Fairbanks Daily News-Miner from Fairbanks, Alaska • Page 1

15c Per Copy News "America's Farthest North Daily Newspaper FAIRBANKS. ALASKA, MONDAY. JANUARY 15,1973 14 Pages No. 12 NOTTI NOMINATED-Key men at the special Democratic state convention in Anchorage meet on the convention floor. From left are Fairbanks attorney rfarry Jackson, who served as parliamentarian and alternate central district delegate in the meeting; State Mrs.

Begich throws backing to Mm Party Chairman Emil Notti, who was nominated the Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives; Gene Roguszka, district chairman of the powerful Southcentra! District; and Claude Douglas district chairman for the Central District. (Lens Unlimited Photo by Stu Rothman) Notti Demos' nominee By FRED PRATT Staff Writer Emit Notti is the Democratic nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives chosen Sunday after a 14-hour special state convention at the Gold Rush Hotel in Anchorage. The 39-year-old Athabascan is the Democratic Party state chairman and president of the Alaska Native Foundation.

Notti was chosen for the nomination over State Sen. Chancy Croft of Anchorage and Mrs. Pegge fiegich, widow of the late Congressman Nick Begich whose seat is to be filled in the special election March 6. Notti is to run against State Sen. Don Young of Fort Yukon, the Republican nominee who ran in the U.S.

House race in the November general election. Party unity was the theme of the convention which ended at 5 a.m. yesterday when Notti defeated Croft on the third ballot by a vote of 108.5 to 90.4. Mrs. Begich withdrew her candidacy after the second ballot and threw her support behind Notti.

The nomination was the only business conducted at the convention. Notti was elected when all but three of the 44 votes going to Mrs. Begich in the second ballot were east for him in the third voting session. His unanimous native-dominated Northwestern party district and a two-to-one majority in the Central District delegation was enough to overcome Croft's two-vote edge in the Southeastern delegation and 22-vote majority of his home district supporters in the powerful Southcentra! district. The convention ended without the bitter disputes between youth and party regular factions that marked the earlier session in Fairbanks last May.

The five-hour Credentials Committee session was interupted by charges from Anchorage party regulars that the committee was dominated by the youth and liberal coalition delegates, but the committee went to the floor with the question resolved and no challenge appeared in the open session. Both losing candidates strongly endorsed Notti and called for strong and united party action in the coming campaign. Notti campaigned on his record as a civil servant, native leader and party officer. The Democratic nominee has held only one elected position in his political career, a seat on the Anchorage School Board that he was elected to with a 1,000 vote margin over four other candidates in 1969. Notti's only other political race was the primary campaign for lieutenant governor in 1970.

He lost the race to H.A. "Red" Boucher of Fairbanks, who was elected to the post in the following general election and was rumored to be a possible (See DEMOCRAT Page 3) Watergate judge refuses try for mistrial for two charged A I tin WASHINGTON (AP) U.S. District Court Judge John J. Sirica refused today to declare a mistrial for the remaining two defendants in the Watergate case after four other defendants pleaded guilty and bowed out of the political espionage trial. Attorneys for the two remaining defendants-President Nixon's campaign security chief, James W.

McCord and G. Gordon Liddy, former treasurer of Nixon's campaign-finance committee--had moved for a mistrial on the grounds that the jury would be influenced by the sudden absence of most of the defendants. One of the original seven defendants, E. Howard Hunt, pleaded guilty shortly after the trial opened last week. Senate okays bill on interest ceiling Forecast Frigid and fair but foggy is forecast for Fairbanks for next few days.

Clear ana very cold with dense ice tot through Tuesday. Highs today and Tuesday around 40 below. Low tonight about 60 below. Outlook Wednesday little change. High Sunday --38.

Overnight low --47. Temperature at noon --44. High this dale 34 In 1937. Low --64 In 1934. Sunrise Tuesday 9:25.

Sunset at 2:38 for a total of 5 hours 13 minutes of daylight, a gain of five. Air condition Little change in temperature inversion forecast for next 24 houra with range ol --46 degrees at surface to --29 at 360 feet. The eight-hour carbon monoxide concentration predicted for today la 16.0 parti per million. Yeslerday'i maximum eight-hour average was 6.1 p.p.m. A (AP)-Alaska's Senate today approved a bill removing the statutory8 percent i rate i i after Republican lawmakers said the state was being pushed out of national money markets.

