April 16, 1985

Beginning a weeklong drive to win House and Senate approval of $14 million in aid for the Nicaraguan rebels, President Reagan warned Congress tonight that a vote against the aid would be ''literally a vote against peace.'' ''We cannot have the United States walk away from one of the greatest moral challenges in postwar history,'' Mr. Reagan said, asserting that failure to approve the aid would lead to ''more fighting, new wars and new bloodshed.'' Mr. Reagan's proposals drew criticism today from President Belisario Betancur of Colombia, who had said earlier this month that he viewed the President's plan positively. (Page A8.)

Governor Cuomo and former Senator Howard H. Baker Jr. of Tennessee will provide weekday radio commentaries for the Mutual Radio Network, the network announced today. Mr. Cuomo, a possible contender for the Democratic nomination for President, will do the commentary one day, and Mr. Baker, a possible contender for the Republican nomination, will do it the next.

Hospitals across the country are experiencing the steepest decline in use in at least 20 years, largely as a result of Federal cost containment policies that took effect last year, health officials and hospital administrators say. Admissions fell to about 35 million in 1984 from 36.3 million in 1983, a decline of 3.7 percent, according to the American Hospital Association.

Sales of new American-made automobiles fell by 6.6 percent in the first 10 days of April, the manufacturers reported today. Light truck sales were also off, the companies said, by 5 percent from the period last year. The changes are calculated on the basis of the daily selling rate, with nine selling days in the April 1-10 period this year and eight in 1984.

The river races here. Swollen with melted snows and spring rains, it rushes in a wild, white froth through still forests. Perched on the stern of a gray rubber raft, Ernie LaPrairie screamed ''power, power'' to eight paddle wielders. Instantly, eight yellow blades clawed the river, and the raft hurtled into the Cedar Ledges, a jumble of boulders lathered by waters pouring from the confluence of the Indian and Hudson Rivers.