President Johnson told the nation’s top defense strategists that America’s most urgent task is elimination of Communist subversion in Vietnam and the Caribbean.
The six countries of the European Common Market must unify their farm policies by January 1 or face a breakup of the market, France warns. The government of Chancellor Ludwig Erhard of West Germany refuses to accept the deadline, and French newspapers accuse it of stalling. The West German government rejected French President Charles de Gaulle’s demand that the six-nation Common Market agree to a farm policy by December 31. French President Charles de Gaulle warned other members of the Common Market that France will demand firm price agreement by December 31.
Terrorists bombed and fired on the Bolivian labor minister’s home after the government gave rebellious tin miners a 48-hour ultimatum to release four Americans and 21 other hostages or face military action.
The United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 183, calling on Portugal to free its colonies Angola and Mozambique and to release all political prisoners therein. The United Nations security council votes 10 to 0 to impose new pressure on Portugal to force independence for its African territories of Angola, Mozambique, and Portuguese Guinea. A separate vote is taken on a clause deprecating Portugal’s failure to comply with a resolution adopted July 31.
French police, trying to eliminate remnants of the terrorist Secret Army Organization (OAS), announced today the arrest of six French army officers and non-commissioned officers on charges of treason. The disclosure of the arrests — made five weeks ago — came after stepped-up security was ordered for President Charles de Gaulle after the assassination of President Kennedy.
Did Sir Alec Douglas-Home “buy” votes in a by-election with drink? The house of commons argues with mock seriousness, and the prime minister slumps in his seat and chuckles. The question seems to be whether it was pints of drink, water, or milk that the prime minister bought for Scottish voters in his by-election campaign.
Premier Fidel Castro of Cuba is quoted as saying that he and Premier Nikita Khrushchev of Russia decided to place Russian missiles in Cuba after a remark by President Kennedy convinced them that a United States invasion of Cuba was imminent. The White House says, however, that the late President at the time told Khrushchev’s son-in-law, Alexei Adzhubei, that no United States invasion was planned. Castro’s statements on the issue were reported by Jean Daniel, a French reporter, who interviewed Castro.
Irritated by Pakistan’s invitation to Red China’s Premier Chou En-lai to visit the country, the United States rebuked Pakistan, an ally, for cold war duplicity.
Red China charged that the U.S. “has the mad strategic aim of conquering the world” and “it is not yet too late for Soviet leaders to rein in at the brink.”
Transkei, the first “Bantustan” created under South Africa’s new program of giving limited self-government to a section of the nation as a separate territory for its Black African residents, was formally inaugurated. M. D. C. de Wet Nel, the national Minister of Bantu Administration and Development, and Bantu Education, formally opened the Transkei Legislative Assembly at its capital at Umtata, and inaugurated Chief Kaiser Matanzima as the state’s first Chief Minister. South Africa would declare Transkei to be an independent republic in 1976, although the Bantustan republics would not be given diplomatic recognition elsewhere.
Israel announced its plan to construct its National Water Carrier project, the diversion of waters from the Jordan River for its agricultural and drinking water needs. On December 23, Egypt’s President Nasser called a meeting of the heads of state of all 13 Arab nations to discuss Syria’s proposal to go to war over the matter. After a threat in January to divert the three tributaries of the Jordan River away from Israel, the Arab nations would ultimately, on May 5, drop their opposition after Israel announced that the project was ready to go into operation.
Dr. Linus Pauling proposed that the United Nations be given veto power over the use of nuclear arms
Frank Sinatra Jr., reported kidnapped Sunday night from a wintry mountain resort, turned up at his mother’s home early today — alive and apparently unharmed. A family spokesman said a ransom was paid for young Sinatra’s return. He did not say how much. The 19-year-old son of the singer was brought to the Bel-Air home of Nancy Sinatra about 3:10 a. m. in a private police patrol car. Sinatra’s spokesman, Jim Mahoney, said: “Frankie’s home. He’s safe and in good condition.”
There were reports of intense Federal Bureau of Investigation activity in the San Fernando valley north of Hollywood tonight and speculation that agents might be seeking a suspect in the Frank Sinatra Jr. kidnapping case. Citizens telephoned the west valley division of the Los Angeles police department and said men believed to be FBI agents were making a house-to-house search along one street. There also were reports the FBI was stopping cars at intersections in the same area.
A Republican move to bring the civil rights bill to the House of Representatives floor today — and pass it — panicked the Democratic leaders, and they used their party control to adjourn the House. Adjournment did not come easily, however. It came only on a roll call vote, with Speaker John W. McCormack (D-Massachusetts) and Majority Leader Carl Albert (D-Oklahoma) not knowing for 15 or 20 minutes whether enough Democrats could be rounded up to carry Albert’s adjournment motion. They were rounded up, however, and the vote was 214 to 166.
At one point Albert angrily protested to the Democratic staff that they had not “rung the bell” to alert the Democratic House members that a roll call was in progress. Only a last minute appearance of a horde of Democrats saved the leaders. Today was “calendar Wednesday,” a day when any House committee may call up for passage any bill which it has approved, but which has not been cleared by the Rules Committee for floor debate. Debate time is limited to two hours. After the question of amendments is settled, the bill is voted on. The civil rights bill has been denied a hearing for Rules Committee clearance until some time in January. But the bill carries President Johnson’s stamp of urgency. It satisfies every requirement of eligibility for calendar Wednesday call, Republicans said, and is the type of legislation for which calendar Wednesday was intended.
Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara is expected to announce today the closing or reduction in activity of some 25 military installations in the United States.
A report that 75,000 employees will be thrown out of work with the closing of 30 or more military installations in 16 states set off a wave of congressional protest tonight. As the report spread on Capitol Hill, individual congressmen in some instances and state delegations in others hurried to lodge their protests with the White House and the Pentagon. Robert S. McNamara, secretary of defense, will announce the list of installations to be closed down in the next day or two, according to the report. Pierre Salinger, White House press secretary, said the matter has not been brought to the attention of President Johnson. However, there were reports that the President was shown the list early this week and protested that some installations slated for closing could not be touched because they are in the states of important committee chairmen or committee members who must not be offended.
U.S. Air Force officials refused to comment on a Tokyo newspaper report that a U.S. air base in southern Japan will be closed and the planes there transferred.
A visit by President Johnson to Capitol Hill starts a rumor of an impending shakeup aimed at placing new figures in the line of succession to the Presidency. According to the rumor, Speaker McCormack would resign in favor of a younger Democrat and Senator Carl Hayden, 83, (D-Arizona), would step down as president pro tempore of the Senate.
Speaker of the House John W. McCormack exploded with indignation when asked whether he intended to resign to remove himself from the line of Presidential succession.
Transfer of the US. Bureau of Narcotics from the Treasury to the Justice Department and restrictions on its enforcement powers are among recommendations soon to be made by a Presidential study commission
President Johnson has urged former colleagues in Congress for passage of a bill preventing a sharp drop in wheat prices after present support lapses.
Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy purchases a 169-year-old house in Georgetown near the one in which she and President Kennedy lived when he was a senator. It is across the street from the home of W. Averell Harriman, in which she is now living. The price was not disclosed, but the house had been on the market for $350,000 and recently was reduced to $190,000.
Dow Jones Industrial Average: 757.21 (-2.04).
Born:
Mark Alarie, NBA power forward (Denver Nuggets, Washington Bullets), in Phoenix, Arizona.
Kwante Hampton, NFL wide receiver (Atlanta Falcons), in Los Angeles, California.
Claudia Kohde-Kilsch, German tennis player, in Saarbrücken, West Germany.
History Diaries 