Ignoring last-minute appeals for clemency and defying a wave of violent protest in other parts of Europe, the Spanish government executed by firing squads five political terrorists convicted of having killed policemen or civil guards. Death by firing squad instead of the garrote traditionally used in Spain in executions was the only concession that the government accorded the five condemned men, who were among 11 sentenced to death by military courts. Six were granted clemency. Two of the executed men were members of the E.T.A., the Basque nationalist group. These were the first executions of E.T.A. members, and a violent reaction from that organization was feared.
The last use of capital punishment in Spain took place a day after Spanish dictator Francisco Franco rejected worldwide pleas for mercy for five dissidents. Txiki Paredes and Ángel Otaegui were members of the Basque separatist group ETA, while Humberto Baena, José Luis Sánchez Bravo, and Ramón García Sanz were from the Frente Revolucionario Antifascista y Patriótico (FRAP). The convicts were shot by firing squad less than two months before Franco’s death. Twelve European nations recalled their ambassadors from Spain, and thousands of people demonstrated Franco’s government. Spain would abolish the death penalty for peacetime crimes in 1978.
Defense Secretary James R. Schlesinger met with British Prime Minister Harold Wilson for talks on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, East-West relations and other major world problems. The luncheon talks at Chequers, Wilson’s country residence near London, were also attended by British Defense Secretary Roy Mason.
Three armed youths were surprised by police in an apparent robbery attempt at a restaurant in London’s fashionable Knightsbridge district and seized eight employes as hostages. Police, who surrounded the building, said the hostages were being held in the basement of the restaurant building. The restaurant, the Spaghetti House, is one of a chain of nine in London.
Vladimir Osipov, a Russian nationalist dissident, was found guilty of anti‐Soviet activities yesterday and sentenced to eight years in a strict labor camp, sources said. Mr. Osipov, founder of the journal Vedic, which is designed to stimulate Russian nationalist pride, was charged with having sent copies of the publication abroad and having permitted his writings in he published in emigre journals in the West.
The Organization of Oil Exporting countries announced today, after four tense, quarrelsome days of talks in Vienna, that there would be a 10 percent increase in the price of oil effective October 1, but that it would freeze the new prices for at least nine months as a gesture of goodwill.
The Ford administration publicly criticized the oil cartel’s 10 percent price increase and said that as a result gasoline prices would increase by one to one and a half cents a gallon in the United States. There were expressions of relief in the White House and the State Department that the cartel increase was not any higher. Mr. Ford repeated a persistent administration criticism: that the failure of Congress to approve the administration’s recommendations for an overall energy policy had made the United States vulnerable to the price rises of foreign oil exporters.
World Bank President Robert S. McNamara has assured a member of Congress and a leading Jewish organization that the bank does not recognize the Arab boycott. In a broad disclaimer of any “bias or discrimination” existing at the international institution. McNamara has also revealed in Washington that the bank now has assurances from Saudi Arabia that bank personnel will not be barred from missions to that country on religious grounds. The Arab boycott blacklists firms that have dealings with Israel.
Norway, which is due to become Europe’s biggest oil producer, intends to hold down oil production and tightly control an expected bonanza in revenues, Premier Trygve Bratteli said in an interview. Mr. Bratteli said it would be “a disaster” if increased oil-industry activity lured Norwegians out of industries in small towns in the north and drew them to the prosperous south, if the economy was distorted, if the traditional way of life was altered beyond recognition.
Israel devalued its currency by 10%, the state radio reported. The latest adjustment meant the Israeli currency has been devalued by 67% since last November, more than doubling the cost of imports, including automobiles, some food and clothing. The radio said other measures to support the war-bruised economy would include new taxes and price increases and the firing of 2,000 civil servants.
Israeli soldiers today killed three Arab guerrillas who had infiltrated across the northern frontier from Lebanon, the military command said. The command said that the three had been killed in a gun battle with an Israeli patrol near the village of Hanita, about a half mile south of the border. Two Israel soldiers were wounded in the clash, the command said. A spokesman said that the guerrillas belonged to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine headed by George Habash.
