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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 15, 1972)
| World fttews Okinawa celebrates freedom from U.S. rule TOKYO (AP) — The 73 islands and one million inhabitants of Okinawa, the last great bat tlefield of World War II, returned to Japan on Monday after 27 years of American rule. Ships, whistles, fire sirens and auto horns joined in a joyful welcome in Okinawa as the reversion became law. Official celebrations here and in Naha, Okinawa’s capital, to mark the agreement were following later. Emperor Hirohito, Prime Minister Eisaku Sato and Vice President Spiro Agnew were featured speakers at the Tokyo ceremonies. The Japanese government placed 50,000 riot police on alert, expecting demonstrations by Okinawans resentful of the continuing American military presence and by Japanese op posed to the terms of the reversion agreement. Eight leftist run Japanese cities refused to recognize an official half-day holiday for the occasion. In a communication published here Sunday, Secretary of State William Rogers assured Japan that Okinawa now is free of nuclear arms. Opposition parties, continuing their demand for clearer guarantees on removal of nuclear weapons, noted Rogers’ letter merely stated: “The assurances of the government of the United States concerning nuclear weapons on Okinawa have been fully carried out.” The Japanese government said this meant nuclear arms were withdrawn. The islands restored to Japan gird 374 miles of ocean from southern Japan to the northern tip of Taiwan. Known as the Ryukyu Islands, 47 are inhabited. For millions of Japanese, the reversion represents the end of Japan’s postwar dependence on the United States. The United States seized Okinawa from Japan in the last bloody battle of the Pacific war, March 12-July 2, 1945. American INixon ‘full of surprises' WASHINGTON lxiuis Harris, the pollster, said Sunday he thinks the nation’s voters are in an anti-establishment mood, but that President Nixon is so politically adroit and unpredictable he might be re-elected “He’s been full of surprises and I expect him to have more surprises right up to election day," Harris said on NBC’ TV’s “Meet the Press” program. Harris cited Nixon’s shifts on China and wage price contmls as evidence of his ability to do the unorthodox. "He certainly solidified the country behind his recent moves in Vietnam,” Harris said A Harris poll last week showed that 69 per cent of the country approved the decision to mine North Vietnam’s harbors Freaks fought with filth GLASTONBURY, England The Town Council, fearful of an invasion this summer like the one that brought 16,000 youngsters tramping into the district last year, is dumping sewage around tents and caravans of Jesus freaks But the youths refuse to move. Taj Drexel, an 18-year-old girl who lives m a caravan on the outskirts of town, where legend has it Jesus Christ visited in his youth, said: “I’ve been in poor health since the council dumped the stuff. It’s enough to make anyone sick ” Town Clerk George Harland explained: “The dumping is a preventive action. We’ve been warned that this summer the town will be invaded by hundreds of hippies They can bo a danger to health." Cross fires show kkk strength MIAMI At least :U) wooden crosses were set ablaze in widely scattered sections of Florida late Saturday and early Sunday in what police sources said was an apparent demonstration of strength by the Ku Klux Klan A policeman in Panama City, who refused to be identified, said, "I heard the Klan decided to set the crosses on fire just to let people know they’re still around and that there's lots of them They had hoped for a statewide thing with crosses burning in most counties, but 1 guess they didn’t get it.” China relations ‘undamaged' WASHINGTON Senate Republican Leader Hugh Scott, who returned a week ago from a visit to mainland China, said Sunday he believes the mining of North Viet namese harbors has done no serious damage to U S.-Chinese relations The Pennsylvania senator said he could not disclose details of secret talks with Chinese Premier Chou Kn ImIi other than repeating statements already made public Hut Scott added ”1 don’t think that the mining of the harbor has deteriorated markedly the relationship with China ” He went on the say, "We cannot have a real diplomatic relationship with China until this war ends Scott made the statements on the CBS radio-TV program “Face the Nation ’’ dead totaled 13,000, and 37,000 were wounded. In their stubborn defense of the island chain, Japan lost 110,000 men. A large number of civilians also perished. The 1951 Japanese peace treaty signed in San Francisco con tinued U.S. administration while recognizing Japan’s residual sovereignty. Okinawa became a major U.S. forward military base in the Pacific following the Communist victory in China in 1949. It played a key role in the Korean war as well as the Vietnam conflict and was the site of a nuclear weapons stockpile. In giving up the Pacific base, the United States retains use of the military installations under restricted freedom of action. Japan also assumed control Monday of the tiny Senkakus or Tiaoyutais, a string of eight uninhabited islands close to Japan but also claimed by Nationalist China and Com munist China. Interest of the three nations in securing control of the former U.S.