U.N. Secretary General U Thant pressed his efforts today to break the deadlock over Cyprus and to prevent major fighting in the eastern Mediterranean. In the morning Mr. Thant summoned Foreign Minister Spyros Achilles Kyprianou of Cyprus and Sir Patrick Dean of Britain to their first joint meeting with him. Neither the Cypriote Foreign Minister nor the chief British representative would comment after the meeting, which lasted 90 minutes. Fear has been expressed that the increasing tension in Cyprus may burst into greater violence between the island’s Greek Cypriote majority and Turkish minority, which could set off warfare between Greece and Turkey.
As Mr. Thant left the United Nations headquarters today, he said that the consultations were continuing and that he expected the picture to be clearer tomorrow, but he declined to elaborate. In reply to a question, the Secretary General indicated that the Security Council’s role in establishing a peacekeeping force was not the serious obstacle to an agreement. The central problem, it was understood, now centered on the 1960 Treaty of Guarantee, part of the arrangement granting Cyprus independence from Britain. The treaty authorizes Britain, Greece and Turkey to intervene independently in Cyprus to guarantee the constitutional arrangements governing relations between the Greek and Turkish Cypriotes.
The Cypriote Government, dominated by the Greek faction, insists on a Security Council resolution that would guarantee the island’s territorial independence and would ignore the 1960 treaty. This position has the support of the Soviet Union in a situation dividing Greece and Turkey, two members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The United States and Britain feel strongly that the Security Council cannot nullify a treaty and that the Council’s resolution must refer to the 1960 treaty. They contend that the resolution desired by Cyprus would serve to abrogate it. Turkey insists on maintaining the 1960 treaty as a means of sending Turkish troops to Cyprus if necessary to protect the Turkish Cypriotes. Such an action could provoke Greece to send troops to support the Greek Cypriotes.
Communist China switched positions tonight and came out openly on Pakistan’s side in her dispute with India over Kashmir. Abandoning a “neutral” position in the 16‐year‐old controversy, China endorsed Pakistan’s demand that a plebiscite be held among the more than 4 million people of Kashmir to allow them self‐determination. China’s action was viewed here tonight as opening a new era in the tangled international relationships in Asia. One almost certain effect, political sources here said, will be to increase the difficulty of solving China’s own border dispute with India. The Soviet Union supports India’s position in the dispute with Pakistan.
India charged Sunday that 23 members of an Indian police patrol were missing after an ambush by troops from the Pakistani side of the cease‐fire line in Kashmir. India also announced that Kwaja Shamsuddin, Premier of the Indian‐held part of Kashmir, would be replaced by a more popular leader.
The Chinese Communists denounced today what they described as French economic exploitation of the Congo Republic, a former colony of France. Hsinhua, the Government press agency, criticized the French role in the young African state. The article was transmitted abroad in connection with the announcement that the republic had extended diplomatic recognition to Peking. The republic, of which Brazzaville is the capital, is a member of the French Community. It is the first African state associated with France to recognize Communist China since the Government of President de Gaulle took that step January 27. The propaganda attack on France indicated that Peking did not intend to moderate its militant ideological line in Africa, Asia or Latin America simply to cultivate friendship with the de Gaulle Government.
Burma’s refusal during Premier Chou En‐lai’s visit this week to join Communist China in endorsing an African‐Asian solidarity conference is regarded in diplomatic circles here as a minor rebuff for the Chinese leader. It is also seen as a demonstration of Burma’s determination not to be drawn into cold‐war or international rivalries despite its fervent desire to maintain the friendliest possible relations with its big neighbor to the north. During two years of army rule in Burma a number of Western observers have expressed fear that as Burma reduced its ties with the West it would gradually slide into the Chinese camp. In the view of qualified observers here, General Ne Win, chairman of Burma’s Revolutionary Council, who insists he is no Communist, has gone through intricate maneuvering to avoid this, as well as to avoid siding with any group of countries.
The Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China began negotiations regarding the borders in the area between Mongolia and Vladivostok. According to Soviet sources, China demanded the return of lands ceded by the Chinese Empire to the Russian Empire in the August 27, 1689 Treaty of Nerchinsk and the 1858 Treaty of Aigun, including Hǎishēnwǎi, where Vladivostok had been built.
