August 21, 1975

After nine days of delays, the Viking spacecraft was successfully launched yesterday on its 10‐month trip to the planet Mars. Page 31.

San Francisco police strike continues on Aug 20; Supervisors Bd, following night of robberies and scattered violence that included a bomb explosion outside home of Mayor Alioto, passes resolution declaring state of emergency in city and asking Alioto to summon at least 200 state hwy ptl to replace striking policemen; Alioto does not immediately move on request pending outcome of his mediation efforts; ACLU local chap obtains Superior Ct injunction ordering top police officials to disarm picketing policemen, many of whom are still carrying their weapons; other developments noted (M)

NYC Estimate Bd, dissatisfied with what 1 member describes as Mayor Beame's 'drift' in fiscal crisis, meets without Beame's knowledge on Aug 19 and considers program advanced by Controller Harrison J Goldin to reduce city's borrowing in Sept and after; several bd members say that bd, faced with growing concern over precariousness of city's cash position, met out of a 'common sense' that Beame needs to take still further action to avoid default in mid-Sept; bd has decided to continue meeting without Beame on regular basis; Beame reptd to be furious when he recd word of meeting; Goldin's proposals to reduce short-term borrowing, laid out in 11 points, were supposed to be kept secret by common agreement but 1 key feature, which aroused controversy at meeting, involved conversion of bond-anticipation notes for limited profit housing into long-term financing; Gov Carey, meanwhile, asserts that city's total deficit, accumulated from prior budgets and in current budget, is $2.8-billion; holds Beame must take more drastic steps to give Munic Assistance Corp 'fighting chance' to sell its bonds (L)

Pres Francisco da Costa Gomes, in swearing in jr mins of new Portuguese Cabinet, indicates that Premier Vasco dos Santos Goncalves will be ousted from present ruling triumvirate, Aug 20; tells mins that 'is is not simple to be a member of a govt team whose duration is expressed in days'; Costa Gomes's decision to replace Goncalves comes after 2 competing mil groups present him with common platform for governing Portugal; groups, united in their opposition to what they regard as attempts by Goncalves to bring about Communist dictatorship, are said to have hacked demand for Goncalves' ouster with threat of force if Costa Gomes docs not act immediately; Army Chief of Staff, Gen Carlos Alberto Soares Fabiao is being prominently mentioned as Goncalves' successor; it is not clear if 2 groups gave Costa Gomes a deadline for Goncalves' ouster; unconfirmed repts say Costa Gomes was given up to 1 wk; 9 mil officers led by Brig Gen Otelo Sarvaiva de Carvalho meet with Costa Gomes; Fabiao is also at meeting; Goncalves continues to try to convince Portugal that choice is between him and fascism; shows bitterness over crisis and warns that crisis will not end with his ouster; Goncalves's opponents described as representing wide range of pol interests, including extreme right; all contend they want a socialist revolution; majority of armed forces, with backing from Socialist and Popular Dem parties, say they want dem socialism that preserves essential liberties for all; Communist party leader Alvaro Cunhal says he is ready to negotiate a wide popular front with other groups; is making it clear that Communists will not be isolated by Goncalves's defeat (L)

Illus of Cambodian Deputy Premier Khieu Samphan, Deputy Foreign Affairs Premier leng Sary, Chinese Deputy Premier Teng Hsiao-ping and Cambodian nominal Premier Penn Nouth, Peking airport ceremonies, Aug 15