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Show A The Salt Lake Tribune. Sunday, August 26, 1973 I M rU.X I I 23 An Editor's Notebook Nixon Performs Well Before Press I thought President Nixon did well at his first televised press conference in more than five months. He withstood the toughest question- , ing without yielding ground, and even displayed an occa sional :how humor. The Presidents appearance was in marked contrast to the irritability New at where he pushed around his own press secretary and ordered him to keep reporters out of shown Orleans sight. At New Orleans, Mr. NLxon was a displeased very angry, frustrated man with the Secret Service men who were there to protect him, and taking a hard line toward his critics. Actually, the administration has several 'cry effective housing programs. James Reston Kissinger Opens a New Ball Game New York Times Service WASHINGTON With the appoint- ment of Henry Kissinger as secretary cf state, there is now virtually a whole new and cabinet top White House staff moving into place here, and what is probably more important, they are bringing new attitudes to their work. h Power Center Disperses The tight and secretive little power center in the White House is gradually dispersing into the departments and Alexander maybe even of reconciliation, important than the Presidents arguments that he was right all along, and if he wasnt, it was somebody elses fault, and anyway, was no worse than what other presidents did in the past. Must Learn Lessons change, complete. It takes time to master the complexities of the great departments of government and sort out new personalities and routines in the White House, but something interesting and maybe even important, is happening here in the after-matof Watergate. It is all on the surface so far. The essential policies of the administration are the same. The defensive and even deceptive arguments are the same. In short, the administration is backing into the future and clouding its movements as it goes, but it is moving. Gen. these melancholy days of contenand confrontation, even if the fundamental questions of the past have not been resolved, these tentative symbols of In tion could be even more The transition from the old to the new is far from agencies. about the background of the President's problems, Kissinger followed with a news conference promising to open things up and be available to questioning by the Congress, the press and the critical ideas and suggestions of the public. Haig, H.R. Haldemans replacement; Mel Laird, John Ehrlichmans successor as the Presidents assistant for national affairs, and Kissinger, the Presidents principal adviser on security affairs, are now coming out from behind the White House screen. After the Presidents first televised news conference in more than a year, Haig was available to talk to the press Everybody in Washington now, includlearn ing the President, says he must the lessons of Watergate, and some people have. Most of the new key cabinet members are showing a new independence, and this is an important lesson. Vice President Agnew is in deep trouble. He is fighting for his political life, and he is fighting on his own. He is not asking the President whether he can have a news conference to argue his case, he is informing the White House what he intends to do and doing it in his own way. Similarly, the new attorney general, Elliot Richardson, is not asking the President or the vice president whether its all right to inform Mr. Agnew that the vice president is under investigation for criminal activity, but telling them this is a fact and putting Mr. Agnew on notice. Struggle Not Concealed This causes trouble between the attorney general and the vice president, who goes on public television to denounce the leaks out of the Justice Department, but at least .he struggles are not being con cealed or directed by a White House staff out of the Presidents control. These emerging changes of attitudes, asumptions and power centers in Washington may be more important than anything else. After all, it was probably the administrations mistrust of fear of dissent that led to the centralization of power, the secrecy, the conspiracies and the Watergate tragedies, but at least there is now a change of tactics, if not a change of heart. The new Nixon team in Washington is now urging the President that he has more to gam by talking out than by hiding out in Camp David or Key Biscayne or San Clemente, that he gains more by facing the reporters than by evading them and that he will be better served by trusting and liberating his cabinet and Ins White House staff than by controlling and intimidating them. Tough Position Eases He has either seen this point on Ins own or had it imposed on him by his advisers and by his troubles, but in any event, he is no longer in a position to imand pose his will on a frightened obedient staff. His