Friday, October 1 1 , 1968

THE MICHIGAN DAILY

Page Three

PFridy ctbr1,~98TH IHGA AL


THIEU ON TV:
Viet coup rumor denied

House
gunn

passes
Leasure

SAIGON been uPresidentNguy-
en Van Thieu went on radio and
television yesterday and denied re-!
o arts of a thwarted coup against
' is one-year-old elected govern-
ment. He blamed the reports on
',rumors" spread by "Communists
and their henchmen."
Thieu made no mention of the
fact that high-level government
sourcs and spokesmen-although
noth am his office ahad told
dewsn that there had been a
coup attempt Tuesday night.
These sources said there had
been arrests in connection with'
the coup and that more persons
would be taken into custody. Thieu
said there had been no arrestsn
Throughout Wednesday and
'yesterday in Saigon, official and
off-the-record comment from
government officials on whether
there had been a coup attempt ;
was in direct contradiction. There
did not appear to be any political
affiliations hamongthe various
spokesmen to explain the contra-
IP dictions, however.
One, official, a spokesman for
the government press officesaid
at midmorning: "You can say
there was an attempted coup'but
that it failed."d
The same office said, in mid-
afternoon, quoting from a presi-.
*dential_ comunique, that the re-
ports of a coup were "false rum-.
ors spread by the Communists and
uninformed people."
Until the presidential statement,
a high-level government official
continued to talk with newsmen
about an attempted coup. The of-
.ficial, not in Thieu's office, has
knowledge of the highest levels of
the, government.
Many observers regarded the
government confusion as an indi-t

cation of basic uneasiness at the
highest levels.
The alert for South Viet Nam's,
armed forces continued last night.
Some actions by Thieu himself
may have inadvertently contribu-
ted to the coup reports.
Earlier this week, hei sent to all
Vietnamese military, commanders
a cable that said there were re-
ports of a possible coup. He or-
dered the commanders to put
down all gatherings on their own
initiative,' without asking permis-
sion, from Saigon.
'Even within the government,
apparently, Thieu's directives had
caused consternations, and offi-
cials let" out word about a coup at-
tempt.
The political jitters on which
the coup reports fed remain, and
theii cause is complex.

The recent return of former
chief of state Duong Van Minh,
known as "Big Minh" has activa-
ted both his supporters and his
enemies. Thieu would like to use
Minh, a popular hero because of
his role in the overthrow of Presi-
dent Ngo Dinh Diem in 1963, to
broaden the base of the govern-
ment.
Minh's admirers, among thema
the Buddhists and some who would 'w
like the government to soften its
line against the Communists to
speed a war settlement, tend to be
anti-Thieu. They have been press-
ing Minh to lead an opposition
movement.
On the other hand, Roman Ca-
tholic political groups and others
who see Minh's return as leading
to a weakening of the govern-:
ment's policies, have been agita-
ting against him and against
Thieu for allowing him to return. -dAssociated Press
So far, Minh appearso to havesof
remained aloof from both the gov -Gestures fad.B ln a nB
ernment and groups who would4
like to use him. A letter from the North Korean government accompanied this photograph of captured Pueblo
Thieu's efforts to gain control crewmen, but made no mention offthe obvious similarity in finger gestures of three of the men in
of South Vietnam's generals also the front row.
probably played a part in the un- -
easiness. Thieu Ahas been replac A
ing officers loyal to his rival, Vice GP VItTORd
President Nguyen Cao Ky. B u t
observers say he is having troublem f - Rs
finding men to fill the posts who
are also loyal to himself.' *1L t i l qa ie b
Thieu's coup warnings, and the
on his part to warn men he con-: WASHINGTON (A') - Efforts up the equal time legislation. Senate Republicans, commented:
siders as troublemakers that he to remove the legal hurdles to free Dirksen first raised the point of "We're against this bill. Now let
was aware of their activities and the television-radio debates be- t no quorum, the Democrats produce a quorum
that they should not go too far. tween 'the major presidential can- When such a point is raised, the if they can."
Thieu had spoken of the trouble- didates collapsed yesterday in the Senate cannot do business unless a There are 63 Democrats, enough
makers Monday in a speech to the face of a Republican sit-out thatI majority of the 100 senators an- for a quorum, but too few were in
NainlAsml.Tligaotblocked Senate action. swer the roll call. town to rescue the equal time bill.
the government's enemies, he said; Majority Leader Mike Mans- Dirksen made sure there would Before the Senate met to take
the worst "are those people who fied (D-Mont.), w a s unable to be no quorum by posting a page up the bill, George Wallace said
are motivated only by personal in- muster a quorum to take up the boy outside the chamber to tell he had accepted an offer by the
terests and political ambitions. On House-passed legislation and said GOP senators not to respond to Columbia Broadcasting System
the one hand, they proclaim loud- under the circumstances he had the quorum call. Bells are'rung in and the National Broadcasting Co.
ly for national sovereignty, but on no choice except to bow to theth Caioan issurndgtotgeaebe.Teewrk
the other hand, they believe in an GOP opposition. office buildings tQ summon sena- opened the offer to Nixon, Num-
imaginary change originating from! And even after that, with the tors when there is such a call. phrey and Wallace after Wednes-
the outside which might replace Republican sit-out lifted, it took; Mark Trice, secretary of t h e day's House vote.
the present government, to help nearly two hours to muster a bare
them forage t h e i r future posi- quorum of 51 - 17 Republicans !
tions." land 34 Democrats. Most of the 49 li_ . i-

