Week of January 15, 1970

The Nixon Administration decides to propose legislation for the creation of a

semi-public corporation empowered to take over and modernize the nation’s

ailing intercity passenger

train system.

G.T. Kurubo, Nigeria’s

Ambassador says that

Soviet aid to his country

was the most important

factor in the defeat of

Biafran secessionists.

The United States and

Communist China resume

formal ambassadorial talks

after a two-year suspension.

No date was set for the next

meeting.

Successful trip - Vice

President Agnew returns to

Washington after his Asian

and Pacific trip. Upon arrival

at Andrews Air Force Base

where he was applauded by

500 people holding such

signs as “Spiro’s Our Hero.”

China says it is wiling to see

a negotiated settlement of the Vietnam War, according to an envoy.

France will sell Libya a total of 100 jets - twice as large as originally announced.

France will deliver to Libya 30 Mirage-III E interceptors and 20 trainer

reconnaissance planes, in addition to the order of 50 Mirage-5 ground attack

planes.

United Nigeria - Biafra surrenders ending a 30-month war of secession that

wiped out nearly a generation if Ibo tribe children - some say 2 million lives

overall - and shattered black Africa’s most promising nation. Maj. Gen Philip

Effiong, a minority Efik tribesman left in charge when Biafra’s leader, Gen. C.

Odumegwu Ojukwu caught one of the last flights out, announced the capitulation

in a broadcast. He agreed to discuss terms in the framework of a United Nigeria.

Week of January 15, 1970

Stalled growth - The GNP leveled-off in the last three months of 1969, the first

time since 1967. The Commerce Department announced the Gross National

Product actually rose $10.3 billion in dollar terms to a seasonally adjusted annual

rate of 953.1 billion in the fourth quarter of last

year. Most of the rise had to do with price

increases. Real GNP - total output measured in

1958- inched downward from an annual rate of

$730.6 billion to $730.5 billion.

Jean Peters - Howard Hughes’ wife since 1957 -

files for divorce.

The Supreme Court rules 6 to 2 that public schools

attended by about 300,000 students in five

Southern states must be desegregated by Feb. 1.

Charles Mansion who sought to form a corporation

with six other Los Angeles County jail inmates is

unsuccessful.

The Federal Reserve Board announces sizable increases in the interest rates the

commercials banks can pay to savers. For savers - the ordinary passbook rate

will be allowed to go to 4.5% from the present 4%. Banks will not be permitted to

pay up to 5.5% on a one-year savings certificate and up to 5.75% on a year on a

two-year certificate.

Week of January 15, 1970

At the movies this week - Elvis, Liza and Johnny Cash, who also begins a

new ABC-TV show!

Senate investigators are told the government continues to approve the use in

birth control pills of a hormone it banned 10 years ago as a chicken fattener. Its

use as a chicken fattener was discontinued, the senators were told, because it

caused cancer in laboratory animals. Separately - A Johns Hopkins

gynecologist warns a Senate subcommittee that he feared birth control pills -

used by 8.5 million American women, many cause breast cancer that would not

be detected for 20 years.

The Soviet Union says that it will broadcast statements attributed to American

prisoners in North Vietnam and one State Department official responded with a

complaint. Moscow radio announced that a 30-minute broadcast by the prisoners

- of which have already been selected - will be beamed on shortwave on several

frequencies.

Mrs. Helen Nelson - a spokesperson for consumer organizations, urges that

Congress repair or replace the truth-in-packaging law with new tools to help

buyers learn what they are getting for their money.

First Lt. William L. Calley Jr., charged with killing 109 Vietnamese men, women

and children at Songmy, declines to testify at a hearing on an additional charge

that he murdered a Vietnamese civilian about six weeks prior.

Consumer prices rose .6% in December, bringing inflation to 6.1% for the 1969.

Merge - American Airlines the nation’s second-largest air carrier will merge with

Trans-Caribbean Airways.

Music news - Singer Arlo Guthrie takes the

stand in the Chicago 7 trial in Chicago. Guthrie

testified he had been asked by Jerry Rubin and

Abbie Hoffman to join their Yippie “festival of

Light” at the Democratic Convention and had

offered them his song, “Alice’s Restaurant,” as a

theme. He was asked to explain the song. He told

the story of his friend Alice and her husband,

whose collection of garbage in a Stockbridge, MA

church led to Guthrie’s exemption from the

draft… About how Alice and her husband bought

Week of January 15, 1970

the old church ad set-up housekeeping for themselves and a horde of transient

friends, how they had so much room it seemed pointless to take out the garbage

every day, and how it grew and grew…

Peace From Toronto - John and Yoko - recently arrived (again) in Toronto and

it appears, this time, they are staying with musician Ronnie Hawkins (The Band)

at his house. They want to set up a new Peace Council headquartered in

Toronto and they plan to announce a mammoth rock Peace Festival in town July

3-5. The Peace Council, Lennon said, was going to be organized by Yoko and

himself, comedian Dick Gregory and Toronto rabbi Abraham Feinberg. Why did

they choose Canada

for their campaign?

