August 14, 1976

S African Foreign Min Hilgard Muller pledges full support for US effort to promote negotiated settlement in Rhodesia, warning that failure will create fresh opportunities for USSR and Cuba to intervene in southern Africa, speech, Natl Party Cong; promises positive response to Kissinger's bid for S African support (M)

S African Foreign Min Hilgard Muller concedes that reforms will have to be made in light of anti-Govt rioting, speech; police have arrested 50 black leaders, including Winnie Mandela, wife of imprisoned black nationalist leader Nelson Mandela; Cape Town reptdly calm; illus (M)

Syria virtually closes its border with Lebanon on Aug 13 amid speculation that it is sending reinforcements to back up 20,000 Syrian troops already in Lebanon; Arab diplomats say move could be in anticipation of more trouble in Lebanon following capture of Tell Zaatar Palestinian camp by Christians; say Syria's ability to absorb influx of refugees, estimated by Syrian Pres Assad recently as nearly 1-million people, may be at end; Syrian forces regulate travel between both countries; comment by leftist and pro-Palestinian newspaper on fall of Tell Zaatar; evacuees describe atrocities; Palestinian leaders meet to map strategy; leftist leader Jumblat vows all-out war against rightists and Syrians; Phalangist Party leader Gemayel appeals to Moslem leaders to open talks with Christians for reunification of Lebanon; says future govt must be based on system of decentralized adm; radio station controlled by Pres Suleiman Franjieh says 2,100 Iraqis with 'light and heavy weapons' arrived in Saida aboard 2 ships; rightists produce 2 persons identified as Iraqis who say they came from Egypt; illus; maps (M)

Fed Judge Jack B Weinstein enjoins Fed Govt from carrying out Aug 17 sale of oil and natural-gas leases in Atlantic Ocean; says Interior Dept's environmental-impact statement fails to take into acct states' power to forbid pipelines running onto their shores; says that if states exercize veto, oil will have to be transported to shore by tanker, which will increase chances of destructive spills tenfold; injunction was sought by NYS, Nassau and Suffolk Counties, several LI municipalities and Natural Resources Defense Council; NJ Gov Byrne and NY Gov Carey hail decision; Interior Dept and trade group representing oil cos will seek stay; Exxon and Shell deplore decision (M)

US Steel, for 2d time in 3 mos, raises price of sheet and strip used by car and appliance producers; steel prices to go up 4.5% on Oct 1; move catches other major steelmakers by surprise, most of whom say they are studying co's action (M)