A Federal appeals court ruled yesterday that New York State sentences of up to life in prison for the sale of small amounts of narcotics were at unconstitutionally sevcre.

U. S. Court Upholds Lengthy Drug Terms

Postal Rate Comm rejects Carter Adm proposal for 2-tiered rate system that would have kept postage rates on personal lrs at 13c and tentatively votes, 3-1, to raise postage on 1st-doss lrs to 15c; only Simeon Bright, apptd to comm by Pres Carter, voted against 15c rate; recommendation if accepted, could become effective by late May or early June (M)

Postal Unit Calls for 15‐Cent Stamp

Article 1 -- No Title

Rubens masterpiece The Three Graces and 9 works by 4 less well-known Flemish artists are stolen from Pitti Palace in Florence; museum officials estimate value at more than $1 million; police speculate that thieves had been commissioned to get certain pictures since they left other priceless works behind; illus of Rubens work (M)

Rubens Stolen at Pitti in Florence

Pres Carter announces that he will reduce by 2/3 number of Amer combat troops scheduled to be withdrawn this yr from S Korea; cites Cong inaction on compensatory aid package for S Korea as main reason for action; 1 battalion of about 800 men and 2,600 support personnel will be withdrawn; reaction noted (M)

Carter Cuts Total of U.S. Troops To Leave South Korea This Year

2 passengers reptdly died during landing on frozen lake near town of Kem, south of Murmansk and 390 mi northeast of Leningrad; Soviet Prime Min Kosygin says 2 others were injured; Tass says airliner ignored instructions to land that were issued by Soviet interceptors; does not indicate whether plane was fired at by interceptors; 1 of dead identified as Japanese; map (M)

2 Killed on South Korean Airliner That Was Forced to Land in Soviet

Pres Carter and 6 liberal Dems from HR Ways and Means Com discuss alternative strategies for achieving passage of tax bill, including possibility of tax cut without tax reform; Repr Richard A Gephardt and others who attended meeting say Carter is optimistic over chances of rescuing some of his revenue-raising tax proposals, but without revisions of tax code; other conf attendees and Cong reprs comment (M)

President and House Democrats Discuss Tax Cut Without Reform

US Sec Vance ends 2 days of talks, Moscow, with Soviet Foreign Min Andrei A Gromyko; says relations between both nations have improved vastly since his last visit in Mar '77; discusses brief detention and refusal to grant visa to Irina McClellan; McClellan illus being led from Amer Embassy by Soviet police (M)

ARMS PACT PROGRESS INDICATED IN MOSCOW

Leaders of HR-Sen conf com agree to compromise under which gas price controls will be extended to intrastate mkt and gas prices will rise until it sells for $4.05 a thousand cu ft when controls are lifted in '85; agreement, which still lacks formal com approval, contains provision known as incremental pricing, which is aimed at making indus pay for more expensive supplies; Carter Adm estimates that it will increase producer revenues $21 billion over next 7 yrs when compared with HR formula and $6 billion when compared with Adm proposal; says Sen version would have added $75 billion to producer revenues; agreement is welcomed by Pres Carter, Sec Schlesinger, Sen Jackson and Repr Dingell; is criticized by David H Foster (Natural Gas Supply Com) and James Flug (Energy Action); outlook for approval by full conf and both houses of Cong discussed; illus of Schlesinger and conferees (M)

CONFEREES ON ENERGY AGREE ON GAS PRICING, ENDING LONG IMPASSE

News analysis of pol changes effected by Trudeau since he took office in '68; illus (M)

Trudeau and Canada 10 Years of Change

Article on increased number of foreign cos that are flocking to Nigeria; illus (L)

Life Not Easy in Nigeria, but Ifs Where the Money

UN officials Gen Assembly Pres Lazar Mojsov, Amb Young and Donald Mills, Pres of Econ and Soc Council, appeal for Moro's release (S)

3 U.N. Officials Issue Appeal

key Cong legislators predict that Carter Adm plan will be blocked (S)

Plane Package Called in Trouble

Christian Dems support efforts by humanitarian orgns to save Moro's life, but stop short of making its own appeal to kidnappers; Mrs Moro por (M)

