The Billings Gazette from Billings, Montana • 1

Tl mm In limes By TERENCE SMITH (C) 1969 New York Times SAIGON President Nguyen Van Thieu is reliably reported to be ready to integrate members of the National Liberation Front into the political life of South Vietnam as part of an over-all peace settlement. The president is known to have been discussing with his advisers in recent weeks possible ways in which members of the Front might be permitted to compete in elections, as members of a titularly non-communist opposition. In anticipation of a future political struggle against the Front, Thieu is also about to assume personal control of an expanded government party. During the month of April, according to sources close to Thieu, the president will accept the personal leadership of an enlarged version of the People's Alliance for Social Revolution, a to form a party in South Vietnam and participate in elections. BIT HE ADDED that the new party could not be a "communist party as such," and that the conclusion of such an arrangement would depend on the attitude of the other side in the Paris peace talks.

At another point in his news conference, the president specified that the front would have to dissolve itself and become tive in creating a political organization that could compete with the F. They and Thieu are working on the assumption that some form of political participation of the Front in South Vietnam will be part of a peace settlement negotiated in Paris. The president first raised this possibility publicly in his news conference Tuesday. In answering a rhetorical question of his own, he said that it might be possible for members of the pro-government political organization formed last year. AN EXTRAORDINARY convention of the alliance is expected to be held in Saigon during the month to select Thieu as chairman of its presidium.

Additional South Vietnamese political factions arealso expected to be accepted into the alliance in an effort to broaden the base of the government. Thieu's closest advisors have been urging him for several months to take a personal initia "another political party." "We can never have an official Communist party in South Vietnam," he said. "Our constitution forbids it." Despite these reservations, the president is understood to be prepared to accept the participation of members of the Front in elections. This has been confirmed in interviews with several of his advisors, senior American diplomats and members of the South Vietnamese delegation to the Paris talks during return trips to Saigon. In a recent conversation with one of these sources, Thieu ventured the guess that the members of the Front would be unable to win more than 15-to-20 seats in a free election for the 197-seat national assembly.

"That wouldn't hurt us too much," Thieu reportedly said Neither the president nor his aides have woricxl out the details of exactly how the members of the Fron.t might partici- (Continued on Page 2 rf( (ft Warmer Stockman's warning Thursday night and Friday. Southwesterly winds, 15-25 miles per hour Thursday. Warmer Thursday, high 60, low 20. Colder with snow Friday. More weather, vitals, page 8.

in. Home Delivery Copy IUC Price Is Lower 83rd Year-No. 313 Billings, Montana, Thursday Morning, March 27, 1969 mm mm Com ir It" tv ill-Kr: governor from 1964 to 1968. Then, he filed for governor against incumbent Republican Tim Babcock. During his unsuccessful attempt to wrest the GOP nomina 3" 'J -l 4k: The political effect of James' statement is hard to analyze.

Some observers feel Keller may be the man to beat for the nomination, since it will be decided at an eastern district GOP convention rather than at a primary election. Because of his three years as party chaiman, Keller probably is better known among the delegates to that convention than are the other candidates. James' statement may serve to keep his followers away from the Keller candidacy, on the other hand, it could result in Keller gaining support among some "Babcock Republicans" who don't like James. has been a spectacular exception to what other Republican candidates have experienced." Then, in what seemed to be an indirect castigation of Keller's record as chairman, James pointed out that Republicans recently have lost bids for the senate, governorship, lieutenant governorship and western district congress. JAMES SAID he had decided not to enter the congressional race as a candidate because "I've had my share of politics and campaigns recently and I certainly would not want to subject my family to life in Washington, D.C.at this time." Cox said Wednesday in Billings that he is not an announced candidate and hasn't decided yet whether he will run.

He said he would make a statement by the end of the week. The only other announced candidate for the seat is Keller, a Great Falls optomitrist who Tuesday resigned as state GOP chairman to enter the race. James' statement does not even mention Keller by name but contains some obvious, though indirect, criticism of the former party leader. JAMES, WHO once headed a legislative campaign for Keller, was Republican lieutenant By JERRY HOLLORON Gazette State Bureau HELENA-Former Lt. Gov.

Ted James moved indirectly Wednesday to block the eastern district congressional candidacy of Dr. M. F. Keller, former state Republican party chairman. James, in a prepared release, said he will not run for the congressional seat left vacant by the resignation of Congressman James F.

Battin, but that the Republican party has "three good candidates" in State Rep. W. S. "Bill" Mather, former State Rep. Henry S.

