March 23, 1999

Dave Anderson Sports of The Times column on Martin Dihigo, only Cuban ballplayer in Baseball Hall of Fame; contends that Dihigo, who played in Negro leagues, was perhaps most versatile ballplayer in game's history; photo (M)

Special US envoy Richard C Holbrooke, under orders not to let Serbia delay NATO action while Kosovo burns, meets with Yugoslav Pres Slobodan Milosevic in Belgrade in last-ditch effort to negotiate at least cease-fire; says little was achieved in more than three hours of talks with Milosevic; says heightened military activities in Kosovo make it extremely difficult to pursue peace; senior NATO official says Serbian forces have destroyed three of Kosovo Liberation Army's seven reigonal headquarters in past three days, adding to urgency of Holbrooke mission; Serb forces burn villages and drive civilians from homes in Kosovo, whose population is predominantly ethnic Albanians; Pres Clinton warns military action could be imminent if Milosevic continues to choose agression over peace; says 30,000 more Albanians have been displaced from homes in last few days; says Milosevic will not be allowed to continue aggression with impunity since America's security interests must include Europe's freedom and security; photo (M)

Immediate stock market outlook discussed in light of slump in technology stocks, previously dominating force spurring bull market; group's faltering calls into question continued overall market strength (M)

French Institute/Alliance Francaise to mark Journee de la Francophonie, a celebration of French-speaking world every March 20, by focusing on Senegal, with festivities including 18 films and videos; Mary Tyler Moore to join comedian Joy Behar in conversation at 92d St Y to commemorate National Women's History Month; photo; ABC News analyst Cokie Roberts to discuss Washington political scene at New York Public Library, in this year's Richard Salomon Distinguished Lecture; Manhattan School of Music Jazz Orchestra to present concert of music of Thelonious Monk; photo; Snug Harbor Studio Program for Visual Artists on Staten Island to sponsor art show on March 28; 22 artists to open their studios to public (M)

New York State Comptroller H Carl McCall, state's highest-ranking black official, is among 141 people arrested outside New York City Police Headquarters in largest act of civil disobedience protesting fatal February 4 shooting of unarmed street vendor Amadou Diallo by four members of police street crimes unit; others include black publishers Earl Graves and Ed Lewis, comedian Dick Gregory, dozens of lawyers and several City Council members; Police Commissioner Howard Safir defends police actions at testy City Council hearing; adopts conciliatory tone while praising street crimes unit as prime reason for reduction of violent crime in city; is criticized as being insensitive for attending Academy Awards ceremony and party night before; Mayor Rudolph Giuliani rebuts suggestions by Gov George Pataki that his administration has not responded well to criticism over Diallo case; says administration has done everything to deal with issue in sensitive, emotional and rational way; former Police Comr William Bratton says Giuliani has failed to understand depth of feeling in black and Hispanic neighborhoods about police misconduct; photos (M)