European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 21, 1973, Darmstadt, Hesse                              Wednesday november 21, 1973 the stars and stripes James Reston Page 13 nightmares still confront Nixon i hear the Ameri Maiks Are suffering a a fuel  president Nixon has been running around the country like a travelling Salesman and he has relieved the pressure for his res ignation by opening himself to questions and promising full Dis closure of All relevant watergate evidence but he is still living with two nightmares. The first is what full Dis closure will do to him and particularly to his colleagues who Are now under suspicion or indictment when the evidence on watergate and related crimes is presented in court. And the Sec Ond is what Public reaction will be to this administration if the Energy crisis is really severe this Winter and leads to an economic recession next year. It May be that what s left on the tapes and the other evidence will not incriminate the presi Dent himself. After All he knew the tapes were recording every thing he said in the privacy of his offices but Many of his visitors and even some of his closest aides did not know they were being recorded. Accordingly by promising full disclosure Nixon May save him self but at the same time full Dis closure May incriminate and convict other White House and Campaign assistants and they Are Likely to have a great Deal to say about their own and the pres ident s role in All this rather than going quietly to jail. Also in handling his own de sense in his meetings with Mem Bers of the House and Senate he has in effect been lobbying the very men who must sit As jury and judge in any impeachment proceedings brought against him and he has been excusing the firing of special prosecutor Archibald Cox by implying that both Cox and former attorney general Richardson went Back on a Compromise he thought head made with them. Nevertheless though this has irritated the majority leaders in the Congress and infuriated both Cox and Richardson who will probably have to testify in Many of the court cases now pending Nixon has undoubtedly helped his own Case by facing the con Gressmen and the editors at Dis Ney world. The question is what comes next in the courts and in the Economy. Nixon has handled his psychological question boldly and effectively in the last few Days. Even his friends in con Gress who were willing to forgive or excuse his role and his handling of the political crisis were troubled about his brooding Isola Tion and his sudden defiant appearances. They were not so concerned about his watergate mistakes As he Calls them As they were worried about him. Whether he was in charge of his problem or even of himself. This fundamental problem he has handled very Well recently. From his excessive secrecy he has suddenly moved to an almost frantic series of speeches and confrontations but in the process he has been responsive to questions much More confident Thanh was a week or so ago and he has taken the headlines away from his critics. The Middle East War and the ensuing Energy crisis helped him temporarily. They diverted Public opinion from the scandals and put him Back again on More comfortable grounds. But in the Long run the Energy crisis was a blow to Nixon for it threatens a hard Winter More divisions with in the country and probably More unemployment and even higher prices. At Home it confronts him with an awkward dilemma. To Cut consumption of Gas heating Oil and other fuel he can Appeal to the people to Cut Down the heat in their houses and their Speed on the Road but Industry uses 70 per cent of american Energy and Volunteer austerity will not Deal with the problem. He either has to ration fuel or tax it heavily and even his closest aides Are divided on whether to ration or tax. Rationing is obviously easier on the poor and the unions Are fighting for it but it involves the creation of a vast bureaucracy and Many of the old problems of prohibition Days bootlegging political corruption and in these James j. Kilpatrick Days of sophisticated new print ing techniques the risk of wide spread counterfeiting of ration coupons and car stickers. A stiff excise tax to discourage consumption not Only puts the Burden More heavily on the poor than on the Rich but it raises fundamental questions for the econ omy. For example every Penny added to the Federal fuel tax would take a billion dollars out of the Economy 10 cents $10 Bil lion .40 cents As some officials have been predicting $40 billion. Somehow this would have to be turned Back into the Economy to avoid very serious economic difficulties. Already officials Here Are not Only saying that if you want the kids Home for Christmas you d better get their reservations now and Hope the planes won t be grounded on Many scheduled flights by that time. The effects of All this on Public opinion and on the attitude of the people toward Nixon and his administration Are not hard to imagine. Watergate has always been basically a political ques Tion rather than a Legal question and the decisive jury for Nixon is the people. C new York times our businessmen May no longer be patsies David Packard former Deputy Secretary of defense and Long a leading figure in Ameri can Industry made a telling speech in new York City last month. Excerpts from his text appear in the november 17 Issue of human events. At about the same time Packard was speaking a special task Force of the . Chamber of Commerce was wrapping up its report on what the free enter prise system might do toward preserving the free Enterprise system. Taking one event with the other i venture the thought the timid tentative thought