Vol. LXXXII, No. 9-S
S. Viets
push close
to An Loc
SAIGON ( -South Viet-
namese troops encountered
stiff resistance on both sides
as they pushed within sight
of the beleaguered provin-
cial capital of An Loc yes-
terday.
Meanwhile, Northvietnamese
infantrymen backed by tank
fire assaulted the outer defenses
of the central highlands city of
Kontum, another provincial
capital, but South Vietnamese
officers said they were thrown
back.
An Loc, 60 miles north of Sai-
gon, is the southernmost of
three fronts established by the
six-week-old North Vietnamese
offensive. The northern front
around the old imperial capital
of Hue remained relatively calm.
U.S Navy F4 Phantoms re-
ported downing two enemy
MIG19 interceptors 35 miles
northeast of Hanoi, bringing to
138 the number of Soviet-built
MIGs shot down during the war.
The Viet Gong's Liberation Ra-
die claimed two American planes
were shot down over the North
yesterday and their pilots cap-
tured alive. There was no imme-
diate comment -from the U.S.
Command.
As the South Vietnamese ap-
proached An Loc they were har-
rassed by communist troops on
both flanks. Attempts to drive
out entrenched North Viet-
namese units were met with
firce rocket, mortar and tear
gas attacks. As of last night,
the relief column had been
forced to halt within sight of
their objective.
At Kontum, South Vietnamese
soldiers reported a raging eight-
hour battle with the commun-
ists. At times, they said, the
North Vietnamese were so close
to South Vietnamese lines that
fighting was hand-to-hand.
U.S. officers have said Kon-
tum is a key objective of the
offensive. But the latest attack
-similar to one six days earlier
-appeared to be less than an
all-out effort to capture the
city.
I A r Migant y itl
I
Ann Arbor; Michigan-Saturday, May 20, 1972
Ten Cents
Twelve Pages
Daily-RoIf Tessem ana ava Margolic
YESTERDAY, a combined demonstration-birthday party (for Malcolm X and Ho Chi Minh) was celebrated. At left, demonstrators
dig one of the several craters now gracing the campus. At right, University officials note the tomato juice-symbolizing blood-with
which anti-war protesters decorated the Administration Bldg. Below, a band entertains party-goers, who also heard speeches by local
anti-war leaders.
Protesters digwar symbols
By PAUL TRAVIS
To the sounds of rock music and anti-war speeches, four sym-
$.' bolic "bomb craters" were dug on the Diag during a party in
:v 4 , celebration of the birthdays of Malcom X and Ho Chi Minh.
Vowing to stay all night, the party-goers planned to dig five
more craters late last night.
During yesterday's Regents meeting, other anti-war protesters
symbolicly "mined" the Administration Bldg. with balloons, and
four unknown youths flooded the lobby with tomato juice repre-
senting "the blood of the Vietnamese people." The demonstrators
were protesting what they called the University's involvement ip
war research.
ESCH LUNCHEON
Richardson met by protest.
By MERYL GORDON
Health Education and Welfare (HEW) Secretary
Elliot Richardson was greeted by a group of anti-
war demonstrators and angry University women
as he spoke at a fund-raising luncheon for Con-
gressman Marvin Esch (R-Mich.) yesterday.
Twenty anti-war demonstrators, chanting and
carrying placards, marched in front of the down-
town Ramada Inn, trying to get their message
across to the well-dressed Republicans inside.
A University secretary, under the assumed name
of Martha Harris, presented Richardson with a
symbolic bouquet of dendelions and tulips during
the luncheon.
Declaring that she represented University wo-
men, Harris explained that "the dandelions repre-
sent the overabundance of male tenured faculty
and the tulips represent the disproportionate num-
ber of women faculty members."
She urged Richardson to "examine the issues of
back pay for women and the state of female gradu-
ates as University employes as two links to end the
cycle of discrimination in the University."
Richardson accepted the bouquet, responding,
"Of course, as you know, the University of Michi-
gan was one of the first to come under fire from
us, and HEW is closely watching the situation."
HEW investigators charged the University with
-Daily-David Margoliclk See HEW, Page 12
The University had previously
offered an alternative site for a
bomb crater but the demon-
strators rejected the site in
favor of 'the Diag because "we
want it (the hole) to be a vis-
ible daily reminder of what the
countryside of Vietnam looks
like" said protest leader Genie
Plamondon yesterday.
The University objected to the
Diag sites primarily because of
the danger of cutting power lines
and water pipes. The first two
craters-in front of the Eco-
nomics Bldg. and at the corner
of State and North University-
reached a size of about 15 feet
in diameter and four feet deep.
No wires or pipes were encoun-
tered.
When protestors began dig-
ging the Diag crater, Rolland
Gainsley, the University's chief
security officer informed the
diggers that they were violating
the law and were subject to
prosecution.
In a statement issued late yes-
terady night the University said
every effort will be made to
identify the crater diggers: and
to 'prosecute those individuals
who defied the warning."
The University's suggested al-
ternative site, on the mall be-
tween Hill Aud. and the Michi-
ganh League, was the site of the
third crater. A pipe believed to
be encasing electrical wiring
was found two feet under.
The hot, sunny day was filled
with rock music and speeches,
wine and crater-digging.
Mayor Robert Harris, the
Democratic and Human Rights
Party City Council members',
People Against the Air War,
Tribal Council, Vietnam Vet-
erans Against the War's local
branch and many other com-
munity groups co-sponsored the
birthday party.
Several community 1 e a d e r s
spoke at the party, including
See DIGGING, Page 12
activities
schedued
WASHINGTON (A) - Anti-war
protesters will descend upon the
Capital tomorrow and Monday
for a series of marches and a
non-violent blockade of the Pent-
agon.
Sponsored by tbe People's
Coalition for Peace and Justice
(PCPJ) and the National Peace
Action Coalition (NPAC), the
action is planned to protest Pres-
ident Nixon's expanded bombing
in Indochina and the mining of
North Vietnamese harbors.
On Sunday morning demon-
strators plan to hold an Inter-
faith Service at the Washington
Monument and then march up
Constitution Avenue for a rally
at the Capitol.
A single-file march of prayer
from West Potomac Park in the
city to the Pentagon is scheduled
for Monday morning. Some of
the protesters plan to march
separately towards the complex
and attempt to prevent employes
from getting to their jobs.
Organizer Dr. Benjamin Spock
said he plans to be among those
submitting to arrest near the
Pentagon. He said he hopes his
presence will encourage some
older people to join him.
Local anti-war leaders estimate
that about 300 people from the
Ann Arbor area will be traveling
to Washington to attend the
demonstrations.