January 7, 1978

US Fed Reserve Bd approves increase in discount rate, from 6% to 6 1/2%; cites current disorder in currency exch mkts resulting from decline of dollar; apparently is 1st time in recent yrs that bd has used discount rate as device to influence currency mkts; analysts interpret decision as symbolic gesture to underscore determination to support dollar against foreign currencies (M)

Fed jury, Boston, decides that Wampanoag Indians, Mashpee, Mass, were not tribe on key legal dates of their history, thus balking land claim; Skinner gives Indians' attys until Jan 20 to show why he should not dismiss case; jury finds that group was not tribe in 1870, when, Indians charge, lands were taken from them, or in Aug '76 when they filed Fed lawsuit seeking undeveloped land; tribal council pres Russell Peters, Mashpee Selectmen Bd chmn Kevin D O'Connel, town atty James D St Clair, defense counsel Allan vanGestel and Selectman Robert A Maxim comment; possible effect on other pending Indian suits in northeastern states noted; Chief Ellsworth Oakley illus; map (M)

public and private efforts to save hall are begun, with some Govt officials confident way can be found to keep hall open; Lt Gov Mary Anne Krupsak says she will meet with officials to try to develop rescue plan; Sen Jacob Javits calls for creative govt-business partnership to revive hall; others involved in efforts include Robert J Milano, Deputy Mayor for Econ Development, and William T Conklin, chmn of special NYS Sen com on cultural indus; hall spokesman Patricia Roberts comments (M)

Pres Carter meets with French Socialist leader Francois Mitterrand; illus with Mitterand, with King Baudouin in Brussels and with mother Lillian Carter at White House after his return to Washington (L)

Deborah Shapley, writing in Science, repts that Japan was working on atomic bomb during World War II, but was thwarted by air raids, lack of official coordination, lack of funds and backwardness of its atomic physics; cites documents contained in 13th vol of history of science and tech in World War II, published in Japan in '70, Tetu Hiroshige's soc history of science, published in '73, and subsequent work of Charles Weiner of MIT and Herbert F York Jr of Univ of Calif; scholars say findings may lead to re-evaluation of criticism directed at US for atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which is based in part on idea that Japanese never considered developing the bomb; suggest that there was conspiracy of silence on part of Japanese atomic physicists; Japanese bomb project was directed, according to documents, by late Yoshio Nishina (M)