The Arab League warned the United States today that moves to supply Israel with large quantities of advanced weapons, including missiles, were endangering peace in the Middle East. “The Arab states are following this situation with grave concern,” said a statement made public today. “This supply of further offensive arms by the United States to Israel will lead to consolidation of Israel’s continued occupation of Arab territories and her continued denial of the national rights of the Palestinian people.” The statement added that the new American weapons would “encourage Israel toward a new aggression, as well as maintaining her expansionist policies.” The warning for Washington was unanimously adopted at at a meeting in New York yesterday of foreign ministers and other officials of the 20 countries of the Arab League. The group has permanent observer status at the United Nations. Representatives of the Palestine Liberation Organization, the guerrilia movement that also has permanent observer status at the world organization’s headquarters, participated in the session.
Beirut was calm today, with only scattered incidents of sniping reported from outlying neighborhoods, as officials worked behind the scenes to keep a Syrian-sponsored ceasefire from unraveling. Residents of the battered city have been praying that it would return to some semblance of normality after two weeks of street fighting, which has devastated areas of the old downtown section and left several hundred people dead. But sniping in the day and rocket and mortar barrages at night have kept people off the streets. Five people were reported killed by snipers yesterday. Beirut looks like a ghost town. Large numbers of people can be seen packing up household belongings and heading to the countryside. Thousands of Lebanese have fled to Syria. The quality of life in the city continues to deteriorate, with gasoline and cooking gas in short supply. First National City Bank, Chase Manhattan, Ingersoll‐Rand and General Motors have evacuated employes or dependents from the city, as have a number of Japanese concerns.
President Hafez al-Assad of Syria, in a militant but ambiguous interview today, severely criticized Secretary of State Kissinger’s peace efforts inthe Middle East, linked further Syrian moves to Israeli concessions to the Palestinians and disclaimed any Syrian interest in further interim solutions on the Golan Heights. His remarks seemed to signify a growing disillusionment with United States mediation in the Middle East and a corresponding hardening of Syrian policy. However, President Assad seemed at times deliberately cryptic in his responses, and appeared to allow some small latitude for Mr. Kissinger in any effort he might undertake to arrange a new Israeli withdrawal from the Golan Heights.
The Seychelles Islands, destined to become an independent member of the Commonwealth within a year, are heading for independence from Britain without any of the rancor and bitterness other countries have experienced.
Left-wing extremists hurled firebombs at the Tokyo home of Japanese Emperor Hirohito’s younger brother, Prince Takamatsu. Police seized two of the attackers and the others fled into a nearby university compound. The bombs did minimal damage and there were no injuries in the latest in a series of attacks by leftist extremists protesting Tuesday’s visit to the United States by the emperor. Leftists say the visit will help to solidify what they call a triangular military alliance of the United States, Japan and South Korea.
President Ford met in the White House with the highest-ranking delegation of Chinese scientists ever to visit the United States from Peking. The visit came as Mr. Ford’s staff made preparations for his visit to China, expected in late November. The 14-member Chinese delegation, headed by U.S.-trained physicist Chou Pei-yuan, is touring the country giving lectures and discussing research projects with U.S. scientists.
Filipino military forces have set up procedures for freeing 27 hostages seized by Moslem rebels aboard a Japanese ship in the southern Philippine port of Zamhoanga, the Japanese Foreign Office said today. Reports from the Japanese Embassy in Manila said that the rebels, who seized the freighter Suehiro Maru and 27 people Friday, had agreed to release the ship the hostages in return for safe flight. The Kyodo news service quoted a shipping agent in Manila as saying the rebels have abandoned a $133,000 ransom demand. The owners of the ship had dispatched a five-man delegation yesterday to pay the ransom. According to the agreement the guerrillas will be guaranteed six hours’ “freedom of movement” from the ship by Filipino forces, the Kyodo news service said.
Donald S. MacDonald, who was chiefly responsible for Canada’s tough energy policy in the past three years, was named finance minister to replace the retired John Turner in the most drastic change in the cabinet of Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau since he came to power in 1968. Former Trade Minister Alastair Gillespie moved into the energy slot in the only other major change.
A month after taking power in a bloodless coup, General Francisco Morales Bermudez, the new President of Peru, is facing economic pressures that have led both leftists and conservatives to believe that there will be either an increase in state control over the economy or an attempt to stimulate private enterprise and investment. President Morales has vowed that he will “not budge a millimeter” from the left‐wing nationalist program set by his predecessor, General Juan Velasco Alvarado, who headed the revolution proclaimed by the armed forces in 1968 until his own overthrow.
