Page 14-Thursday, May 29, 1980-The
Nixon's
Watergate
tapes to
public for
first time
WASHINGTON (AP)-The "smoking
gun" became Washington's newest
tourist attraction yesterday as 31 of
Richard Nixon's 950 Watergate tape
recordings became available for public
listening for the first time.
Twenty-two reportes and 11 members
of the public put on earphones at 9:10
a.m. EDT in a high-ceilinged, book-
lined reference room at the National
Archives and heard Nixon say, "Hi,
Phil, how are you? Sorry to keep you
waiting."
UNTIL NOW, ONLY prosecutors,
congressional investigators, Nixon and
his associates and those present at the
Watergate trials had heard the conver-
sations which caused the 37th president
of the United States to become the first
to resign.
All told, 12and one-half hours of tapes
were made public, but 6,000 hours of
other conversation remain sealed until
the courts determine their future.
Nixon is fighting to keep them secret.
The first tape starts with Nixon
making small talk with J. Phil Cam-
pbell, an assistant agriculture
secretary, during a meeting with milk
producers.
Listeners also heard the famous
"smoking gun" tape-one which
established that Nixon knew six days
after the break-in at Democrataic
national headquarters on June 17, 1972,
of efforts to cover up White House in-
volvement.
He reluctantly gave it to Congress on
Aug. 5,1974-and resigned as president
four days later.
Laughter broke the listening room's
silence occasionally. There was a burst
when Nixon, in a telephone conver-
satibn with Clrk MacGregor, his cam-
paign manager, advised: "Get a good
night's sleep and don't bug anybody
without asking me-okay?"
A Musical
8p.m.
endelssohn Theater
AP Photo
REPORTERS AND MEMBERS of the public listen to White House tapes recorded by Richard Nixon at the National Archives
in Washington yesterday. The tape playing is the first of a series of 31, taking 12 and one half hours.
Begin seeks support from ruling
coalition on cabinet reshufin
JERUSALEM (AP)-Prime Minister hard-line position on Palestinian In Israel's highly fractured political
Menachem Begin grappled with a autonomy and its strong support for system, prestige plays a key role. One
mutiny among its partners in Israel's settlement in occupied Arab territory. party, the Democratic Movement, ob-
ruling coalition yesterday but sought Begin proposes switching Yitzhak jected to Begin's plan, partly because
support for a Cabinet reshuffle in the Shamir, 64, from the Foreign Ministry the party was insulted that it first heard
aftermath of Defense Minister Ezer to Defense, and moving Energy of the proposal on Israel Radio.
Weizman's resignation. Minister Yitzhak Modai, 53, into The National Religious Party joined
The resistance he met forced Begin to Shamir's position. But the proposal the Democrats in objecting to giving
postpone the new appointments. angered some coalition members who the Foreign MInistry to Modai,
IN ONE BACKSTAGE conversation, claimed it would upset the delicate strongman of the Liberal Party and a
the prime minister hinted at new elec- balance of power among the five fac- former businessman with little foreign
tions if his Cabinet shakeup is not ac- tions that make up Begin's majority in affairs experience.
cepted. But veteran political analysts Parliament. In an editorial, the Jerusalem Post
believe he will win the support he needs THE APPOINTMENTS would said Modai's appointment as foreign
by early next week. bolster the right win of the Begin minister could "only conjure memories
Weizman resigned last Sunday in coalition and reinforce the tough line in of Caligula's horse as senator."
frustration over the government's
the Palestinian talks.
Abscam case nets 2d Rep.
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k:
WASHINGTON (AP)-Rep. Raymond
Lederer (D-Pa.) was indicted yester-
day on charges of bribery and con-
spiracy, becoming the second House
member charged in the Abscam
political corruption investigation.
A federal grand jury in Brooklyn,
N.Y. said Lederer received $50,000
from an undercover FBI agent posing
as a representative of wealthy Arab
businessmen.
ACCORDING TO THE indictment,
released at the Justice Department,
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Lederer promised the agent he would
introduce private immigration bills to
enable the Arab businessmen to remain
in the United States and take other ac-
tion to help them if necessary.
The indictment also named three
other defendants: Angelo Errichetti, a
New Jersey state senator and mayor of
Camden; Phildelphia Councilman
Louis Johanson, and a Philadelphia law
partner of the councilman, Howard
Criden.
Errichetti and Criden were indicted
twice before in separate cases resulting
from the Abscam probe.
ON TUESDAY, the Brooklyn grand
jury indicted Rep. Michael Myers-like
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Lederer a Philadelphia
Democrat-making him the first mem-
ber of Congress to be charged in the Ab-
scam investigation.
Another five House members and a
senator also have been implicated in
news reports of the Abscam-Arab
scam-investigation, during which the
undercover agents often videotaped
alleged payoffs.
After the indictment was returned,
Lederer declared himself innocent of
the allegations and predicted he would
be vindicated.
"MY REACTION IS that I think it is
unfortunate that the government cer-
tainly knows a lot more about this case
than Ray Lederer knows. . . . I feel
strongly that I'll be vindicated, that I
haven't done anything illegal."
The lawmaker said that while he
hadn't seen the videotapehesaid he
understood the FBI had made of him in
its probe, "I think it will show that I was
there to bring investments" for his
congressional district.
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