Approved, U-4 was a bill that sets an 8 per cent interest rate floor on loans, contracts or commitments for one-to four- family homes. The bill may well be the first major piece of legislation forwarded to the governor from the 8th Alaska Legislature, said state Rep. Dick Randolph, "It is people-oriented," said Rep. Randolph concerning the bill. Randolph is chairman of the House Commerce Committee.

After today's vote and testimony In the House i Randolph expects the House version of the bill to be through his committee and sent on to the House Judiciary Committee on vVednesday. He said he expects it to become law in a couple of weeks. Essentially the bill would allow the interest rate on dwellings up to four units to fluctuate as high as four points above the federal discount rate, with no ceiling on rates on larger commercial loans. This legislation would not affect the 6 per cent discount rate charged by most banks on small loans. The legislation would according to Rep.

Randolph allow industry to attract capital from outside the state, capital he says is presently unavailable to Alaskans. The state's present maximum interest on this type of loan, 8 per cent, Is a rate of return held by many to be insufficient to attract outside money. Rep. Randolph maintains that since the failure to re-enact the interest bill upon its expiration (See SENATE, Page 3) Four more also pleaded guilty earlier today to all charges, dimming prospects that the full story behind a break-in at Democratic party headquarters last year would come out in this trial. The guilty pleas by Bernard L.

Barker, Eugenio R. Martinez, Frank A. Sturgis and Virgilio R. Gonzalez left only two defendants remaining on trial- James W. McCord security chief for the Nixon presidential re-election campaign; and G.

Gordon Liddy who was counsel to President Nixon's campaign finance committee. U.S. District Court Judge John J. Sirica set bond at $100,000 for each of the four, the same bond he had set for E. Howard Hunt former White House consultant who pleaded guilty Wednesday.

Before accepting the guilty pleas, Sirica questioned the four at length to pry loose information about their motives and others who might be involved. Sirica also asked a series of questions apparently related to recent published reports that the men had been offered various inducements for their pleas. All four denied any pressure or promises behind their plea and said they were acting only under patriotic motives under the impression that their activities were somehow aimed "against a Communist conspiracy" against the United States. Regardless ot what happens to the court proceedings, an (See WATERGATE, Page 3) Nixon halts offensive after progress of talks KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) President Nixon ordered a halt today to all offensive military operations in North Vietnam "because of the progress made" in Paris peace talks, the Florida White House said Press Secretary Ronald L.

Ziegier said Nixon's order took effect early today and includes "bombing, shelling and any i i of Vietnam." In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Jerry W. Friedheim said military operations, including air strikes, would continue over South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia "as necessary." He refused to say whether the United States would still fly fighter-escorted reconnaissance flights over North Vietnam, a matter not mentioned by Ziegler. The White House spokesman described the move as "a unilateral gesture" that followed an exhaustive presidential assessment of the negotiations. Ziegler refused to discuss reports that Henry A. Kissinger, Nixon's peace negotiator, and Hanoi's Le Due Tho have, for all practical purposes, already reached an accord.

He did say in response to a question: "Dr. Kissinger will be returning to Paris at some point in the relatively near future." Asked if North Vietnam had agreed to scale down its military operations in South Vietnam in return for Nixon's military concession, Ziegler said the White House had no infor- mation to indicate any change in Hanoi's military strategy. Ziegler did say Hanoi was aware that progress in the Paris talks could lead to a U.S. move of the type he announced. Nixon and Kissinger conferred for an hour and a half i i at the Presi dent's bayside office hero.

It was their fourth meeting in two days since Kissinger flew here from Paris early Sunday mom- ing. i a i Nixon transmitted the order to halt military operations in North Vietnam late Sunday night following one of his descussions with Kissinger. Asked if any move would be made to deactivate mines al- ready placed along the North Vietnamese coast, Zeigler said those weapons "will remain in place" and be discussed in future Paris talks. Asked if Nixon was hopeful that a peace agreement could be announced by Inauguration a y-Saturday-Ziegier replied, "We have no artificial timetable." Ships, planes halt all raids against N. Vietnam CBS says pact near NEW YORK (AP) A CBS television reporter said today that "highly reliable palace sources in Saigon" expect all parties concerned in the Vietnam war to sign an agreement on a cease-fire "as early as this week." Richard Wagner, the network's Saigon correspondent, also said the sources told him that South Vietnam President Nguyen Van Thieu will accept the agreement "after making a few superficial changes to suggest that he took an active part in the drafting of the accords." Gen.