The symbol of leftist Peronism, former Argentina President Hector J. Campora, who was forced to flee when Juan D. Perón died last year, returned to Argentina. Some political analysts said Campora would assume leadership of the dissident Authentic Party, an outlawed left-wing splinter group of Peronism. Others expected him to become a centrist compromise figure for Peronists.
Chad’s President Félix Malloum ordered all French troops to leave the African nation, because France was negotiating with Chadian rebel leader Hissène Habré for the release of French hostages. The withdrawal was completed by October 27.
The American people were closely divided on whether the risk was too great for a President to mingle with crowds, according to a Gallup Poll. The survey, taken after the first attempt on President Ford’s life but before the second, showed 49% favoring presidential handshaking despite the risk. However, nearly as many, 45%, said in the September 12-15 interviews that the risk was too great. The remaining 6% had no opinion.
The Watergate special prosecutor’s office is expected to announce next month that it has found insufficient evidence to warrant filing formal charges against Charles Rebozo, a close friend and financial associate of former President Richard Nixon, according to sources close to the investigation. The investigation centered on allegations that Mr. Rebozo may have improperly converted political contributions to his own or Mr. Nixon’s personal use. Internal Revenue Service agents developed “some” evidence that Mr. Rebozo may have understated his income by “less than $25,000 over a two-or three-year period” and that in several instances his statements contradicted other testimony. One source said that there were “financial records we were unable to obtain because the people who had them had the right not to turn them over to us.” Without these records, the source said, “we were unable to plug up all the loopholes in the case.”
Attorney General Edward H. Levi wants the Watergate prosecutor’s office to stay in business beyond its September 30 expiration date and is expected to choose a new special prosecutor soon. Henry S. Ruth Jr., the third special prosecutor since the office was created 2 ½ years ago, will resign in mid-October, sources said. Shortly before, he will issue what had been expected to be the office’s final report. The sources said Ruth’s successor would be an attorney now on the staff. The office will remain open under its existing charter.
A series of orders to his staff from the head of the Environmental Protection Agency to cut back the number of antipollution regulations has caused some conservationists to charge that the Ford administration has abandoned the national commitment to clean air and water. The orders by Russell Train appear to parallel President Ford’s announced drive to reduce the effect of what he believes are unnecessary or arbitrary actions by the federal government.
The nation’s public employee unions, confronted with sharply stiffening resistance to their demands by elected officials, are beginning to fight back with increasing resentment. A leader in the union counterattack is Jerry Wurf, president of the 700,000-member American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. He says “the politician who one day is calling us bandits and greedy isn’t above calling us two days later and asking us to help in his campaign.”
Two men were arrested by the FBI in a plot to extort $45.5 million from seven major oil companies by planting bombs at gasoline stations and other facilities. Three bombs exploded earlier this month, four were found unexploded and “we’re looking like hell to try and find more,” an FBI spokesman said. Arrested at their homes were Paul Douglass Methven of Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Larry Shaffer of Chicago. The FBI spokesman said letters had been mailed to Gulf, Exxon, Union, Phillips, Standard, Amoco and Texaco, saying that bombs planted at their facilities across the nation would be detonated unless a total of $45.5 million was paid. The three bombs that exploded did minor damage.
More than 6,000 persons, chanting protests against forced school busing, marched 25 abreast without incident along the main six-lane thoroughfare in Louisville, Kentucky. The march followed a night of disorders, the first major outbreak of violence since court-ordered busing began four weeks ago in the 165-school Jefferson County system. About 22,600 of the 124,000 students in the system are being bused to achieve racial integration.
The Chase Manhattan Bank has, for the first time, urged the federal government to intervene in the New York fiscal crisis. “We feel from both a local and national perspective that temporary Federal support for New York City is of the highest priority,” Dennis Longwell, president of Chase Manhattan Bank of Central New York said in a letter. Mr. Longwell said the document had been worked out at Chase Manhattan headquarters in New York for submission to the Joint Economic Committee of Congress. The bank’s position, in effect, pits David Rockefeller, Chase Manhattan’s chairman, against his brother Nelson, the Vice President, who has counseled President Ford not to intervene in New York.