Italy Encourages Private Efforts For Moro but Doesn't Join Them

NY-based Soviet journalist Iona Andronov (Literaturnaya Gazeta) is denied permission to int Johnny Harris, black who is on death row in Ala's maximum security prison near Atmore for murder of prison guard in '74; Andronov says Warden Joe Oliver acknowledged that he would not allow int because he felt Soviet Union was exploiting case for pol purposes; case revd (M)

Russian Denied Visit to U.S. Inmate

Students in Garborone, Botswana, protest against visit by Muzorewa (S)

Students in Botswana Attack Bishop's Visit

Ronald Reagan says US policy toward Peking will be hot pol issue across US in '79; says majority of Amers oppose normalization of relations (S)

World News Briefs

British Reporter Dies in Fighting

comment on news coverage of Rhodesian war; notes that most foreign newsmen, numbering about 50 at any time, have been reduced to reptg war from Govt statement and by scouting among people, such as soldiers on leave, who have come closer to fighting; notes exceptions made for well-connected newsmen and for those considered sympathetic to Rhodesian cause; case of late Lord Richard Valentine Cecil and Pulitzer Prize-winning AP photographer J Ross Baughman noted (M)

In Rhodesia, Connections and Attitudes Are Keys to Covering the War

correction on Apr 21 article listing 36 Amer Jews who endorsed Israeli peace group (S)

CORRECTED LIST OF JEWS ENDORSING ISRAELI GROUP

Pan Amer jetliner to retrieve passengers from Murmansk (S)

Flight of South Korean Airliner `Very Puzzling’ to U.S. Officials

participants in Pulitzer Prize selection process rept advisory bd overturned nominations of 5 of its 10 juries in making its '78 journalism awards; rept 5 reversals also occurred in '77 in journalism category (S)

Pulitzer Photos From Rhodesia Are Now Subject of Controversy

special US envoy Alfred L Atherton arrives in Cairo for meetings with Sadat and other Egyptian officials (S)

Atherton in Cairo Again To Press Effort by U.S. For Reviving Peace Talks

300 reprs of broad cross-section of liberal and moderate orgns meet in Washington and create informal alliance to help meet what they perceive to be growing challenge from right wing; express concern about efficiency and financing of right-wing opposition to equal rights amendment, Panama Canal treaties, abortion and other issues; new alliance will provide clearinghouse for exchange of information, set up regional and local seminars and workshops, and put interested groups in contact with speakers and experts; among groups represented are AFL-CIO, NOW and Natl Council of Chs; some other groups listed (M)

Alliance Formed to Meet Challenge From Right Wing

Wis state officials warn of PCB in fish taken from Sheboygan, Onion and Mullet Rivers after test of various kinds of fish from Sheboygan showed PCB in 126 parts per million; map (S)

Wisconsin Warns of PCB in Fish

Paul Malakwen Kosgei is a Kenyan long-distance and marathon runner. He first came to prominence in athletics by taking the World Junior Record of 3000m steeple in 1997, and later with consecutive medals at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships from 1998 to 2000.

Paul Malakwen Kosgei, Kenyan runner and coach

Paul_Malakwen_Kosgei

Will Geer was an American actor, musician, and social activist who was active in labor organizing and communist movements in New York City and Southern California in the 1930s and 1940s. In California, he befriended rising singer Woody Guthrie. They both lived in New York City for a time in the 1940s. He was blacklisted in the 1950s by Hollywood after refusing, in testimony before Congress, to name persons who had joined the Communist Party USA.

April 22, 1978

Headlines from April 22, 1978

U. S. Court Upholds Lengthy Drug Terms

Postal Unit Calls for 15‐Cent Stamp

Article 1 -- No Title

Rubens Stolen at Pitti in Florence

Carter Cuts Total of U.S. Troops To Leave South Korea This Year

Billboard 200

Saturday Night Fever

Slowhand

Even Now

The Stranger

Weekend In L.a.

Notable Births

Notable Deaths

Historical Context for April 22, 1978