“Well, for one, thing, it

talks to China, Also it’s

a young country, not

too set in its ways. Not

too powerful. Whatever

help we’ve had has

come from here. Then

too, it’s right next door

to that other place. It’s

easier for us to

promote our views from

here. Back home, the

British press still isn’t

convinced we’re

sincere. I was a full-

time cynic as a Beatle,

and they’re not sure

I’ve changed. But also,

the writers miss

Beatlmania, the

glamour and the glory we provided for them. They want the good old cynical

John back,” said Lennon.

More Lennon… He was asked how he got started in the peace movement. “Well,

when we met, both Yoko and I were thinking about our usefulness in life. And

when we fell in love, we wondered what we cold do together. I didn’t want to do

the music thing alone. And I didn’t want Yoko going off to her art shows. Then,

one day two years ago, Yoko said, ‘Let’s promote peace. It’s a big job, and it’s

big enough for our egos.’ And that was it. We have selfish interests in it too. One,

we don’t want to be killed. Two, the work occupies our time completely. We’ve

never been apart for more than 30 minutes since.”

Week of January 15, 1970

Interesting - John Lennon says “we always try to get to bed by 9. Bed’s our

place. We’re both basically shy and timid people and it’s our only time alone.” He

also told reporters - “Yoko and I are getting married again at the festival,

probably by a Buddhist priest. When we first started living together, we didn’t

think we’d ever marry. But then, when our divorces came through from our

former mates, we suddenly felt so free. And one day in Gibraltar, just after Yoko’s

first miscarriage, we simply decided to make our love official. We were married

by a little civil servant. And we dug it

so much, we’d now lie to get

married again every way there is.”

Sports -

Joe Frazier bought $40,000 worth of

tickets for his friends to watch his

Feb 16 title bout with Jimmy Ellis at

Madison Square Garden.

Bobby Orr sets an all-time NHL

record - becoming the first

defenseman ever to win a scoring

prize at the halfway point of the

season, tot two assists in his 40 th

game for a record total of 51.

Rookie Lew Alcindor scores a career high of 46 points and shatters two records

in leading the Milwaukee Bucks to a 115-113 win over the LA Lakers. Alcindor

grabbed and stuffed one with 12 seconds remaining to

get the final score. Earlier in the fourth quarter -

Alcindor had tied the score at 109-109 and again at

111-111.

Entertainment news -

Two new Dick Nixon and Spiro Agnew comedy albums

are out. Get “I Am the President” by David Frye who

does a great impression of Nixon. Also “Richard the

37 th : The Agnew and the Ecstasy.”

Television news - After being off TV for almost three

years, Danny Kaye will appear on Rowan and Martin’s

Laugh-In. He’ll take part in black-outs in a show airing

March 2.

Week of January 15, 1970

Pat Paulson - formerly with the Smothers Brothers Show on CBS-TV - gets his

own show on ABC - See ad.

Also debuting - “Paris 7000.” George Hamilton stars as Joe Brennan, whose

assignment is to aid U.S. citizens caught in crisis situations. It’s George’s second

series after the canceled “The Survivors” last year.

Top TV -

Walt Disney - 29.2

Laugh-In - 27.5

Gunsmoke - 27.5

Orange Bowl - 27.3

Marcus Welby - 25.5

Mayberry RFD - 24.5

Bonanza - 25.0

Here’s Lucy - 24.9

NBC Saturday Night Movie “Namu” -

23.9

Bill Cosby Show - 23.9

Name of the game - 23.7

Red Skelton - 23.4

Jim Nabors - 23.3

Andy Williams - 23.0

CBS Thursday Movie “Five Weeks in a

Balloon” - 22.7

Family Affair - 22.5

Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour - 22.4

Doris Day Show - 22.4

My Three Sons - 22.4

High Chaparral - 22.3

Wednesday night television -

CBS - Hee Haw, Beverly Hillbillies, Medical Center, Hawaii Five-O, Merv Griffin

NBC - The Virginian, Kraft Music Hall, then Came Bronson, Johnny Carson

ABC - Debut-Nanny and the Professor, Courtship of Eddie’s Father, Room 222,

Debut-Johnny Cash, Debut-Englebert Humperdinck, Dick Cavett

Courtship of Eddie’s Father - Eddie falls in love with his teen babysitter, who in

turn, has a crush on Eddie’s father.

Debut - Johnny Cash show - Arlo Guthrie, Bobbie Gentry and Jose Feliciano.

Week of January 15, 1970

Debut - Englebert Humperdinck Show - Produced in London. Guests - Tony

Bennett and Donald O’Connor guest.

Merv Griffin - June Allyson, Sylvia Porter, John Denver, Ike and Tina Turner,

Grace Bumbry.

Johnny Carson - Alan King is the guest host.

Thursday night television -

CBS - Family Affair, Jim Nabors, Movie, Merv Griffin

NBC - Daniel Boone City High School Basketball Championship, Dragnet 1970,

Dean Martin, Johnny Carson

ABC - Debut-Pat Paulsen, That Girl, Tom

Jones, Debut-Paris 7000, Dick Cavett

Jim Nabors - Rock Hudson guests.

Dean Martin - Orson Welles, Virna Lisi, Lou

Rawls, Rocky Graziano.

Merv Griffin - Ted Mack, Soupy Sales, Curt

Flood.

Johnny Carson - Peter Lawford guest hosts.