A growing concern over medical malpractice litigation played a role in forcing the question of terminating the extraordinary medical care of Karen Anne Quinlan, the 21-year-old woman who has been in a coma for five months, into court and the public conscience. The case, which is scheduled to go to trial October 20, raises complex medical and legal issues that go beyond fixing a statutory definition of death that lawyers say have never been argued before in court.
Military hospitals may disregard prohibitive state laws and perform abortions under 1973 Supreme Court guidelines, a Pentagon memorandum said. The high court ruling said that a woman’s doctor could perform an abortion within the first three months of pregnancy. It said also that abortions in later stages could be allowed to protect the mother. In 1971, Defense Secretary R. Melvin Laird had ordered military hospitals to comply with state laws on abortion. Many states have laws that are more restrictive than the Supreme Court guidelines.
Mark E. Frechette, 27, who appeared in the film “Zabriskie Point,” was found dead in a state prison at Norfolk, Mass., where he was serving a 6- to 10-year sentence for armed robbery. An official said he apparently was the victim of a weight-lifting accident. A 160-pound weight bar was across his neck when the body was found by another inmate, the official said.
A Stanford University scientist believes he and his colleagues have found evidence that radio-frequency oscillations from power lines on earth are exerting significant control over the radiation belts that envelop the planet.
Major League Baseball:
Although defeated by the Indians, 5–2, the Red Sox backed into the East Division title when the Orioles lost both games of their doubleheader with the Yankees. The Red Sox were held to just six hits by Rick Waits (6–2) with their two runs coming in the fourth inning when Deron Johnson homered to tie the score. The Indians regained the lead in the seventh on singles by Frank Duffy and John Lowenstein and a groundout by Duane Kuiper. Boog Powell and Charlie Spikes then iced the outcome with successive homers in the eighth, one off loser Rick Wise and the other off reliever Bill Lee.
In the first of two games, Catfish Hunter wins his 23rd as the Yankees edge the Orioles, 3–2, in 10 innings, pinning the loss on Mike Torrez (20–9). The Orioles nicked Hunter for a run in the first inning on a double by Bobby Grich and single by Lee May, but Bobby Bonds led off the Yankees’ half with a tying homer. Chris Chambliss doubled in the second and, after two walks loaded the bases, Bonds drew a pass from Mike Torrez to force in the run that sent the Yankees ahead. Brooks Robinson then tied the score with a homer in the seventh. However in the 10th, Chambliss singled and Graig Nettles walked, bringing Grant Jackson to the mound for the Orioles. Terry Whitfield, trying to sacrifice, beat out a bunt to load the bases. Dyar Miller came in to face Rick Dempsey and walked the pinch-hitter on a 3–2 count to force in the Yankees’ winning run. Two runners are caught stealing by Thurman Munson to give him 60 Caught Stealing versus 59 Stolen Bases for the year. For Catfish, it is his 30th complete game of the year. He is the last pitcher to complete that many games. In game two, Doc Medich evens his record at 16–16 with a 7–3 complete game win over Mike Cuellar. Bobby Bonds has a homer in each game to finish the season with 32 homers and 30 stolen bases. Bonds hits 6 homers in his last 7 games and picked up his 30th steal on September 9.
Jerry Augustine, Brewers’ rookie lefthander from Sacramento (Pacific Coast), gained his second straight victory, pitching the route to defeat the Tigers, 5–2. The Brewers broke a 2–2 tie with two runs in the sixth inning. Bob Sheldon singled and Robin Yount walked. George Scott grounded to Chuck Scrivener, who tried for a forceout at second, but Jerry Manuel dropped the ball, allowing Sheldon to score. After an intentional pass to Darrell Porter, Bobby Darwin singled to drive in Yount.
Rich Gossage (9–8) allowed only two hits in five innings of relief and came out with a victory when the White Sox defeated the Twins, 1–0. Gossage replaced Claude Osteen with two men on base and none out in the fifth. Bert Blyleven was beaten by a run in the eighth. Brian Downing led off with a single. Pat Kelly walked. When Nyls Nyman flied out, Downing advanced to third after the catch. Jerry Hairston then hit a sacrifice fly to score Downing.
Roy Smalley batted in two runs with a double and Jeff Burroughs accounted for two more with a pair of sacrifice flies to lead the Rangers to a 5–4 victory over the Royals. Smalley hit his double with the bases loaded in the second inning. Roy Howell drove in another run with a single in the third. Burroughs’ sacrifice flies then produced the Rangers’ final tallies in the fourth and the sixth. John Mayberry and Frank White hit homers for the Royals.
