August 24, 1981

When the shareholders of Domtar Inc., Canada's second-largest forest products company, picked up their morning newspapers last Wednesday, they discovered that the Province of Quebec owned nearly half of the company's common shares. Representatives of the two provincial agencies that together now hold a 42 percent block of Domtar stock - the Caisse de Depot et Placement and the Societe Generale de Financement -also announced that they had told Domtar's management the day before that they expected proportionate representation on its board and executive committee. The event brought into focus a trend that has worried some investors ever since the province announced last year that Caisse de Depot, which manages $13 billion (Canadian) worth of assets for the province's pension and insurance plans, would take a more active role in Quebec's economic development. New Role for the Caisse To some observers, the move last week comfirmed suspicions that Caisse de Depot had become a potent new tool for the Quebec government in its attempt to influence the behavior of big business in the province.

CINCINNATI THEY'RE not young kids anymore, but they're not exactly veteran pitchers, either. They've knocked around the minors long enough to appreciate what it means to be in the big leagues. And with three of the Mets' top starters disabled, they realize that this may be the best chance they'll have to prove what they can do. But the question remains, can the Mets regain the status of a decade ago - with six young pitchers leading the way? The six rookie pitchers are Greg Harris, Ed Lynch, Mike Scott, Terry Leach, Ray Searage and Dan Boitano. None is under the age of 25 or over 28, and the Mets are hoping these pitchers keep them respectable until Craig Swan, Randy Jones and Tom Hausman, three of their regular pitchers, can come off the disabled list. In the 29 games they have started, Harris, Lynch, Scott and Leach have revealed a potential of keeping the Mets more than respectable. Searage and Boitano have exhibited lively strong arms. Along with Neil Allen, who is already the team's top reliever at the age of 23, they could revitalize the Mets' relief pitching. The six new pitchers have won 12 games this season.

Black Americans are growing increasingly gloomy about the present condition of the nation and pessimistic about its future, according to analyses of several national polls and interviews with leading students of black opinion. This trend is developing at a time when many whites are returning to a traditionally American optimism about the future after taking an uncharacteristically negative view of the nation in 1979. The figures indicate that the difference cannot be explained by blacks' lower economic status alone. The poll data suggested, and several of the experts agreed, that President Reagan is an important factor in the difference. While hopes for his Administration have buoyed many whites' view of the nation's future, the expectations of blacks, in general, have been depressed by their hostility toward him.

Nicaragua hopes the next U.S. Ambassador matches the last A2 Israel is a large supplier of arms but keeps details secret A3 Around the World A5 South African woman, banned 17 years, regains political voice A6 Haig says Reagan is ready to meet Soviet Union halfway A8 Conservative leader to join Portu- guese government A10 Government/Politics Barbaro and Esposito give views on city's fiscal affairs B6 General Around the Nation A12 A jazz festival returns to a differ- ent Newport, R. I. A12 Proponents of organic farming meet in Vermont A13 After a weekend away, all roads lead to home - unfortunately B1 Study finds New Jersey dams need repair B1 New Rochelle opens park on Oak- wood Island B1 The City B3 Kite fliers, angry at copter sum- mons, take protest to the skies B3 The Region B5 Hawaii battles old foe, the fruit fly B8 37 Atlanta children leave New York after a vacation D15 Health/Science Voyager searches for moons among Saturn's rings B9 Laboratory to study Reye's syn- drome officially opens B15 Style Relationships: Familial stresses of the disabled B14 A family toy store bows to change B14 Newport celebrates a tennis cen- tenary B14 SportsMonday Baseball: Yankees, Guidry de- feat Royals, 8-0 C1 Six young pitchers give Mets some hope C1 Torre's maneuvers work as Mets beat Reds, 3-2 C6 Hernandez has 4 hits as Cardi- nals beat Dodgers, 11-7 C6 Tiger pitching coach credited for nine-game winning streak C7 Boxing: King expects more Coo- ney-Holmes bidding C8 Columns: George Vecsey on sur- vival instinct of Jet rookies C4 Red Smith on Virginia Neary's race against multiple sclerosis C11 Features: Sports World Specials C2 Question Box C11 Football: Reaves leads Oilers after injury to Nielsen C4 Todd is avoiding interceptions C4 Perkins not upset by Giants' shortcomings C4 George Rogers is running into obstacles C5 Golf: Hale Irwin wins Buick Open on second extra hole C3 Beth Daniel wins largest prize ever in a women's event C3 Horse Racing: Before Dawn wins; three riders hurt in spills C11 The favorites are coming up short at Saratoga C11 Cane Pace finish causes confu- sion in winner's circle C11 Soccer: Sting defeats Sounders in N.A.S.L. playoff opener C3 Sports News Briefs C8 Statistics C10 Tennis: Tracy Austin defeats Mrs. Lloyd in Canadian Open C1 Women players squabble, with officials and each other C8 Obituaries Dusko Popov, double agent for Britain in World War II D15 Arts/Entertainment New York Film Festival an- nounces 22 more entries C12 Gene Kelly returns to Broadway, as a director C13 Platinum prints of pre-1916 golden girls at the Smithsonian C13 West German exhibition is redis- covering Prussia C14 Starr-Weiner report on sex among elderly is reviewed C15 Virginia developing a MacDow- ell-style colony for arts C15 Chicago rock quintet Styx gives concert at Garden C16 Features/Notes Notes on People B10 Going Out Guide C16 News Analysis James M. Markham examines currents within Polish union A9 Reginald Stuart on Cuban refugee problem A12 Editorials/Letters/Op-Ed Editorials A14 What Federal bail problem? Dealing with poker machines Mayor Gibson's odd lesson Letters A14 Flora Lewis: Spain - a nervous new ally? A15 Lewis Thomas: how should humans pay their way? A15 Peter B. Bensinger: a plan calcu- lated to cut crime A15

The global organization of air traffic controllers agreed today to back the striking United States controllers with labor action, if necessary. But spokesmen for the International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers Associations refused to say what action was contemplated and would not indicate what conditions would lead to such action. Asked whether the federation's decision was to say nothing rather than to do nothing, the group's president, Harri Henschler, replied, ''The first interpretation is correct.'' In a statement issued at the end of a two-day meeting near Schi@phol Airport, near Amsterdam, the organization repeated a call for talks to end the deadlock and said that it was ''not in the interest of a negotiated settlement'' to publish details ''of any contemplated or agreed action.''