Libya does not intend to renew or extend the treaties under which the United States and Britain maintain military bases there, the Libyan Government said in a statement issued today. The treaty under which the United States maintains Wheelus Air Force Base near Tripoli runs out in 1971. Wheelus is the biggest United States air base outside the United States. Britain’s bases in Libya were set up under a 20‐year treaty signed in 1953 in return for British financial aid. The United States includes Libya in its foreign aid program.
The Libyan statement said foreign bases in Libya would never be a source of aggression against any Arab country. The statement was in reply to a speech by President Gamal Abdel Nasser of the United Arab Republic in Cairo yesterday, in which he called for the liquidation of foreign bases in Cyprus and Libya. Foreign bases in Libya are directed against the United Arab Republic, he said. These bases are a result of imperialism, he warned, and Libya should abolish them because they are a danger to her and “all of us.”
Venezuela will call tomorrow for an “urgent” convocation of the Western Hemisphere Foreign Ministers to seek sanctions against Cuba for smuggling arms last fall to Venezuelan terrorists. The request will be made at a meeting of the Council of the Organization of American States. At the meeting the report of a five‐nation investigative commission, corroborating the Venezuelan charges, will be submitted to the member governments. Washington officials said tonight that the United States would ignore reported hints that Cuba might resume supplying water to the naval base at Guantánamo Bay.
The United States recognized the revolutionary government of Zanzibar today in a joint move with Britain and six other countries in the British Commonwealth. The recognition, agreed upon during consultations last week, was designed to restore the Western presence on the island and thus help to discourage any trend toward Communist alignment there. Both the United States and Britain were concerned about pro‐Communist influences in the revolution that brought the new regime to power January 12. However, the current judgment is that Zanzibar, a member, of the Commonwealth herself, is settling down to a policy of neutralism. The other nations granting recognition are Australia, Canada, New Zealand, India, Malaysia and Pakistan.
A sharp earthquake shook Athens before dawn today, sending many people into the streets. The observatory in Athens said the epicenter of the quake was in the district of Lamia, about 100 miles northwest of Athens. There was some panic in the Athens suburbs where people who had been roused from sleep left their homes. No casualties and no major damage were reported.
Eight young East Germans, who wanted to avoid the Communist regime’s army draft, crawled across the mine‐infested border strip to West Germany near Göttingen today in three separate groups, the West German police said.
The Parisian newspaper Combat quoted today that it described as reliable reports that France carried out an underground nuclear test in the Sahara last Friday.
President Johnson returned to Washington from California tonight after a friendly international conference and a weekend of political exposure. There was nothing openly political about Mr. Johnson’s visit to California, and he carefully kept it focused on his talks with President Adolfo Lopez Mateos of Mexico. But a President moves in the atmosphere of politics, and when Mr. Johnson left Palm Springs, California, in his Air Force jet this afternoon he had scored a number of political gains. He had associated himself effectively with the 800,000 Americans of Latin descent in the Los Angeles area, as important a political force in California as they are in Texas and elsewhere in the Southwest. He had dramatized his “war on poverty” both to the Latin voters and the militant liberals of California politics.
The Congress of Racial Equality plans to undertake immediately an intensive campaign for the registration of Black voters in Mississippi and Louisiana. James Farmer, CORE national director, said the group would participate with others in a move to seek the accreditation of interracial delegations from Mississippi at the Democratic and Republican nominating conventions. Mr. Farmer expected that this action would mean trying to unseat the all‐white delegations that CORE expects the state party organizations to select. It seemed yesterday that CORE was in conflict with the National Association for the of Colored People on the plan to invade the political conventions and on the Mississippi drive.
A spokesman for the NAACP said that that organization would send its usual representation to the nominating conventions to present resolutions on civil rights to the platform committees. He said that the group’s representatives would be headed by Roy Wilkins, executive secretary. The NAACP has been carrying on a voter registration drive in Mississippi “for a long time,” the spokesman commented. In Louisiana, Mr. Farmer said, CORE will inaugurate a “massive campaign” on registration of Black voters and the opening of public facilities to Blacks. A large number of field workers will be sent to Louisiana to press Black registration, and the drive for freeing public facilities for Blacks will be made the object of “direct action,” he said.
These moves, and an intensive drive to assure passage of strong civil rights legislation in Congress, were authorized by the CORE national‐action council, the organization’s policymaking body, in a three‐day meeting here that ended yesterday morning. The CORE national‐action council “has authorized full speed ahead” on agitation for passage of the civil rights bill in the Senate, Mr. Farmer said. “We will take whatever action is called for as the bill is debated and possibly filibustered,” he declared at a news conference in the Belmont Plaza Hotel. “Once the bill is passed,” he added, “CORE chapters will be alerted to test its provisions for implementation and enforcement, especially as they relate to public accommodations.” Mr. Farmer said he was confident that the civil rights bill would be adopted. “CORE will exert every effort to defeat attempts to water down and emasculate the legislation,” he declared.
