back to FBI on legal strategy surrounding trials of former inmates under indictment stemming for '71 inmate rebellion; FBI spokesman acknowledges that Cook furnished information to bur on confidential basis for which she was paid, but adds that at no time did she furnish FBI with information concerning Attica defense; Cook's disclosures detailed; other developments noted; illus of Cook (M)

Prince Sihanouk says he advised Amers to evacuate embassy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and that later George Bush, chief of Amer liaison office in Peking, told him it had been done (S)

Apr 13: Egyptian Pres Sadat says in effect on Apr 12 that US mediation in Middle East is no longer enough and that US must state clearly that it wants Israel to withdraw to pre-'67 war borders, int; says issue of peace and war hangs in balance; says Israeli behavior during Sec Kissinger's recent mission 'humiliated' US; confirms that USSR resumed arms deliveries to Egypt in Jan but adds that these are shipments that should have arrived in '73 and '74 and cannot be regarded as replacements for losses incurred during '73 war; says Egypt is paying for Soviet arms; leaves open question of Israel-bound cargo passing through Suez Canal after its reopening; rejects Israeli contention that secret understanding made in Jan '74 disengagement agreement obliged him to reopen canal for Israel-bound cargo; recalls that in '56 Pres Eisenhower used US power to force GB, France and Israel to withdraw after they invaded Egypt; says he is ready to go to Geneva peace conf and to fulfill his obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 242 (L)

Josephine Baker Dies