-administered islands sharpened with speculation that they lie in an area of rich oil deposits. More than 100 Nationalist Chinese university students demonstrated in Taiwan in rain Sunday to protest return of the islands to Japan. Campus trees were hung with slogans, asserting “The Tiaoyutai are ours,” and “The United States cannot sell out Chinese territory.” Agnew, who is representing President Nixon at the ceremonies, conferred at the weekend with Sato and Foreign Minister Takeo Fukuda. The vice-president had lunch with the emperor and dined with Sato Saturday. Ten thousand prostitutes face unemployment in Okinawa with the return Monday of the island base to Japan. Prostitution is banned under Japanese law. Okinawa police say many of the girls have debts ranging up to $8,000 to their brothel keepers. But a Japanese court has ruled that such debts are void. Police are uncertain how soon or how strictly Japanese law will be enforced. One official said legislation alone cannot stamp out prostitution. Okinawa’s economy has had little to sustain it except spending by the U.S. government on its military bases and by some 45,000 servicemen stationed there. Bill goes to Senate Thieu may receive full powers SAIGON (AP) — The lower house of South Vietnam's National Assembly approved a con troversial proposal Sunday to give President Nguyen Van Thieu “full powers” to deal with the crisis resulting from North Vietnam’s general of fensive. Turning aside charges by opposition deputies that Thieu seeks to become a dictator, the house voted 81 to 49 in favor of the bill and sent it to the Senate. Twenty-nine members were absent. The bill would give Thieu sweeping powers to issue laws by decree for six months on almost any subject, and would, in effect, give legislative sanc tion to a series of emergency measures, including martial law, that he already has ordered. As approved, the bill would allow Thieu “the power to promulgate by degree laws necessary to cope with the national situation,” except for ratification of treaties and agreements, declarations of war and negotiations for peace. The vote came in a seven-hour special session that began with 28 opposition deputies staging a half hour sit-in demonstration on the lower house steps to protest Thieu’s demand. Opponents claim the bill would make Thieu a dictator and would usurp the National Assembly’s powers. They have said Thieu should abolish the legislature rather than reduce it to a rubber stamp body with no power. The demonstration was led by the prominent lawyer-legislator Tran Van Tuyen, leader of South Vietnam's Koumintang party and a chief spokesman for the bill’s opponents, who are from both rightist and leftist factions. On the steps of the former French opera house that serves as a house chamber, the demonstrators held up signs saying, “If Thieu wants to be a dic tator let him abolish the National Assembly,” “Giving full powers is to betray the voters” and “Democracy or death.” Some of the signs were in English, presumably for the benefit of television reporters and other Western newsmen. Police were present but made no move to break up the sit-in. It went virtually unnoticed by thousands of persons thronging a park a short block away, for the formal opening of a large display of captured enemy arms and equipment including two North Vietnamese tanks seized in Quang Tri Province before it fell. Many of the emergency measures newly invoked by Thieu technically already are in effect from declarations of past years, but are not being strictly applied. These include the right of police to search premises at any time, a ban on hoarding, strikes and unauthorized demonstrations, and the seizure of published material and arrest of persons deemed dangerous to national security or public order. The martial law edict, issued last Wednesday, in effect suspended civil law and put the country under military control. Thieu also has expanded military draft eligibility, closed universities, technical schools and most forms of entertainment and tightened curfews. There has been speculation that if Thieu’s bill is approved he will move to suspend all civil rights, impose strict censorship—possibly even on the foreign press—establish new taxes and extend government control over commercial activities. Wallace expected to win Tuesday’s two primaries By the Associated Press With primaries coming up Tuesday in Michigan and Maryland. Sen George McGovern of South Dakota began an intensive last-minute drive Sunday for a share of Michigan's 132 delegates to the Democratic national convention His two major opponents in both primaries are Sen Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota and Gov George Wallace of Alabama Wallace , expected to win both contests, was in his home state Sunday; Humphrey spent the morning campaigning in Michigan and going to church, then returned to Washington McGovern criticized Hum phrey for failing to live up to his past record on civil rights He also said that while many observers concede first place in Michigan to Wallace. "I don't concede it to anyone ’’ The South Dakota senator, flying around the state in a chartered plane, planned to speak at rallies in Saginaw and Flint on Sunday, as well as in Detroit, before going on to flint and Kalamazoo Monday Speaking with reporters out side the historic Avenue Baptist Church in thepredominantlyblack area of Detroit, McGovern was asked whether he agreed with Humphrey’s opposition to busing school children from good schools to bad schools. ”1 disagree with the way Sen. Humphrey has handled the issue and it does not seem to me that he has sustained fully the position of the Supreme Court." McGovern replied "Sen Humphrey has not lived up to tiie commitment of his earlier years he a as a leader in the civil rights field.” he added "He hasn't been a leader on the issue of what to do to raise the quality of education ” The delegates in Michigan will be divided among the cane dates w ho poll more than 5 per cent of the vote. The only other can-, didate who has been active there is U S Rep Shirley Chisholm of New York Others on the ballot are Sens. Edmund Muskie of Maine. Vance Hartke of Indiana and Henry Jackson of Washington. There are 53 Democratic delegates at stake in Maryland and both Wallace and Humphrey planned campaign stops there Monday Louisiana Democrats selected 40 of their 44 delegates to the Democratic convention on Saturday. The rest will be selected at a state convention June 9 Of the 40 delegates selected in the eight congressional district caucuses held throughout the state 31 are officially un committed, including 13 blacks and 18 whites Six delegates, three blacks and three whites, are committed to McGovern Three *h-,e delegates are committed to Wal'ace