April 13, 1977

ILA to strike 7 major ship lines in dispute over containerization; strike expected to have major effect on NY Port; union pres Thomas W Gleason announces action after meeting with union officials; charges govt agencies with interference in efforts to reach agreement; '75 NLRB ruling, which invalidated part of union pact governing container shipments, discussed; Labor Sec Marshall expresses concern (M)

Gangs of youngsters, directed by adults and using preteen-agers as lookouts, have been pillaging factories in parts of Long Island City, Queens, with such frequency that businessmen are getting ready to leave city (M)

Pres Carter, acting on Atty Gen Bell's recommendation, commutes 20-yr prison term of G Gordon Liddy to 8 yrs, making him eligible for parole in July '77, after spending 1,619 days in jail; also suggests abolition of $40,000 fine imposed on Liddy; Liddy's refusal to cooperate with prosecutors and Sen investigating com recalled; an earlier petition for commutation was refused by then-Pres Ford; Liddy por (M)

Econ Development Council study finds that State Sup Ct justices in Manhattan and Bklyn are greatly underused and spend too much of their day merely waiting for cases; examples cited; other findings noted; chart (M)

State Dept spokesman Hodding Carter 3d repts US will send $13-million worth of 'nonlethal' mil equipment to help Zaire resist Kantangan invasion; refuses Zaire's request for additional 'emergency assistance'; deputy White House press sec Rex Granum says Adm does not view Zaire situation confrontation between USSR and West; Carter and Granum emphasize Adm's hope that modest amts of equipment would help stabilize situation in Zaire (L)