aides, consciously or unconsciously, now seem to be acting on the assumption that they can serve him best by insisting on the powers of their offices, by asserting their independence to tell him the truth and by offering to leave and tell why if he doesnt like it. This is an important change. The President needs his cabinet and his staff now more than they need him, and though gradually and grudgingly, he seems to be accommodating himself, as he did to China and Russia, to a new approach to the realities. (Copyright) Commands His Temper In San Clemente last Wednesday, the President faced hostile reporters with As the New aplomb and If Mr. Nixon York Times has said: wanted to show himself in command of his temper in what was clearly an adverse situation, he succeeded admirably. Richard M. Nixon, as U.S. senator and vice president, was ever a master of r the technique. He has used this type of forum less frequently in the presidency and, I think, to his disadvantage. Americans want to hear their President, not in an emotionally charged question-and-answe- appeal for sympathy and understanding, e encounters with his but in interrogators such as they saw and read face-to-fac- last week. by the favorable comment on Vice President Agnew who came out fighting against published charges of his alleged wrongdoing as a county executive and governor of Maryland. Whatever the reason for his unannounced press conference at San Clemente, we applaud his willingness to face harsh public questioning on possible resignation or impeachment. To be sure, the President did not sat- isfy critics of his secret bombing of By Jules W'itcover Washington Post Writer - WASHINGTON Murray Chotiner, the old Nixon political agent, was quoted the other day as saying that Lucianne Cummings Ooldberg, who successfully hoodwinked the McGovern campaign last fall and reported daily to him, was not hued as a spy and she did not function as a spy." She was hired, he said, as a reporter, to report on what anyone could see and hear if they were there." The observation is a classic example of the kind of doubletalk that characteri- zes the whole Watergate mess. Ballot Security Chotiner, it should be noted, was described throughout the 1972 campaign as committees man in the Nixon charge of ballot security." That phrase, in retrospect, obviously means his job was to make not only ballots but the election itself secure for Mr. Nixon, by planting an among other things agent m the McGovern campaign. Cne Lucy Goldberg, of course, does not an election victory make. Nor is she the first such paid informer to infiltrate and deceive a campaign. But she was no for reporter, except as she functioned er. a co' the purposes of establishing Women's News Service, which she said she represented, now says it never accredited her. It got two unsolicited about articles from her, one of which was casual dress on the campaign used without payment. She was a spy, operating under false colors, paid $1,000 a week by Chotiner with Nixon campaign money. There was,' Chotiner further said, about nothing underhanded or illegal the arrangement, a view echoed ty Mrs. I didnt do anything crimiGoldberg I stole nothing. said. sne nal," Stole Integrity that The first part may be correct she did nothirg criminal. The second is not; what Mrs. Goldberg stole in her little escapade was a part of the integrity of the press, and a part of the special privilege extended to the press in a presidential campaign. Candidates permit reporters to accompany them on their campaign plane, obviously, for reasons of They need not only the coverage, but also the money news organizations pay toward charter of the plane something s commercial more than the fare, in the McGovern campaign. Its probably fair to say that without the press, there would be no huge campaign jets used. t. first-clas- There exists within a presidential campaign entourage, nevertheless, one basic and vitally important understanding between the candidate and his staff and the traveling press corps: The press in general is on nobodys ride. No matter how biased a reporter or commentator may be in what he writes or says for public consumption, it is generally accepted that he is his own man. Have Preferences This dots not mean, certainly, that reporters do not have personal preferences among candidates. They most emphatically do, and some demonstrate it in what they write or how they conduct themselves on the campaign trail. In 1960, when a Gallup Poi showed John F. Kennedy gaining, many reporters on his press bus applauded. In the Wisconsin primary in 196S, w hen Richard Nixon made a particularly effective speech at Wisconsin State University, a reportei stood in the press section and applauded. But both .incidents were rare enough to be memorable. And nobody suggested in either case that the applauding reporters were working for the candidate involved. Nor does it mean that candidates do not