Nixon: ‘on the threshold
of new era of peace’
Declaring that America today stands “on the
threshold of a new era of peace,” President Richard
Nixon was inaugurated Saturday for four more
years of national leadership.
Although his short inaugural address men
tioned America’s efforts for peace several times,
Nixon emphasized that his administration will
continue to respect treaty commitments.
“We shall do our share in defending peace and
freedom in the world,” the President declared.
“But we shall expect others to do their share. ”
Addressing a divided nation, Nixon said, “As
America’s longest and most difficult war comes to
an end, let us again learn to debate our differences
with civility and decency. And let each of us read
out for that (me precious quality government cannot
provide — a new level of respect for the rights and
feelings of one another and for the individual human
dignity which is the cherished birthright of every
America.”
Nixon attacked those people he said have lost
faith in America. “But I am confident that theirs
will not be the judgement of history on these
remarkable times in which we are privileged to
live.”
Following the inaugural ceremony, the parade
down Pennsylvania Avenue was watched by some
300,000.
During the parade, Frank Van Riper, a reporter
for the New York Daily News, was arrested by local
police for running along side the President’s car.
Van Riper was charged by police with disorderly
conduct. The newsman called it “false arrest" and
vowed to fight it in court.
Peace settlement might
be signed this week
UPI — White House sources said Sunday South
Vietnamese President Nguyen Van Thieu had
agreed to the proposed peace settlement in Vietnam
and President Nixon had authorized Henry
Kissinger to initial it in Paris Thursday.
Communist diplomats also expressed optimism
over what appeared to be an imminent agreement
ending 12 years of war in Vietnam.
The White House sources told UPI
Correspondent Helen Thomas that Nixon gave
Kissinger the go-ahead in a meeting Sunday after
learning that Gen. Alexander Haig was able to win
Thieu’s backing.
The sources said Kissinger would meet with
Nixon again early today before departing for Paris
and new talks with Hanoi’s Le Due Tho on Tuesday.
Haig returned early Sunday from a trip to Smith
Vietnam and Korea last week to present a revised
draft of a tentative peace agreement reached by
Kissinger and Tho in Paris two weeks ago. Thieu
was believed to have some reservations but ready to
go along generally with the accord.
Both the United States and North Vietnam
announced last Thursday that the next round of
peace talks were arranged to complete the text of
an agreement.
The optimism at the White House was echoed in
Paris by negotiators for North Vietnam and the Viet
Cong.
Xuan Thuy, head of the North Vietnamese
peace talks delegation, said be expected the Viet
namese lunar New Year on Feb. 3 to be “happier
than usual” this year.
Asked whether he meant a peace settlement
was imminent, Thuy replied: “We must first finish
the text we are working on.”
- Mrs. Nguyen Thi Binh, the Viet Cong foreign
minister, said she had returned to Paris with in
structions to “employ all our efforts” to sign a
Vietnam peace agreement.
As diplomats began converging on Paris for
Tuesday’s meeting between Henry Kissinger and
Le Due Tho, other reports from both Communist
and non-Communist sources also indicated a
Vietnam peace settlement could be completed this
week.
At Nixon inaugural
Thousands protest war
WASHINGTON UPI — Buoyed by the support of
thousands who turned out to protest President
Nixon’s Vietnam policy on his second inauguration,
antiwar leaders said Sunday they would call for
similar actions until the war is over.
The leaders outlined their plans shortly before
about 700 protesters attended an inter-faith service
at the Wesley United Methodist Church, concluding
three days of events called “An Inauguration of
Conscience” that centered around the mass march
and rally coinciding with the President’s
inauguration Saturday.
Among the speakers at the antiwar service
were former Sens. Eugene McCarthy of Minnesota
and Ernest Gruening of Alaska as well as Sen. Mike
Gravel, D-Alaska.
Sidney Peck, national co-coordinator of the
Peoples Coalition for Peace and Justice (PCPJ), a
sponsor of Saturday’s activities, said they were “a
success beyond our imagination.”
He said the PCPJ estimated that between
100,000 and 125,000 ‘‘participated in some phase or
another” of Saturday’s antiwar demonstrations.
Police estimates varied from between 60,000 and
25,000.
Jerry Gordon, national co-coordinator of the
National Peace Action Coalition (NPAC), the other
major organization sponsoring Saturday’s protests,
said it assessed the crowd at ‘‘over 100,000” and that
the demonstration showed ‘‘how deep the feeling of
revulsion against the war lies.”
Peck said Saturday marked the beginning “of
the third and final phase of the antiwar movement’s
struggle against the war.”
UPI Roundup
U.S,-Australian relations ease
WASHINGTON — After some serious friction over
Vietnam, relations between the United States and Australia
have returned to normal and tentative plans call fra* Prime
Minister Gough Whitlam to visit the United States. State
Department officials report that Whitlam, whose Labor
government pointedly criticized the U.S. bombing of North
Vietnam, may attend an August meeting of parties to the
U.S.-Australian-New Zealand defense treaty or the opening
of the General Assembly of the United Nations
Senate doves threaten filibuster
WASHINGTON — House Democrats return to their fight
over congressional reform this week while the Senate heads
for a dispute over confirmation of President Nixon’s chief
Pentagon nominees A threatened filibuster by Vietnam war
critics such as Sen. Harold Hughes, D-Iowa, will come to a
head on Tuesday when, the Senate considers Nixon’s ap
pointment of William Clements Jr. as deputy secretary of
defense and James Schlesinger as chief of the Central In
telligence Agency. The fight by Hughes, who said his protest
is aimed more at Nixon’s Vietnam war policies than the
nominees will arise again Thursday when Elliot Richard
son’s nomination as secretary of defense comes to the Senate
floor. House democrats will caucus today seeking to resolve
reform proposals pushed by liberals in the party.
Corona trial may be replayed
FAIRFIELD, Calif. —
A 63-year-old widow said Sunday she talked with a county
sheriff’s matron who offered information to “ease your
conscience” before she ended a two-day holdout and voted
with her fellow jurors to convict Juan Corona of the biggest
mass slayings in U.S history. Naomi Underwood, whose
change of heart ended a week of nearly deadlocked
deliberations in the case, said the talk with the matron was
“after everybody knew, including myself,” that she was
going to change her mind and vote for conviction “to get
some peace.” But defense attorney Richard Hawk, who first
disclosed the incident, said the discussion took place the
night before Thursday’s verdict was handed down and could
be construed as jury tampering.
Teachers’ strikes continue
NEGOTIATIONS between striking Chicago public school
teachers and the school board broke off Sunday, insuring the
schools will be closed to 558,000 pupils again Monday for the
ninth school day. Teachers in St. Louis took a strike vote.
Walkouts by teachers in Philadelphia and Superior, Wis.,
continued pending court sessions today. A strike by St. Louis
teachers would be the first in the city’s history and would idle
103,000 students.
‘Dispirit’ in U.S.
OXFORD, ENGLAND (UPI) — Sen. George McGovern
denounced President Nixon’s recent bombing of North Vietnam
Sunday as “barbarous” and declared the United States seems headed
toward “one-man rule.”
In a speech prepared far delivery at St. Catherine’s College at
Oxford, the defeated Democratic presidential candidate also said
“dispirit” is prevailing in America.
The South Dakotan expressed regret that the British government
had not protested the intensified bombing ordered by Nixon.
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