World /national news
Speaker McCormack
will retire this year
WASHINGTON UP> — Speaker
John McCormack announced
Wednesday he will not seek re
election to Congress in Novem
her.
The 78-year-old Massachusetts
Democrat’s decision presumably
paved the way for election of
Rep. Carl Albert of Oklahoma to
the speakership next January if
Democrats retain control of the
House.
Albert, who is 62, now is major
ity floor leader.
Albert’s elevation to the top
House position could lead to a
political free-for-all by those seek
ing the No. 2 spot of floor leader.
Hep. Hale Boggs of Louisiana,
the present Democratic whip, is
next in line for Albert’s job if
it becomes vacant. The powerful
Democratic Study Committee is
expected to run its own candi
date for the floor leadership, and
to support Albert for speaker.
McCormack distributed the fol
lowing statement at a news con
ference:
“I will not seek reelection as a
representative of the Ninth Con
gressional District of Massachu
setts.
"This is not a hasty decision
on my part. I made this decision
prior to the 1968 election. For
some years Mrs. McCormack and
I have been looking forward to a
period of rest and relaxation.
“I take this opportunity of
deeply thanking the people of my
district for the faith, confidence
and support they have always giv
en me. I cannot by words con
vey my deep feelings of appreci
ation.
“I take great pride and I am
also humbly grateful to my Deni
ocratic colleagues in selecting
and electing me in caucus as ma
jority leader, and now, speak
er, and to all the members of
the House for the many courte
sies they have extended to me
throughout the years. I shall al
ways treasure our association and
be grateful to them.
“On May 29 I will have been
speaker the second longest in the
history of our country, the ex
ception being my late dear friend,
Sam Raeburn. On the same date
I will also be speaker longest in
point of continuous service.
“While I am leaving elective
office, I will always take an ac
tive interest in matters con -
cerning the welfare of our peo
ple, and the national interests of
our country.”
News roundup
From AP Reports
SAIGON—Thousands of South Vietnamese infantrymen
plunged into Cambodia on a new front Wednesday in a drive
to smash the last of the known enemy sanctuaries near the
border. Their target was the Communist command’s B3 front,
which controls all North Vietnamese and Viet Cong opera
tions in the Central Highlands provinces of South Vietnam.
★ ★ ★
JACKSON, Miss.—A federal judge ruled today that state in
vestigators may remove portions of the college dormitory
where two Negro youths died in a fusillade of police gunfire,
but the state said it will wait until the tense situation here
calms down.
★ ★ ★
WASHINGTON—A move to block construction of Safeguard
antimissile sites was defeated by the House Wednesday despite
arguments the system would be only a limited defense if it
works at all. An amendment by Rep. Otis Pike, D-N.Y. to cut
all $322 million for construction of three antimissile sites from
the $2 billion military construction authorization bill was de
feated 146 to 76.
★ ★ ★
KASSEL, Germany—Demonstrators from the far left and
far right filed into this West German border city Wednesday
for the meeting between Chancellor Willy Brandt and Premier
Willi Stoph of East Germany. Leftists came to hail the East
German leader and the rightists to attempt to enforce their
demands that Stoph be arrested as soon as he sets foot on
West German soil Thursday morning.
Pro Nixon demonstration
draws thousands in NY
NEW YORK (AP) — More
than 150,000 construction work
ers, longshoremen and office em
ployees jammed downtown Man
hattan Wednesday for a rally
supporting President Nixon’s war
policy. The rally was peaceful.
The crowd estimate was made
by newsmen after consulting
with police officials.
After listening to speeches near
City Hall, the crowd marched
slowly down Broadway, with po
lice clearing the way. In the
vanguard was a truck carrying
about 25 construction workers
with a sign reading “Impeach the
Red Mayor.” Mayor John Lindsay
is an oponent of Nixon’s war
policy.
Some of the workers, carrying
American flags, arrived early in
the morning for the noon hour
demonstration.
It was the second peaceful
pro-Nixon and anti-Lindsay dem
onstration in the city since May
8, when 70 people were injured
as construction workers attacked
long-haired anti-war students in
Wall Street and the City Hall
area.
About 2,700 extra policemen
were stationed in the area at a
cost of $180,000 in overtime pay.
In a speech at the new demon
stration Peter Brennan, president
of the Building and Construction
Trades Council, urged coopera
tion with the police because
“they have been whipping boys
too long.” The union leader told
the workers to “look over thi
election ballot in November and
vote for the men who will dc
something for America.” Lindsay
was reelected last November.
Abernathy joins march;
asks federal protection
FORT VALLEY, Ga. (AP) —
The Rev. Ralph David Aber
nathy took over the reins of a
mule-drawn wagon Wednesday
and led about 400 marchers to
ward Macon after calling for fed
eral protection for the group.
