UDK News Roundup
By United Press International
(Continued from page 1)
Chicago five seek bond
CHICAGO—The five men convicted of crossing state lines to incite riots during the 1968 Democratic National Convention have asked their supporters to concentrate on efforts to obtain appeal bonds.
U. S. District Court Judge Julius J. Hoffman denied bond Friday after sentencing the five to five years in prison and $5,000 fines.
Laird doubts end to draft
WASHINGTON—Defense Secretary Melvin R. Laird sees little chance of eliminating the draft and converting to an all-volunteer armed force by mid-1971 as recommended by a presidential commission.
Laird also said he could not see any expansion of the U.S. military role in Laos "as far as ground forces are concerned," although he declined to rule out greater use of air power to aid royal Laotian troops.
Role separation needed
NEW YORK—George E. Reedy, one of President Johnson's press secretaries, suggested Sunday that the United States would be better off if the President were not both chief of state and chief of government.
The White House, Reedy contends in an article in the current issue of Look magazine, has a courtlike atmosphere that shields the President from reality and can warp the political instincts of such a master politician as Lyndon B. Johnson.
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12 KANSAN Feb. 23
1970
Media criticized
ATLANTA (UPI)—Vice-President Spiro T. Agnew assailed what he called the "liberal news media" for disseminating "drivel," and Chief Justice Warren E. Burger rebuffed a network news team during separate appearances in Atlanta during the weekend.
Agnew's criticism of the press came at a black tie $100-a-plate GOP campaign fund dinner Saturday night that raised $100,000 for the Republican party of Georgia and drew about 400 peace demonstrators.
Burger spoke about the same time at a hotel a few blocks away to a meeting of the American Bar Association (ABA), but only after a confrontation with a newsman of the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) in which he ordered a microphone removed.
Agnew told his cheering audience that demonstrators have no thoughts of their own and are merely reacting to ideas supplied in a "Computer-like operation." He said demonstrations actually stemmed from a fear of confrontation with reason and logic.
"The liberal news media have been calling on me to lower my voice," Agnew said. "I would like to do this, but I will not make a unilateral withdrawal and thereby violate the confidence of the silent majority.
"To penetrate that drivel disseminated by the liberal news media we need a cry of alarm."
He said he would "lower my voice" if the Black Panthers would disavow violence and run candidates in the accepted fashion and if dissidents stop "pledging allegiance to Ho Chi Minh and Mao Tse-tung."
Burger said before appearing at the ABA's midyear meeting, he would allow no television or radio coverage of the speech.
But a CBS broadcast team said it had not been informed of the ruling and attempted to cover the speech.
The confrontation came after a
microphone had been placed on the speaker's podium.
"You're planning to cover this?" Burger asked CBS team chief Phil Jones.
"That's right," Jones said. "I'm a newsman with CBS."
"Well, whatever you are, goodbye and goodnight." Burger replied.
"You don't consider this a public speech?" Jones asked. "We are charged with covering the news, and the chief justice makes news when he speaks publicly. Why can't I cover it?"
"If you have a couple of hours
sometime, come by my office and I'll explain it to you," Burger said. The microphone was removed
In his speech, Burger said that America's complex and expensive system of justice isn't working well, and "tends to become a spectator sport."
He called for prison reform with an emphasis on rehabilitation to cut down on repeat offenders and cited delayed trials, system of appeals and procedural protections "such as the exclusion and suppression of evidence and the dismissal of cases for irregularities" as negative aspects of the system.
Harris gives reasons
WASHINGTON (UPI)—Sen. Fred R. Harris disclosed Sunday that he resigned as national Democratic chairman partly because fellow Democrats suspected he was using the National Committee to build himself up as a presidential candidate.
Harris said the suspicions started when Sen. Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts made clear, following his auto accident on Chappaqaidick Island, that he would not be a candidate for the White House in 1972.
He emphasized that the principal reason for quitting was a desire for greater freedom to speak out on the issues. He felt he could not operate effectively as chairman with his motives under question.
Harris said he assumed when he took the chairmanship that he would serve through this year's elections, but changed his mind after his motives became suspect.
"While it had not been a problem for me before," Harris said, "there were some who wondered if I, myself, might be a candidate for president in 1972, and therefore, wondered perhaps if I was using this party post to further my own political ambitions.
"That was not the case, but it did severely hinder my carrying out the duties of the job."
Harris stated flatly he was not a candidate for either the presidential or vice-presidential nominations in 1972.
Harris will bow out as chairman March 5 when the Democratic National Committee meets in Washington to vote on a successor.
Weather
Clear to partly cloudy with variable winds 5 to 15 mph today. Partly cloudy tonight and Tuesday. High today in the 50s. Precipitation 10 per cent tonight and Tuesday.