January 1, 1977

West Side Hwy: Transportation Sec William T Coleman Jr is expected to announce approval, Jan 4, of $1.2-billion Westway Interstate Hwy to replace West Side Hwy, NYC; Action for Rational Transit atty William Hoppen and Ad Hoc Com Against Interstate Hwy spokesman John McNally comment; Lowell Bridwell of city-state planning group for Westway says actual construction is at least 18 mos away (M)

Warren M Christopher is named Under Sec of State, 2d highest post in dept; aides to State Sec-designate Cyrus R Vance confirm apptmt after Gov Edmund G Brown Jr's unauthorized disclosure pre-empts formal announcement; Vance personally chose State Sec-designate Vance holds job discussions with others; Yale economist Richard N Cooper has reptdly been chosen as Under Sec of State for Econ Affairs, 3d highest post in dept; Christopher por

NY Times survey of FBI, which is experiencing worst internal crisis in its history; traces trouble to public disclosures of illegal activity, internal corruption and abuse of power; notes Cong's failure until recently to oversee bur's activities, allowing bur to exist in nearly perfect pol vacuum during 48-yr reign of J Edgar Hoover; discusses efforts of Atty Gen Levi and bur Dir Clarence M Kelley to redefine bur's mission and install adm safeguards to prevent future abuses; claims ultimate success of reforms depends on person Carter chooses to succeed Kelley, and on Carter's Atty Gen-designate Griffin Bell; traces bur's improprieties to '36, when bur was 1st given power to gather information about pol beliefs of Amer citizens; recalls how bur began by bugging, tapping and burglarizing suspected Nazi collaborators, then suspected members of Communist Party, and then domestic radicals; says real value of bur reforms may not become apparent until nation again undergoes wrenching experience like Vietnam war which would provide occasion for bur to revert to old tactics; claims creation of special Sen investigating com, and new select com to serve as permanent watchdog, will prevent bur from every again conducting itself free from external scrutiny, guidance and criticism; Kelley por (L)

Ford's proposal analyzed; surprise pronouncement in favor of statehood seen as turning point in PR-US relationship; is first time that US Pres officially advocated statehood for PR (M)