Cox and State Sen. Jack Rehberg, all of Billings. tion from Babcock, James was known to feel that Keller was overstepping his bounds as state party chairman and doing everything he could to aid the re-nomination of Babcock and defeat James. On the other hand, some Republicans, undoubtedly including Keller, were angry at James for challenging the incumbent Republican governor. Keller told the State Bureau Wednesday he had no comment on James' statement.

IN THAT STATEMENT, the former lieutenant governor said he and his supporters could "actively support" Rehberg, Mather or Cox. "I believe that any one of them would be a formidable candidate with a good chance of winning the special election; provided, of course, that they are given some able assistance from the Republican on a state level. "They are all active, working Republicans and each of them has a good understanding of the problems facing Montana," said James, a Great Falls attorney. He praised Battin's service to the state and the Republican party and said that "his success Everybody May Walk to Work Demos A wo if Tax ARoudiuup' "V-'. far-.

Photofax tomobiles in cities unless a mass transit breakthrough is achieved soon. Volpe said congestion now keeps traffic crawling at an average pace of 7 miles per hour in New York City. In 1917, he said, traffic there moved at an average speed of 11 miles an hour. "So we haven't made much progress in over half a century. So something needs to be done (Continued on Page 2) Quigley and his 50-foot-tall ice cube.

By JERRY HOLLORON Gazette State Bureau HELENA-With a "non-partisan" road map handy, Montana Democrats in the next two years must make an important decision on what taxation route they think the state should fo-low. Their decision could pave the Iceberg or Ice Cube? WASHINGTON (AP) Commuters "are going to walk to work instead of ride" if traffic congestion gets much worse in the nation's cities, says Secretary of Transportation John A. Volpe. "If you get down to a point where automobiles have to travel five miles an hour, well, you know how long people are going to use them," the former Massachusetts governor said in an interview with The Associated Press. "They are going to walk to work instead of ride.

Of course," added Volpe, a physical fitness advocate, "it wouldn't hurt them if they did The secretary said it may be necessary to restrict use of au- Ike Showing No Response You're Boss Yes, Our Mew GOP HELENA (AP)-John Quigley of the Helena area has built his own huge iceberg, a water conservation experiment to beat summer's heat and drought. If it doesn't work, the restaurateur has told his friends he will drain the duck pond by which the ice hillock stands, refill the pond with gin, push in the remainder of the oversize ice cube and invite everybody up for martinis. Quigley, who operates a western frontier-style resort area about 12 miles west of Helena at MacDonald Pass, began the project in November. Using spray from a garden hose, he built up layer by layer a mound of ice 50 feet tall and 400 feet around. He figures perhaps water from Montana streams could be pumped and sprayed into man-made glaciers during the winter so as to provide summer water for reservoirs in runoff from the slowly melting ice.

"Think of the water you'd save for the summer if you had, say, 100 acres of ice 20-30 feet deep," said Quickley. way toward a sales tax, which Democrats previously have blocked, or it could recommend repaving and revamping the present corporate and personal income tax revenue roads perhaps even detouring to a gross proceeds tax on businesses. Barring a Democratic sweep into 1970 legislative races, determination of the future of Montana's tax system will, of course, be shared by the Republican party. But most interest is focused on what direction the Democrats are going to head because Republicans, at least on the surface, appear to be committed to a "tax reform" system centered around the sales tax. News Analysis Many Democratic legislators even privately are cautious about discussing the future of taxation in Montana.

The reason: They prefer to wait for the $78,200 study of taxation authorized by the 1969 legislature. THAT STUDY, to be done by the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research, will provide factual and analytical data on various forms of taxation in Montana but will make no recommendations on what types of taxes should be enacted. (Continued on Page2 WASHINGTON (AP) President Dwight D. Eisenhower has failed to respond to lican party was the former Mrs. Mayo Story Dean of Bozeman, who now lives in Colorado.

She became state GOP chairman in the spring of 1954 and served until Aug. 23, of that year. Mrs. Mann, chairman of the State Board of Health, has been active in state Republican work for years. She was state vice chairman for Tim Babcock's successful gubernatorial campaign in 1964 and was western Eye Opener Even if money grew on trees, a few smart birds would still get the most of it.

district coordinator for Babcock's unsuccessful try for the Senate in 1966. SHE ALSO HAS worked in several other GOP campaigns and has been active in Missoula County Republican work. Mrs. Mann will serve as chairman of the party at least until later this spring when Republicans will convene to elect officers for two-year terms. The Missoula woman indicated Wednesday she has made no decision on whether to be a candidate for the chairmanship.