The Internal Revenue Service is preparing a new set of instructions for the six million higher-bracket people who have to pay federal income taxes in quarterly installments. Those taxpayers will be able to take advantage of the new lower tax rates, now on the way to final approval by Congress, in their first quarterly payments for 1964, due April 15. However, individuals who make quarterly income estimates and tax payments will have to get the new instructions at banks, post offices and Internal Revenue field offices. They are expected to be available by the end of the week, but will not be mailed to taxpayers. Quarterly tax payments are required, by law, from individuals whose annual income from sources other than wages and salaries exceeds $200. They are also required from those who earn $5,000 a year or more — $10,000 in the case of married couples — and whose tax liabilities exceed their withheld taxes by $40 or more.
George Meany said today that he was pleased with President Johnson and the manner in which he was conducting the Presidency. At the same time, however, he pointed out some areas of disagreement between himself and Mr. Johnson. Mr. Meany, president of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations was asked on the CBS television program, “Face the Nation,” telecast here, if organized labor felt as comfortable and as intimate with President Johnson as it had with President Kennedy. He replied that he himself felt “quite comfortable” with President Johnson and that he had great pride in the way the President took over after Mr. Kennedy was assassinated. The AFL‐CIO president acknowledged, however, that he differed with the Administration on some points.
Jack L. Ruby’s attorneys have asked Dr. Karl A. Menninger, the psychiatrist, to testify at Ruby’s murder trial. Dr Menninger, a founder of the Menninger Clinic at Topeka, Kansas, has replied that he would diagnose Ruby’s mental condition only after a jury has determined his guilt or innocence. Two psychiatrists and a psychologist were divided during preliminary hearings on whether or not Ruby was suffering from a form of epilepsy when he shot Lee H. Oswald, the accused assassin of President Kennedy. The defense, led by Melvin M. Belli of San Francisco, believes Dr. Menninger’s professional stature and the familiarity of his name among laymen would make him a valuable witness. Interviewed by telephone in Topeka today, Dr. Menninger said “the legal terms of guilt and innocence strike me as silly.”
The Beatles’ third appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show”, featuring 3 performances taped on February 9, prior to their debut.
6th Daytona 500: Race winner Richard Petty leads for record 184 of the 200 laps. Chrysler’s Second-Generation HEMI racing engine (426 cubic inches with hemispherical head design) demonstrated its dramatic superiority when it was featured in eight Plymouth Belvedere racecars in the NASCAR opening race, the 1964 Daytona 500. The Belvederes finished in first, second and third place, with Richard Petty capturing the checkered flag in his #43 car, followed by Jimmy Pardue and Paul Goldsmith. Following behind in fourth place was Marvin Panch for the Ford team.
Charlie Finley gives in to American League pressure and signs a 4-year lease with the municipal government to keep the A’s in Kansas City. Finley wanted 2 years. His exasperated American League colleagues voted 9-1 that KC’s offer was reasonable.
The San Francisco Giants sign pitcher Masanori Murakami, third baseman Tatsuhico Tanaka, and catcher Hiroshi Takahashi — the first Japanese ever to play for American teams. All 3 are assigned to the Magic Valley Cowboys (Pioneer League). Although none of the three are considered top prospects, Murakami will confound everyone by reaching the major leagues by September after an outstanding season in the minors.
For the second time, Albie Pearson wins the professional baseball players golf tourney at Miami’s LeJeune course, this time copping the crown by 7 strokes. The Angels outfielder shoots a 223 for 54 holes, with one day of play rained out. In second place is Ken Harrelson with 231 while Ralph Terry, who started the last round tied with Pearson, is third with a 234. Former Tiger star Roy Cullenbine wins in the inactive division with a 218.
Born:
Byron Evans, NFL linebacker (Philadelphia Eagles), in Phoenix, Arizona.
Dan McMillen, NFL defensive end (Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Raiders), in Wiesbaden, Hesse, West Germany.
John Norum, Swedish rocker (Europe), born in Vardø, Norway.
Joseph O’Neill, Irish author, in Cork, Ireland.
History Diaries 