have favorites among the press and do not accord them special treatment m terms of access. They do, and this is particularly true concerning columnists who are friendly to a particular candidate. On occasion, some columnists, who by definition are in the opinion business, have even written speeches for the politician of their choice. Seek To Be Fair But most reporters covering campaigns guard their independence fiercely and labor diligently to be fair. Fairness means saying so when a candidate a reporter may not care for performs well or says something significant, and it means saying so when a candidate he personally prefers falls on his face. Last summer after the Democratic convention, the press corps covering Sen. George McGovern, which had a convivial relationship with him and his staff, did not hesitate to describe his dumping of Sen. Thomas F. Eagleton as the bungled debacle it was. Most candidates understand that this is the way the press operates. They may not like it but they live with it. What they do expect is that the reporters they permit aboard their planes and into their headquarters and hotel suites are reporters, not spies. Subverts Press Thus, when any political operative trades on the relationship that exists between candidate and press by infiltration a spy posing as a reporter, he subverts the press as well as the opposition candidate. The press can report a campaign from a distance, but not nearly as effectively as from the inside. The proximity better enables reporters to assess them and report with insight about them. Critics in both parties and in the press as well correctly warn of excesses and abuses in tne relationshp; that candidates and reporters get too close, too chummy, and in the process the reporters are brorght into camp. Undoubtedly, there are always patsies in the press corp and politicians ever ready to make use of them. But the patsies are the exception; a reporter soon learns that in the long run, his independence and his integrity are his best assurances of fair treatment from even in the dirty men game of politics." d One can quibble about such things, but there was much to applaud when the President, in response to the question, "How much personal blame do you accept for the White House climate which led to the 'abuses of Watergate?" replied: I accept it all." This was the first time that Mr. Nixon has spoken forthrightly as a president should since the sordid Watergate affair began. It was refreshing, it was encouraging. I hope the President's new mood will endure, so that the whole truth may be brought to light. It is the only way he can restore the faith of the American people in their government. Fine Public Servant Dr. Henry Kissinger's appointment as secretary of state had been anticipated, yet the timing came as a surprise. Secretary William P. Rogers, the only remaining member of President Nixon's original cabinet, has been anxious to leave but not at a moment when it might appear he was deserting a president in trouble. Secretary Rogers had been Richard Nixon's good and close friend for many, many years. It was Bill Rogers to whom Vice President Nixon turned for advice and counsel when President Eisenhower lay gravely ill. Bill Rogers is a thoroughly decent t man of high principles who gave the loyalty to his friend, the President. He i"'ist have been irked at times by his exclusion from policy decisions arrived at by the President and Henry Kissinger. Yet he uttered no vord of complaint. Devises Fragile Ceasefire To Secretary Rogers must go the credit for his evenhanded diplomacy m the Middle East where he devised a fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Arab nations. believes in moderate flod solutions of world problems unpeaceful less, as he said in early 1972, "va are ready to rusk war or Intrude recklessly bodu. He b others affairs." In early 1970, Secretary Rogers w 53 saying: Cambodia Is one coautry wtee wc can say with complete assumes Bat our hands are clean and our hearts are pure." This despite the fact that PiwV dent Nixon had ordered secret botnfctej in Cambodia in 1969. The explanation: The Presided 8lq ply didn't tell his secretary of state what was going on. But Mr. Rogers didn't E sign because of lus utter loyalty end devotion to Richard M. Nixon. In recent days, a sorely troubled S& retary Rogers gave warning that C United States must not became as obsessed with security matters that taws are freely violated." He and tbs Pink dent did not see eye to eye on this point. Dr. Kissinger seems admirably qnaB' tied for the State Department post C we are sorry to see Bill Rogers teav. He stood as a man of pnnciphj In on c ministration where that estimable quality has been in short supply. Why Stocks Are Dows If you are curious about tho dismal a peperformance of the stock market riod of good corporate earnings, Ore ex planations are simple b The Federal Reserve Boards policy of