There is a possibility that Kell- (Continued on Page 2 1 Gazette State Bureau HELENA For the first time in 15 years, a woman is chairman of one of Montana's two major political Mrs. Virginia Mann of Missoula became state Republican party chairman Tuesday when Dr. M. F. Keller of Great Falls resigned to run for Congress.

Mrs. Mann automatically moved up from her position as GOP vice chairman, a job she was elected to in June 1967. STATE BUREAU records show that the last woman to serve as chairman of either the Montana Democratic or Repub Wild Nags to Be 'Weeded' 10 ip vigorous medical treatment of the past several days, Army doctors said late Wednesday in their most pessimistic report on his current illness. "There has been no appreciable improvememt in Gen. Eisenhower's condition since this morning's bulletin," said the latest report by Brig.

Gen. Frederick J. Hughes commanding general of Walter Reed Army Hospital. xGreen Napper snatch the hat and be right out of the car. The women couldn't complain until the next stop." "Then he could cross over and take a train in the opposite direction," said Healey.

"And he wouldn't even have to buy another subway token." Transit Authority police watched for the man and sent women detectives to the subways wearing their own mink hats. "That was beyond the call of duty," said Healey. "Finally we got lucky," said Healey, who was on vacation when he spotted bright green pants. Healey said he tailed their wearer in and out of subways until he saw the man actually snatch a hat. The man, Joseph Lee 25, of the Bronx, was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court Tuesday night, charged with grand iarceny and resisting A- sorrel and typical blacks and 0ther recommendations the browns.

committee will make are: The first category of horses to -Provide water holes and be eliminated would be the old, troughs in several areas so the sick and crippled. The commit- herd wil1 not remain in one area, tee is recommending the use of Witn several watering holes, the an overdose of tranquilizers, (Continued on 2) which it says is the most hu- 6 mane method. Dr. Frank Craighead, a com- ft I I mittee member and authority on I AQC ft this subject, will supply the Wf group with data on this method. The committee said the horses tl LI A to be destroyed would be buried fff1l I 1 I on the range.

HORSES WHICH have Y0RK brands, foals belonging to man green pants stole 100 branded mares and horses rmnk hats off the heads of sur- which can be identified in adv- Pnsed before he ance due to unique markings can was ftpti? fhce t0 be claimed by the owners. 'UK Wednesday that women Other horses may be sold at Ue stnn around their P- auction or on the open market, sive bonnets, but not, the committee says, For four monUis the subway knowingly to a food processing Stopper evaded I police in wha organization. Jub bed 'The Great Management of the horses, Subway Hat Caper. the committee says, should be a only clLues the brig" cooperative group from Montan- alwavs wore.and Wyoming, the BLM and the hei leet 2Jmrij him a national park service. long reach suitable for hat snatching.

i The hats were worth about inaex $100 each and were resold at cut Vitals, Weather, Obits 8 prices. Landers 22 "The women were so help-Comics 38 less," said Eugene Healey, the Horoscope 44 subway detective who finally Dr. Thosteson 30 caught his man Tuesday night. Bragg 6 "We couldn't get a description Markets 18 of the guy because he would Sports 13-17 wait for the subway doors to be- Classifjed 40, 41, 42, 43 gin to close, reach over and By ROSS CARLETTA Gazette Staff Writer The actual number of horses to remain on the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range will be determined by a slow process of elimination. The wild horse committee, in a press conference Wednesday at the Federal Building, said a slow weeding-out process until a balance is met between the horses, other wildlife, forage and water, will be recommended to the director of the Bureau of Land Management.

THE COMMITTEE said the type and uniqueness of the herd will be perpetuated by maintaining all color variations now present, which include buckskin, Mother Berry Dies at 114 HELENA (AP) Elizabeth Williams Berry of Helena, known as Mother Berry, was found dead Wednesday at her home. She was 114. Mrs. Berry rode horses professionally as Jack Williams and raced horses all over the world. She was born in Melbourne, Australia, June 21, 1854, and was a widow of James D.

Berry, a veterinarian whom she married Dec. 12, 1903, in Washington. Funeral services were pending. i if Pony Express Returns John Werner and his horse, Jack, delivered merce contends the mail service is too slow the mail in Secaucus, N.J., Wednesday, on the and hired Werner and horse to deliver it initial run. The Secaucus Chamber oi Com-.