It seems now that Nixon will ride the storm" despite his sensational exposure in the Watergate Affair and other crooked deals one of his aides negotiated a 5400,000 contribution to Republican Funds in return for dropping an anti-trust suit agrinst International Telephone and Telegraph. Those sections of the American ruling class who saw Watergate as an excellent chance to force Nixon to drop his special aides and adopt more realistic - policies are now getting scared that the disclosures might discredit the whole capitalist system.
As one scandal follows another, the disillusionment of the American population swells to frightening proportions. The latest Gallup Poll shows that over 50 percent of the American people believe Nixon participated in a cover-up of Watergate. One group of Republican senators became so desperate at this lack of public support that they threatened a revolt against Nixon. A Nixon aide then Informed them of the possible imminence of another Dien Bien Phu in Indochina". He explained: The President may soon have to decide whether to bomb North Vietnam or the Communist missile bases in the South. How can he take such a step if his support in Congross is collapsing?" The revolt fizzled out. Faced with the choice of defending Nixon's crooked regime or jeopar dising the interests of American impenalism, the senators decided to put their mouth where their money lies.
Even the press which has fed so greedily on the White House scandals has begun to develop a certain coyness. Many American papers boycotted the report that former presidential counsellor John Dean is now ready to implicate Nixon. day this story broke, NCB news blandly reported: "There were no new developments in the Watergate case today.
The media is always a reliable ally for American "democracy. When Bobby Baker, Lyndon Johnson's aide was prosceuted for bribe-taking Johnson arranged a million dollar pay-off to keep Baker quiet. A book written by a Washington lobbyist documents how Johnson wept hysterically and screamed 'If that bastard talks 1 am going to land in jail Tell him I will give him a million dollars to take the I've got to be kept out of this. Despite its tremendous news value this disclosure remained unreported.
Support for Nixon is not restricted to the press and the Republicans Teddy Kennedy has publicly expressed his support and hopes that the case will not damage the Presidency. George MeGovern his op ponent in last year's clections has sung his pacans of praise to Nixon and suggested that he ought to admit a mistake as it is essential to the nation', Nixon will also be cheered by the attitude of Peking and Moscow, who bave remained silent on the case. Hedrik Smith, New York Times correspondent, writes: : This is the one big world capital where a Nixon Administration official can escape the Watergate nightmare." Despite the fact that US bombing in Indochina now total 150,000 tons since the cease fire of 27 January, the Peking and Moscow bureaucracies prefer not to discredit their deal with Nixon in WE AND TEL the eyes of the Russian and Chinese pouple In Britain, too, there has been a cortain reluctance to comment. Loahro affair, quickly following on the heels of Poulson, shows that taxfiddles and the involvement of Government personnel are not a peculiar American disease.
The case has however reached such alarining proportions that sacrificial offerings will have to be made of those least able to implicate others. The ruling class will withdraw pro tection from those who have no bar gaining power and rely on those whose loyalty is sufficiently strong and purchasable to serve their sentences with tight lips, with a suitable pay off when released. There is too much at stake for the American rul ing class to admit that the capitalist system breeds such corruption and is run by third-rate shysters like Nixon. The Coventry B, arrested after the police raidi in Apr care up for their tim ramand last Manday: as usial bail was opposed because anquiries were prooseding in Lancashire last week it was Yarkshine) No date has been fixed for the trial, becsuse the police are short of evidence and they know it.
A large and militant crowd greesed the prisoners 3s they were hustled inte the vans. On Saturdey the Defence Committe held a meeting in the main shopping srea uf Coventry to publiciss the political Nature of the trial When the trial dare is fixed they will be calling for a messive demonstration nutside the court on the opening day.
Further details, speakers, collection sheets, etc. contact the Prisoners Defence Com mittee, c/o 27 Pagnes - Lane, Hillfields One of the most emphatic indications of support for this Saturday's Anti-antern ment League conference has come from South Shields Trades Council At their meeting carlier this week they passed a motion winding their "fraternal greetings and support to the Anti-Internment Lesgue conference on the British Labour Mavement and the British Army. We welcome your eneratives on ini ssue and antend to moun • campaign against recruitment to all the armod foress in the South Shields area. We look forward to closer co-operation with you in this campaign and wish avary success The five Birmingham building workers who occupied the SO lump labour agency last February, along with three members of an ATV film crew who filmed them, will not