checking excessive monetary expo sion has resulted in the highest interest rates in modern history. Banks are offering 9 percent interest on certificates of depoatt. or more y Treasury bills sold by the government bring yields averaging 9.802 percent. So why should a prospective Investor buy stocks when he can get a 9 percent return elsewhere? Few companies pay dividends m that range. My own view is that in the long run, Federal Reserves policy will fee We simply cannot dry op avadable supplies of credit for borae buyers, farmers and small business witlw out risking a recession, or worse. the Congressman's Dead Right dont often agree with Rep. Wright Patman, chairman of the House Banking Mr. Rogers is known to have opposed Committee, but he is dead right In saythe Presidents 1970 incursion into Cam- - ing that rising agricultural and raw material prices which are so highly inflated cannot be held down by high Interest rates and tight money." When business expansion is limited by artificial means, the economy is bound to suffer. We are headed in that direction By C. II. Goren at the present time. The bidding has proceeded: Neither vulnerable, Q. I The wonders of fiscal legerdemain South West as South you hold: North East never cease, but so far as the deflated 1 1 V Pass 843 ?AQ2 OA1082 A98 Pass stock market is concerned, there are The bidding has proceeded: simply more sellers than buyers at "this What do you bid now? North East South West point in time." 1 2 NT Pass Pass JOHN S. KNIGHT 4 NT ? Pass Q. S Both vulnerable, as EDITORIAL CHAIRMAN What action do you take? South you hold: KNIGHT NEWSPAPERS AQJ10954 SK6 OK763 AQ 2 As Q. South, vulnerable, The bidding has proceeded: I Weekly Bridge Quiz you hold: Q1094 ?A862 OQ42 75 The bidding has proceeded: North East South West 10 'Reporter Spy? Well, Its Possible There were contradictions, too, bethe President's and Mr. Ilalde-man- s recollections of the famous Nixon tapes, and who listened to what. I Accept It All tween ut-m- Faces Harsh Questioning Perhaps the President was motivated 3 Bernstein on Words Set, sit. A Southern judge believes it is correct to say that a house sets upon certain acreage, writes Mrs. Freda Hoyer of Shreveport, La., and she asks for clarification. The judges case ts denied without appeal. Set is almost Exthat is, clusively a transitive verb conveying action from the subject to the predicate. You set the stage, you set a pencil on the desk, you set your hair. There are a few exceptions: the sun sets, the concrete sets and the hen sets. But that house doesnt set on the acreage, it sits there. Sorry to have to reverse you, judge. Pass Pass Dble. Pass ? What do you bid? Classic Example Cited Cambodia in 1969, nor was he perfectly clear" about acting FBI director Patrick Grays warning that members of the presidential staff were out to mortally wound him. Neither vulnerable, partner opens with cne heart and you hold: OAK AK10S AAJ10654 Q. 3 Q. 6 As South, vulnerable, you hold: 83 AAKQJ107 5 4 V5 07 5 The bidding has proceeded: What is your response? Neither vulnerable, Q. 4 as South you hold: QJ10 7 V 10 5 O AK AK10 4 3 What do you bid now? (Look or answers Monday What prise frdbsii 1 At Waterbury ft starts at 23,900. Woodbridge When you own a house and a yard you really have only two choices: take care of cutting the lawn, pulling weeds, planting flowers, watering the giacs. taking leaves and painting the outside of the house yoursell. Oi. lining someone else to do it. (And dont forget about the snow removal task in the winter.) Both Waterbury and Woodbridge. our newest Open offer something else: lieedom. Space Communities, Freedom to swim m your own pool, l ieedom to brush up your golf game on the putting green. 1 reedom to just lock the door and take oil on a vacation without worrying about seeini'y. And. the freedom to just relax. What you do with your new found I reedom is your business. All the test is om business. Built in the tiadition of Three fountains. Tluee fa Is only slightly higher Fountains tast and Village III, both of our new communities oiler the same concern for detail. The same sophisticated styling and design of the buildings and acres of beaut it nl landscaped open areas. And the knowledge of bow you want to live. (Gamed through ten veais of the haidest kinds of testing: families living in uir condominiums.) At Waterbuiy we'ie now in the process of planting grass. At Woodbiidge were pist stalling to pom foundations. Visit bnih communities they'ie dilteient in many oilier ways. loo. But. both otlei modestly pi iced "freedom." Sales Information Office for both is located at S700 South Van Winkle Exprescwav. (Wateiburv) Phone 27S-282- WQODBRIDGE PRiCES RANGE FROM S24.400TO S42.900. RANGE FROM S23.900 TO S33.500. PRICES AT WATERBURY w WATERBURY JWoodbridge 4ts50 South Kings Row Road ( Into I as!) bomb Van Winkle l.xpiessway act ol OHS' SPATE COMMUNITIES I lib F usi ) |