Abernathy, head of the spon
soring Southern Christian Lead
ership Conference, climbed into
the driver’s seat of the wagon
soon after arriving from Atlanta
to join the group. He wore a
faded blue denim jacket and
trousers, a symbol of the 1968
Poor Peoples’ Campaign, which
also featured mule-drawn wagons
on a march to Washington.
Abernathy, who said he will
be with the march the rest oi
the way to Atlanta, called for
federal protection after noting
that Gov. Lester Maddox de
clined to provide a police escort
as requested by SCLC.
The governor assigned state
patrolmen to observe the march
and put down any disorder if it
should occur.
Like making Edsels
Combodia move 'profit and loss' failure
Bv STANLEY KAKNOW
The Washington Post
HONG KONG—The well-known pundit Art Buchwald
once pointed out that if Robert McNamara had managed
Ford the way he ran the Vietnam war, he would have
gone on producing Edsels until the company went bank
rupt.
That acute observation bears recalling at the moment,
as administration publicists strive to portray President
Nixon's thrust into Cambodia as a stupendous success.
For in purely profit and loss terms, the Cambodian
operation has scarcely been worth the political, social,
diplomatic and psychological costs at home and abroad
no matter how much it may have achieved on the ground.
By the same measure, the entire American commit
ment to Vietnam over the years has plainly been a
lousy investment that even the most simple-minded
businessman would have written off long ago.
One of the fascinating features in the Cambodian
affair has been the dramatic contrast between the Presi
dent's original expectations and the real results of his
decision
His drive into Cambodia, he proclaimed on April 30.
would smash the Communist command structure, shorten
the Vietnam war and demonstrate that the United
States is not a pitiful, helpless giant.
Since then, however, administration spokesmen have
ruefully conceded that the Communist headquarters tar
geted for destruction was actually a permanent floating
crap game that must have escaped to the Bronx.
Moreover, far from hastening an end to the war, the
venture promises to lengthen and broaden the conflict
for at least three reasons.
First, it has strengthened the Hanoi hawks and their
hard-line Chinese supporters and. in the process, re
duced the prospects of a negotiated settlement within
the foreseeable future.
Second, it is prompting the Communists to initiate
diversionary moves in Laos that threaten to turn that
primitive kingdom into a more active battlefield than it
has been until now.
Third, it has supplied the Saigon regime with the
pretext to send troops deep into Cambodia, thus augur
ing larger Indochina conflagration that is bound to in
volve the United States either openly or covertly.
As for Mr. Nixon’s assertion that the Cambodian in
vasion would prove America’s omnipotence and his own
determination, just the opposite impact has reverberated
around the world.
DIAGNOSIS: VERY SICK
Student disorders, the Senate revolt and dissension
inside the Cabinet are diagnosed overseas as symptoms
of a very sick nation, while the President himself has
earned the image of a weak, vacillating man dominated
by incompetent or evil advisers.
A curious paradox in Mr. Nixon’s position, as in the
whole U.S. experience in Vietnam dating back a decade,
is its betrayal of the concept Americans have of them
selves as hard-headed pragmatists who want value for
their money.
Again and again. Congressmen who pinch pennies on
appropriations for housing and education and welfare
have given the Pentagon blank checks for dozens of
Vietnam Projects that were doomed from the start.
Assessing the bombing of North Vietnam, for ex
ample, even McCNamara finally admitted to the sense
lessness of spending millions of dollars to destroy bam
boo bridges and grass shacks that could be rebuilt over
night for a couple of bucks.
LUDICROUS FOLLY
Equally ludicrous was the notion, obviously inspired 1
by political considerations, that the country could wage
an expensive war without applying domestic economic
controls, in part, the inflation is testimony to that folly.
To a significant extent, these blunders may stem from
the conviction of American leaders that they are still
defending the Alamo and charging up San Juan Hill.
Judging from his performance, Mr. Nixon was apparent
ly guided by the motto: “Shoot first, answer questions
after.”
That the questions he faced later were embarrassing
is apparent in the fact that White House flacks no
longer announce the apocalypse but claim instead that
the Cambodian foray was really intended to buy six
or eight months in which to improve the South' Viet
namese army.
However, a perceptive European diplomat who often'
visits Hanoi emerged from the North Vietnamese capital
last week to report that the fallout from the Cambodian
operation has heartened the Communists even though
they lost their sanctuaries.
“Six months ago,” the diplomat said, “they seemed
to be worried by two things—that Vietnamization might
work and that anti war sentiment in the United States
was waning. But now, looking at the chaos in America,
they figure that time is on their side.”
Los Angeles Times/Washington Post News Service