WASHINGTON ( P) -- Congress sent President Johnson yester-
day a gun control bill weaker than the one he asked for but still
the strongest it has ever passed.
The bill would make it illegal for a person to buy, either in
person or through the mails, any gun or ammunition outside the
state in which he lives.
It would also outlaw sales of firearms or ammunition to juive-
niles, fugitives, mental incompetents, drug addicts or persons under
criminal indictment.
The House. completing action, on the measure, passed' it by a
160-129 roll call vote. The action climaxed a long fight that was
intensified after the gunshot kllings of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and
Dir. Martin Luther King Jr.
Tre relatively narrow margin of victory reflected a last-ditch
effort by opponents of gun con-'~---

trols to sidetrackthemeasure
until next year.
They objected to two provi-
sions brought back from a Sen-
ate-House conference on differ-
ing versions of the legislation.
The compromise deleted a
House provision exempting rifle
and shotgun ammunition from
the prohibitions in the bill, and
weakened another provision call-
ing for mandatory additional
prison terms for persons using a
gun in the commission of a fed-
eral crime.
Rep. Clark MacGregor, R-
Minn., who led the fight to have
the bill rejected, said the ban on
out-of-state sales of all ammuni-
tion would subject sportsmen and
hunters to harassment and incon-
venience.
Rep. Richard H. Poff, R-Va.,
author of the mandatory jail pro-
vision, said the compromise ver-
sion destroyed its effectiveness.
The bill requires a mandatory
'additional jail term ' of 1-to-10
years for a first offender and 5-
to-25 years for subsequent of-
fenders who use or carry guns
in the commission of a federal
crime.
i

Big Minh'

Orm
I(

, .. - ,,

Hovering over the tense, inter-
national political scene is uneasi-
ness about U.S. intentions in Viet-
nam and about how the next U.S.

other senators were out of town.
Mansfield then moved that ac-;
tion on the equal time bill be post-
poned indefinitely, thus killing it.
*rln cr + +~nar +nnfh PryIl~

