July 24, 1976

Yugoslav-born Amer Laszlo Toth, accused of econ espionage in Yugoslavia, is freed on July 23 after being imprisoned for nearly 1 yr in Yugoslavia; is flown to US; is believed to owe release chiefly to persistent and sometimes bluntly phrased demands of US Amb to Yugoslavia Laurence H Silberman; Silberman charges that he had to contend for last yr with opposition from Yugoslav officials and US State Dept's Eastern Eur sec; adds State Dept not only failed to back his efforts on behalf of falsely accused Amer but has also sought to have him reprimanded for 'undiplomatic conduct'; says Pres Ford and Sec Kissinger agreed with him that US Govt owes complete support to its citizens in such situations; case revd; illus (M)

Viking project officials suggest computer error was probable cause of problem with spacefraft's soil-sampling arm, press conf; Dr A Thomas Young notes test found metal locking pin in arm's 'wrist' apparently failed to fall away as planned; feels confident that arm can be fixed; illus of model of Mars lander (M)

coal miners' wildcat strikes in W Va, allegedly over dispute provoked by cts's role in settling labor matters, spread to Ohio; Judge H Emory Widener Jr refuses to grant 2d back-to-work injunction; decision based on July 6 opinion of Sup Ct in Buffalo Forge Co ruling that cts may not enjoin workers under no-strike contracts from walking off their jobs in sympathy with another local (M)

NY Times tally puts Pres Ford within 6 delegate votes of obtaining 1st ballot nomination at Repub Natl Conv; Ford campaign deputy chmn James A Baker 3d say 16 delegates have been added to Ford count, including 15-member Hawaii delegation and Bklyn delegate Adelle Haines; Hawaiians, who must remain formally uncommitted until conv by state law, issue joint statement read by Sen Hiram L Fong stating 'present preference' is to Ford; NY Times and Ford counts seen in basic agreement except for W Virginia delegation, where Ford staff is listing 20 of 28 delegates, and Times can only locate 13 who say they will vote for Ford (M)

illus of ex-Pres Nixon, with daughters Julie and Tricia, wheeling wife out of Long Beach Memorial Hospital to take her home