These are the top stories for May 12, 1968
In the national news
Student Rioting in Paris Hits Crisis Proportions: General Strike Planned
“Squads of riot police threw tear-gas grenades and charged through the Latin Quarter again Saturday night after student rioting took on proportions of a crisis for the De Gaulle government.” (Associated Press)
An AP wirephoto shows a mule that will possibly be used for Poor People’s Campaign stuck in the Mississippi mud.
Try By Viet Cong To Escape Fails
“Shouting and shooting, several hundred Viet Cong charged out of a bombed-out pocket on Saigon’s southern-fringe Saturday night in a desperation assault to break out of a trap.” (Associated Press)
President Approves Cut of $4 Billion in Federal Spending
“President Johnson said Saturday a $4 billion cut in federal spending in the next fiscal year is as far as Congress can go and still meet the nation’s urgent needs.” (Associated Press)
From Indiana: RFK Not Jack by Joseph Alsop
“About Indiana, the conventional thing to say is that Sen. Robert Kennedy won comfortably, but that his victory is not decisive.”
Civil Rights, Labor Movements Find New Success in Memphis by Murray Seeger
“The civil rights movement, which lost some of its momentum three years ago, and the labor movement, which lost much of its thrust 30 years ago, have found a new prescription for success. It is the ‘Memphis formula’ which evolved out of the incredible mixture of the mundane and the tragic events in that city starting with a strike by garbage and sanitation workers and climaxing with the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” (The Los Angeles Times)
U.S. Viet Graft Quiz Demanded: Shocking Report by Ribicoff by Gaylord Shaw
“A secret Senate report charges there are definite indications of kickbacks in a U.S. construction project in South Vietnam – a country where it says millions of dollars are being ‘squandered because of inefficiency, dishonesty, corruption and foolishness.’” The document was “prepared” by Sen. Abraham Ribicoff, a Democrat from Connecticut. (Associated Press)
Union Aids Rioters, Vows Paris Tie-up
“The De Gaulle government offered concessions to insurgent students Saturday night after a week of riots on Paris’ Left Bank, but the students and their powerful union allies said they will not call off a crippling general strike planned for tomorrow.” (Associated Press)
Bomb Halt Likely No. 1 Topic by Raymond Lawrence
“The U.S.-North Vietnam opening peace talks in Paris got off to a good start. That auspicious note was sounded in the official American verdict that the atmosphere was ‘very good’ in the words of Cyrus R. Vance, deputy leaders of the U.S. delegation. (Oakland Tribune – Oakland, California)
China Plot Hinted to Disrupt Talks
“France officially accused ‘enemies of the return of peace’ Saturday of trying to upset American-North Vietnamese truce talks by exploiting student unrest in the French capital.” (Associated Press)