w oriu unewsi iwquiup

LBJ won't
e e
appoint
'ustice
WASHINGTON (M) -- President
Johnson said yesterday he will not
now present another nomination
in place of that of Justice Abe
Fortas, for chief justice.
Johnson said he might do so
in ordinary times.
But, he added: "These are not
ordinary times. We are threatened
by emotionalism, partisanship, and
prejudice that compel us to use
great care if we are to avoid in-
jury to our constitutional system."
Chief Justice Earl Warren, who
asked to retire, has indicated his
willingness to continue on the
bench at Johnson's pleasure.
Johnson said: "Under the cir-
cumstances, the foundation of
government would be better serv-
ed by the present chief justice
remaining until emotionalism sub-
sides, reason and fairness prevail."
He said he was confident both
Fortas a n d Homer Thornberiy,
whom he nominated to be a jus-
tice succeeding Fortas, would have
been confirmed had their 'cases
come to a vote.
"Their qualifications are Indis-
putable," Johnson said.
After the Senate balked at con-
firming Fortas, Johnson withdrew
his name at Fortas' request. He
also withdrew Thornberry's name,
later. ',
Fortas came under lengthy crit-
icism in the Senate, but Johnson
reiterated today his high admira-
tion. "I have said," he noted, "that
I do not believe that I -can find
a person who is better qualified to
succeed Chief Justice Warren in
the nation's highest judicial post."
Fortas has been on the bench
since 1965, and is continuing.
Critics contended, in Senate de-
bate on whether to confirm his
nomination, that he had joined
in decisions expanding the rights
of criminal suspects, overturning
obscenity convictions, and permit-
ting Communists to work in de-
fense plants.
Phone 434-0130
&i a N &CARPENTERAO
ST S'fN
AAVAND...

By The Associated Press

1

3
i
f

*

president will handle the war .Sed turnea tI1TIN .
lation in a drive toward adjourn- , N O NS ns -
ment of thisseio of Congress. Egyptian Foreign Minister Mah-
The quick session ryCngthesmoud Riad accused the United
Senate was in sharp contrast to States yesterday of standing in
action in the House, where pas- the way of Middle East peace by
UN RERGRO}U N Dsage came Wednesday after a his- supplying political and material
THURSDAY toric lock-in that killed off a suc- , support to Israel-including wea-
cession of delaying quorum calls pons and, planes.
by Republicans. He attacked Israel's latest
Vth Forum The surprise tactic in the Sen- peace plan as an instrument of
ate w a s sprung by Republican surrender for the Arab countries.
Leader Everett M. Dirksen of ill- The way to peace, he said, is
nois as soon as Mansfield called through implementation of the
pres ents
FRIDAY SATURDAY
"Caine Mutiny" "Key Largo"
and and
"Petrified Forest" "Dark Passage"
8:00 P.M. $1.00 at the door
SUN.-"Sahara" and "To Have and Have Not"

Security Council resolution of last
Nov. 22 which calls for the with-
drawal of Israeli forces from Arab
territory occupied in the June
war last year.
And in an obvious reference to
the proposed transfer of U.S. F4
Phantom jets to Israel, he said:
"The supply by the United'
States of weapons and planes to
Israel, while it insists on the
occupation of the territories of
three member states of the United
Nations can in no way contribute
to the realization of peace in the
Middle East."
GIBRALTAR - The prime
ministers of Britain and Rh&-
desia started negotiating today
after declaring uncompromising
stands on Britain's demand for
"unimpeded progress" toward Af-
rican majority rule in Rhodesia.
Despite the positions they out-
CINET
CH ANG:FE Ib

lined Wednesday, Harold Wilson
of Britain and Ian. Smith, head
of the white minority govern-
ment in breakaway Rhodesia,
both said they were hopeful for.
a settlement.
Informants said that in today's
substantive talks, two key points
probably will be raised first.
These are Britain's demand forl
a guarantee of unimpeded pro-
gress toward majority rule by
Rhodesia's 4 million Africans,
and assurances that the territory's
200,000 whites will not insist on
a so-called braking mechanism,
which would allow the whites to
take back African voting rights
later.
At a separate news conference,
Smith said he "very definitely"
stands by his insistence on a
braking mechanism and by his
position that African majority
rule in Rhodesia will not come in
his lifetime.

1

'uDAV1UD AND 4lSf
K1ER 1vWXEA
BEST SZL.LEI
2,oep1D51 ge"

MIA 1

J !C(''L-1 hI 11

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ACADEMY AWARD

THIS WEEK, OCTOBER 11th and 12th
"TREASURE OF
SIERRA MADRE"
H. BOGART
("Cincinnati Kid" will be shown Oct. 25th and 26th)


1IN1AZA

WINNER
BEST DIRECTOR-MIKE NICHOLS
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