Bill North, Joe Rudi and Gene Tenace smashed homers and Ken Holtzman (18–14) tuned up for the championship series by allowing only three hits in five innings as the Athletics defeated the Angels, 6-3. North’s homer was only his first of the season, but it was No. 21 for Rudi and 29 for Tenace.
Joe Morgan and Johnny Bench drove in three runs apiece as the Reds built up a 7–1 lead that enabled the West Division champions to emerge with a 7–6 victory over the Braves. Morgan accounted for his RBIs with a single and homer, while Bench hit a sacrifice fly and homer. The Braves rallied for five runs in the ninth inning, three scoring on a homer by Earl Williams, before Pat Darcy saved the game after taking over in relief with two men on base and one out. Don Gullett gets his fifteenth win.
Jerry Reuss (18–11) helped himself to victory with a tie-breaking double in the fifth inning as the Pirates defeated the Cardinals, 4–2. The Pirates opened the game with two runs on a double by Rennie Stennett and homer by Al Oliver. The Cards came back with the tying pair in their half. Luis Melendez singled and scored on a double by Hector Cruz, who took third on the throw to the plate and counted on an infield out by Ted Simmons, whose RBI was his 100th of the season. In the Pirates’ fifth, Frank Taveras walked and scored on Reuss’ double. Reuss then crossed the plate himself on a single by Stennett.
Dave Cash collected two doubles and two singles to lead the Phillies’ 12-hit attack in an 8–1 victory over the Mets. Steve Carlton (15–14) limited the Mets to one hit with their lone run coming on a walk to John Stearns and double by Felix Millan in the sixth inning. By that time, however, the Phillies already had four runs on the scoreboard, two of them crossing the plate on a double by Cash. Tony Taylor bunted safely in the sixth inning for the 1,000th hit of his major league career.
A two-run triple by Larry Biittner in the 11th inning propelled the Expos to a 5–3 victory over the Cubs. The Expos had a homer by Mike Jorgensen in their early scoring, while Andre Thornton drove in all three of the Cubs’ runs with a double and homer. In the 11th, Jerry White singled and Pete Mackanin walked ahead of Biittner’s triple.
A grand-slam homer by Steve Yeager in the third inning powered the Dodgers to a 5–1 victory over the Astros. Willie Crawford singled, Steve Garvey walked, Ron Cey singled and Henry Cruz walked to force in the first run. After Ken Forsch relieved Mike Stanton, Yeager hit his grand slam. Andy Messersmith (19–14) notches the victory.
Rob Dressler, who came up from Phoenix (Pacific Coast) to join the Giants’ staff of young pitchers, gained his first major league victory, defeating the Padres, 4–1. Gary Matthews gave Dressler enough runs to win by hitting a homer after a single by Bobby Murcer in the fourth inning.
Cleveland Indians 5, Boston Red Sox 2
Montreal Expos 5, Chicago Cubs 3
Atlanta Braves 6, Cincinnati Reds 7
Houston Astros 1, Los Angeles Dodgers 5
Detroit Tigers 2, Milwaukee Brewers 5
Chicago White Sox 1, Minnesota Twins 0
Baltimore Orioles 2, New York Yankees 3
Baltimore Orioles 3, New York Yankees 7
California Angels 3, Oakland Athletics 6
New York Mets 1, Philadelphia Phillies 8
San Francisco Giants 4, San Diego Padres 1
Pittsburgh Pirates 4, St. Louis Cardinals 2
Kansas City Royals 4, Texas Rangers 5
Born:
Edward Thomas, NFL linebacker (San Francisco 49ers, Jacksonville Jaguars), in Thomasville, Georgia.
Chris Herren, NBA point guard (Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics), in Fall River, Massachusetts.
Ed Gray, NBA shooting guard (Atlanta Hawks), in Riverside, California.
Tajama Abraham, WNBA center (Sacramento Monarchs, Detroit Shock), in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Died:
Mark Frechette, 27, American film actor (“Zabriskie Point”) and armed robber, was killed in a weightlifting accident in prison.
Charlie Monroe, 72, American bluegrass musician.
J. T. Lang, 98, former Australian politician and controversial former premier of the state of New South Wales.
History Diaries 