Alexander M. Haig President Nixon's representative now en route to Saigon, was said to be carrying an updated version of a draft agreement. SAIGON (AP) U.S. warplanes and warships halted all offensive military operations in North Vietnam tonight, the U.S. Command announced.

In Key Biscaync, a White House spokesman said Nixon ordered the halt "because of the progress made" in the Paris peace talks. The White House described the move as "a unilateral gesture" that followed an exhaustive assessment of the negotiations by President Nixon. Press Secretary Ronald L. Ziegler said that mines already placed in North Vietnam's major ports including Haiphong "will remain in place" and be discussed in future Paris talks. The U.S.

Command, asked if reconnaissance missions would continue over North Vietnam, declined comment. The decision on a bombing halt was announced after the U.S. Command issued its daily communique on bombing operations in Vietnam. Nixon's action in halting the bombing apparently was connected with the scheduled arrival Tuesday morning in Saigon of his peace emissary, Gen. Alexander M.

Haig who official South Vietnamese sources said was bringing a revised draft peace agreement to present to President Nguyen Van Thieu. Tin Song, a leading newspaper, quoted an unnamed source as saying a cease-fire might occur before the Vietnamese Tet lunar new year Feb. 3, but quoted a second source as saying the Saigon government "was neither optimistic or pessimistic." Earlier, the U.S. Command reported that 10 B52 missions were flown in the southern panhandle of North Vietnam below the 19th Parallel during the 24- hour period ending at 8 a.m. today, the lowest number reported since the aerial blitz against the Northern heartland of Hanoi and Haiphong was launched Dec.

18. The U.S. Command also said its fighter-bombers flew 100 strikes against North Vietnam from 8 a.m. Sunday to 8 a.m. today.

It said they destroyed 12 railroad and highway bridges between Thanh Hoa, just below the 20th parallel, and Dong Hoi, 45 miles above the demilitarized zone. The command also reported that a Navy F4 was hit by antiaircraft fire over North Viet- nam Sunday afternoon. It said the two crewmen parachuted and were rescued about 26 miles southeast of Thanh Hoa. President Nixon first hailed bombing above the 20th parallel last Oct. 23, when it appeared that the United States and North Vietnam were near a cease-fire agreement.

When the negotiations broke off, Nixon resumed the bombing Dec. 18 with the biggest air blitz of the war. He halted the bombing above the 20th parallel again Dec. 30, saying Hanoi had signaled its intention to negotiate seriously. FAA seeks comment on Blair air proposal The Air Force has been returned to the starting line in its attempts to get Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for its bombing and gunnery range at Blair Lakes.

A revised request for a restricted airspace over the range has been drawn up by the FAA and will be considered in the coming months. The revision is still in the Blair Lakes Area 20 miles south of Fairbanks, but restricts the hours of Air Force operations on the range and defines a narrower and lower airspace for aircraft operations. The Air Force first requested the restricted airspace in April, i i a beginning on its controversial bombing and gunnery range. The range has been opposed strongly a conservationists and private pilots. Two informal airspace hearings were held on the request in Fairbanks May 17 and the revised request notes that "considerable opposition was manifested by the public at the meetings and through formal comments.

Charles C. Thomas, chief of the planning branch in the Alaskan Region FAA office in Anchorage, said today comments on the new request are being solicited from the general public. He said written comments should be submitted to the FAA office in Anchorage by Feb. 5. He said if the FAA got substantial new data and new objections another public hearing would probably be held on the issue.

"The comments we receive will probably make a difference whether or not we need another pub lie hearing," he said. He emphasized that the FAA desires only comments on the CSee BLAIR LAKES, Page 3) U. S. troops down by 200 A I troop strength in Vietnam dropped 200 men to a total of 23,800 last week, the same level as in January 1965, the U.S. Command reported today.

The total does not include about 100,000 U.S. servicemen involved in the war effort on ships of the 7th Fleet and at bases in Guam and Thailand. "Ounno why the FAA's worried about thet bombing range. Them private pilots won't stray in there much after they get shot at." ft.