that the american business Community which includes some of the softest patsies in the land May be about to wage an Offen Sive that is Long overdue. It seems an incredible Prospect. According to the popular myth the typical american industrialist browbeat his Stock holders at breakfast and gobbles Down a few Consumers for lunch. He devours Union members widows and orphans for dinner and snacks minced intellectuals by night. Surf edited with exploitation he burps his Way to bed and sleeps the sleep of the William f. Buckley  disquieting tendency to distort the opinions expressed in the columns and cartoons on this Page represent those of the authors and Are in no Way to be considered As representing the views of the stars and stripes itself or of the United states government. I do not think the press is distorted or vicious in any categorical sense but i do think there is a tendency in the press to magnify and thus distort and unquestionably or. Nixon is frequently the victim of that kind of thing. Permit me to recount a personal experience. Ten Days ago i spoke at Kansas state University. In response to the question what did i think the future held out for or. Nixon i replied that the Odds had now in my opinion changed favouring the possibility of resignation. The next Day i met happily with senator Goldwater at the annual meeting of a foundation of which he and i and a few other j tigers including senators Tower Thurmond and Lausche Are trustees. After the meeting was Over senator Goldwater and i drove to the Airport together and awaiting our flights chatted together at the Coffee shop. A moment or two later a gentleman materialized who identified himself As being from lbs. He desired us to perform before his camera Crew respecting or. Nixon and watergate. We declined Ever so politely and Ever so firmly. Presently we got up passed the camera Crew and the indomitable reporter saying amiably not a word. The following morning front Page new York times. News men in Wichita Kansas reported seeing senator Barry Gold water of Arizona and William f. Buckley jr., the conservative columnist in deep discussion at the Airport there today. Or. Buckley spoke last night at Kansas state University where he said that he believed or. Nixon would resign because of the watergate scandal at the urging of or. Goldwater and other friends. Or. Buckley and or. Goldwater were quoted by the associated press As saying they expected a startling development in the watergate affair in the next few  in due course i received a Tele phone Call from the new York times wanting to know More about the sensational devel piment i had predicted. I replied that i knew of no sensational development had predicted no such thing nor had senator Gold water in my presence. On the matter of resignation i explained that to say the Odds favor resignation is different from predicting resignation. To say the Odds favor rain tomorrow is not to predict rain tomorrow. These Nice distinctions were not reported Back to the readers of the new York times. Perhaps the distinctions Are too Nice. Pro Fessor Hugh Kenner has recorded that a newspaper is a Low definitional medium and that it is unsafe to attempt in it a thought the accuracy of which depends on the Correct placement of a comma. Now a week having gone by i am receiving mail from All Over the world asking when would the news come out of the startling development that brought Sena Tor Goldwater and me to make a secret rendezvous in Wichita Kansas for the purpose of Dis cussing the mechanics of presi Dent Nixon s  in the first place insofar As it concerns me it is mysteriously flattering. I have no delusions about my own Power to bring or. Nixon Down. Who do they think Iam John Dean Iii in the second place though at this Point several newspapers have received from my own Mouth the news that i made no prediction about any watergate development i have yet to see a single reference to said correction. This is the kind of thing or. Nixon is complaining about if you see what i mean. C Washington Star Syndicate just. The truth lies somewhere else. To judge from the record of re cent years the typical corporate executive is terrified of his Stock holders he will write them five Page single spaced letters byway of conciliation. At the drop of a statement from Ralph Nader vice presidents turn into Chicken Littles they believe the skies Are falling. Their customary attitude toward intellectuals and especially to Ward higher education is beyond comprehension the custom of Many corporations whose Busi Ness lives depend upon the preservation of a free Enterprise philosophy is to give Large sums to institutions whose faculties re Gard free Enterprise with con tempt. It is this last aberration involving mindless gifts to universities that touched off Packard s speech last month to the commit tee for corporate support of american universities. Packard made it Clear that he is in favor of such support but he bluntly recommended that the business Community begin to exercise some selectivity in its giving it makes no sense Packard said for a corporation to give Money blindly. The object should be to make sure that the Money in some defensible Way will Benefit our  that is a shocking attitude to be sure it is heresy in the tem Ples of Academia but it makes sense. The recommendations of the . Chamber task Force Are cast in the same Strong Mold. It is High time said a group headed by William g. Whyte for Busi Ness management to launch a sustained drive using every skill and Talent every program and project every tool and de vice we possess to revitalize re Spect for the free Enterprise system. C Washington Star Syndicate