Friday, May 7, 1976
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Page Three
Friday, May 7, 1976 THE MiCHIGAN DAILY Pa Three
Press Club ho
By JIM TOBIN
Special To The Daily
DETROIT - Benjamin Bradlee, executive
editor of the Washington Post, told a gather-
ing of Michigan journalists last night that he
has "never ever been convinced that national
security was involved in any of the claims"
which the federal government made concern-
ing the publishing of controversial stories.
Speaking at the Detroit Press Club annal
awards dinner, Bradlee declared that his news-
paper never threatened national security, and
that mast such charges were concorted by
face-saving government officials in efforts to
hide sensitive issues from the American public.
CITING THE government attempt to hush
up reports of American submarines cruising
so far into Soviet waters that they actually
collided with Soviet ships, Bradlee said, "We
were warned that national security was deeply
involved. I presume the godless Communists
knew about it. Who is it secret from? The
secret from whom is secret from you."
As executive editor of the Post since 1968,
Bradlee directed the paper's coverage of
Watergate and has been widely praised for
pursuing the story during the early months of
the scandal when few other papers were fol-
lowing the Post's lead.
lie has gained special recognition of late
through the first-run movie "All the President's
ears Bradlee -
Men," an adaptation of the best-seling book
by the same name. Actor Jason Robards por-
trays the editor as a courageous firebrand who
bears the tremendiiis burden if tiking on the
Nixon administration sii glc'-htandedty.
BRADLEE WENT on to point out that for-
mer President Richard, Nixn's idiistratou
made attempts to suppress civer of the
19'0 invasion of t'amiibslio on gimrusts thit
sich attenpts wvre "'gr i s* aCiiititiins if n -
tional security.
"Who didn't know a iut it?" Bradlee con-
tinued. "We certainly didi't know about it but
I have a feeling the Camthbdians knew about
it. They (Nixon and his suibordinates) didn't
want you to know about it."
Bradlee's prepared remisrks lasted only a
few minutes, after which he fielded questis.
The audience included. representatives mcd
award-winners from newspapers and television
stations throughout the state. Fomer Daily
editors Gordn Atcheson and Ian Biddle won
first-place awards in the college cActegory for
opinion and feature writing, respectiveta'
ANSWERING a question about the merits of
printing names of CIA agents in foreign coun-
tries, Bradlee said, "It's no secret it all that
anybody can pick up the State Dpatrtment
register (in an Americin embassy) anst figure
See BRADLEE, Page 7
Bradlee
'U' expert backs Ford
program on swine flu
By MICHAEL YELLIN
Dr. Fred Davenport, chairman of the
University's Epidemiology Dept., defend-
ed President Ford's decision to attempt
to innoeulate every man, woman and
child in America against swine flu.
"Withosut this $135 million vaccination
program, swine influenza will kill 70,000
to 100,000 Americans. What would you
do?" he asked, "gamble dollars or
lives?"
THE SWINE virus was first disct-o ered
in pigs last fall and has infected people
in at least three states since ten. It is
11-1
Catching hell
An apprentice dogcatcher in San Jose,
Calif. found people the biggest problem
on his first day of work. Dick Burton
and three other animal control officers
had captured a German shepherd when
the dog's owners attacked the four to
rescue it. Bricks, shovels, ax handles
and rocks were used in the ensuing fight.
The dogcatcher's truck had its windows
smashed and the frame was so badly
dented the doors could not be opened.
Happenings . . .
.. begin at 3 in the Pendleton Arts
Rm. 2nd floor of the Union, with a
dance, lecture and demonstration by
Margarete Proskauer ... at 7:30 Irwin
Silber, the editor of the Gardian will
speak on "Anti-Imperialist Struggles of
the 70's and the Role of the U.S. Left"
in East Quad's Green Lounge .. at 8
Mimetroupe will perform in the Men-
delssohn Theater
Weather or not
The predicted weather for southern
lower Michigan is partly cloudy with
highs in the mid 50's, lows in the mid
30's. Chance of rain is 20 per cent,
spread from person to person, and is
very contagios
"Influenza is the last great uncontrol-
led plague of mankind," said Davenport,
who in 1955 predicted there would be an
outbreak of swine flu in the seventies.
":This is the first chance we've had to
gpt ahead of a virus before an epidemic."
The virus, which recently killed a GI.
and infected 500 others in Fort Dix, is
thought to be the same as the one that
killed 20 million people, including more
th-an 500,000 Americans, in 1918-19. The
specific flu virus was not isolated then,
according to Davenport.
ADMITTING THAT the progrun may
"fall flat on its face" because there
hasn't been a reported case since March,
Davenport is convinced that the circum-
stances are right for an epidemic, "if
not this fill, then in the near future."
'Msir fti epidemics occur every ten
years," he said.
An Army consultant in this matter
Davenport maintains that Ford's decisioi
was necessary because the big drug com-
See 'U', Page 5
Heads roll in rain
MEANY ANNOUNCES:
Labor. may back Carter
Leaders of organized labor are re-
ported to be seeking an accommodation
with front - runner Jimny Carter rather
than risk sitting out another presidential
election.
Contrary to his position in the 1972
election, AFL-CIO President George
Mean'- is telling his political lieutenants
that if the former Georgia governor
wins the nomination, the giant labor
federation will fully support his presi-
dential campaign. But, sources said, sup-
port will depend on an acceptable clari-
fication of Carter's stand on labor-
oriented issues,
DESPITE LABOR'S doubts about Car-
ter, a Louis Harris poll released yester-
day said that if the presidential election
were held last month, Carter would have
defeated Ronald Reagan by a 53-34 per
cent margin. In the same survey, Car-
ter also led President Ford by a 47-43
per cent margin.
Muanwhile, in the Republican camp,
President Ford in a change of cam-
paign strategy will abandon the practice
of predicting the outcome of primary
campaign 'P76
electrons, a White House spokesman said
yesterday. And Ronald Reagan disclos-
ed yesterday for the first time he now
believes he can win a first ballot victory
at the Republican National Convention,
Ford and his advisers continued their
reassessment of campaign strategy after
the string of losses to Reagan. Among
suggestions under consideration are
calling off campaigning in Southern pri-
nary states where Meagan has strength
and concentrating on high-vote Northera
states
AIDES ALSO are considering drop-
ling the public foruin, a favorite cam-
paign tactic for Ford in which he ans-
wursetuestions from the audience. Late-
F, these faruns h-ice been domintited
by i' estioTs raised in resionse to Ren-
Yon stitvnments on s'uch issues as the
'sna. '-ut'iinal, North Vietnam and U.S.
milit= ry strength.
Senate Republican Whip Robert Grif-
fin said he will urge Democrats in Mich-
igan to vote in the Republican primary
next iveck for Ford. The President's ad-
visers have blamed crossovers by con-
servative Democrats for Reagan's vic-
tories in Texas and Indiana.
On the Democratic side, Carter told a
See MEANY, Page 7