The Jackson Sun from Jackson, Tennessee • 1

7822 icentennial Celebration Year 7972 Member The Associated Press JACKSON, TENNESSEE, WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 1972 124th YEAR, NO. 172 FINAL 40 Pages Price TEN CENTS Sqsqu fi tVt -r i i i i til vi Kissinger And Le Due Tho In Secret Peace Talks i Producer Mort Briskin Says Film Walking Tall' Is Not Aimed At Selmer WASHINGTON (AP) The White House announced today that Henry A. Kissinger, President Nixon's security affairs aide, was holding secret Vietnam peace talks in Paris. Press secretary Ronald L. Ziegler said Kissinger, who flew to Paris Tuesday, was meeting with Le Due Tho and Xuan Thuy, North Vietnamese negotiatiors.

Ziegler said Kissinger would return to Washington late Wednesday. Until Ziegler talked to newsmen today there had been a veil of secrecy over Kissinger's whereabouts. Kissinger did not return to Washington with President Nixon from the Western White House at San Clemente, Tuesday. The North Vietnamese delegation to the Paris peace talks also announced the meeting between Kissinger and the Hanoi officials. It gave no details.

z. A v. 1 SELMER Mort Briskin. producer of the film "Walking Tall" which has created a wave of controversy in Selmer, has "personally taken responsibility" for what he called an erroneous press release from Bing Crosby Productions. Briskin said in an exclusive Sun interview which he himself requested that the press release in the Jackson Sun which outlined the action of the film based on the life of Buford Pusser "was a mistake," and that the city of Selmer "is not portrayed as a place of vice and corruption." The action of the film, Briskin pointed out, will take place in rural areas outside the "city limits, exactly as the incidents of Pusser's crime-busting career actually happened, with the gambling houses located on the Tennessee-Mississipi state line.

"Selmer is not portrayed as having a "strip" of gambling or drinking establishments," he said. The moviemaker, obviously distressed over negative reaction to the film from city officials in Selmer, said, "Why would I want to come 2,000 miles to antagonize people?" Briskin said when "Walking Tall" was planned, he had intended to shoot all of the movie in Selmer and McNairy County, in the place where the ambush of Pusser and other true life incidents actually occurred; he wanted to use McNairy County people, and wanted to have his crew and company catered and housed by McNairy County facilities "because I had made a promise to Buford Pusser that I would make this movie in his county, using his people, and spend my money in his county." But he met with opposition from the beginning, Briskin said, when advance production men visited Selmer on two separate occasions, and reported to Briskin that they met "with no cooperation" by local officials. He said his men were made to feel that they would get no local assistance in directing traffic around Ready For Opening this year's pageant will be Marsha McDonald, Miss Tennessee of 1971. This is the 20th AnnL versary presentation of the state pageant here. (San phU by I.rrr AthffUn) The Miss Tennessee Pageant opens at tonight in the Jackson Coliseum for four big nights of competition ending with the naming of the new title holder on Saturday evening.

Reigning over Saigon's Forces Hearing Citadel In Quang Tri SAIGON (AP) South Vietnamese forces battled their way toward the walled Citadel in the heart of Quang Tri City today and reported 163 North Vietnamese killed in house-to-house fighting Tuesday. One government paratrooper unit was reported 100 yards from the southeastern corner of the19th century fortress, and another was closing in from the northeast side. Initial reports said the North Vietnamese killed five government soldiers and wounded 20 in the fighting Tuesday. The U.S. Command said three American Phantom jets bombed a South Vietnamese position six miles southeast of Quang Tri City by mistake, killing one government soldier and wounding 16.

It was the third such U.S. bombing mistake reported in two days and the fourth in two weeks near Quang Tri. A total of 11 South Vietnamese killed and 51 wounded have been reported. Field officers blame the close-quarter fighting, the often confused (Continued on Page 9) BRISKIN filming sites; that the courthouse, which he would need for only three days of shooting, "would be in use for two months." Briskin said that while he could have filmed "Walkin Tall" in Hollywood, he wanted to use the local settings "to portray the beauty of West Tennessee, and to show that some people in a world of rising crime rates still believe in law and order; and some places are still good places to live." Selmer people and places would be depicted "as good, peace-loving and law abiding" residents, he said, and would not be portrayed as evil or corrupt. His intent was not, he said, to show a bad town, but a strong, sacrificing lawman who was willing to suffer personal loss in order for good to triumph over evil.

People would come away from the theater after seeing "Walking Tall" saying not "how bad" the town is, but how good it is that there are places left in America where the good guy can still be the hero at the end of the story. In response to charges that Selmer would gain nothing but "black eye" from Briskin's movie, he responded that he was spending in excess of $1 million in Madison and Chester counties that he would have been (Continued on Page 2) Will Ske Hospital Board Awaits Word On Money By JOHN PARISH Thursday is D-Day for the allocation of federal funds for hospital construction, administrator Dr. John R. Thompson Jr. told Jackson-Madison County General Hospital trustees Tuesday.

A major expansion program has been held in abeyance for some six weeks while awaiting a decision on the distribution of Hill-Burton construction funds, Dr. Thompson said. "We will learn Thursday how much of a grant, if any, we will receive." The hospital building program will cost an estimated $6.5 million if the complete expansion and modernization project is carried out, Dr. Thompson noted. The project may be trimmed to fit the amount of money that will be available through a federal grant and borrowed funds.

"There is not a whole lot of money available to Tennessee," the administrator explained in discussing the federal grant funds. "The allocation of the funds has been put off for two years and during this time other hospitals have come into the picture. Some of them have higher priorities than our hospital." The financing problem prompted board member Walter Barnes to propose Tuesday that the Hospital's finance committee meet with city and county authorities to study possible methods for financing the building program. His proposal, seconded by trustee Roy Morgan, was unanimously approved. Dr.

Thompson admitted that he has become "rather pessimistic" about chances for getting a substantial amount of money under the federal grant program. He said most of the financing must come from either federal loans or locally issued bonds. One possible course, Dr. Thompson explained, is a program which subsidizes part of the interest costs on federal de- bentures. The federal government would pay up to a 3 per cent rate of all the interest charges in excess of 4 per cent.

This program could be more expensive than the traditional method of financing expansion programs at the hospital, the administrator said. In the past, the hospital has used the credit of the City of Jackson and Madison County to issue general obligation bonds which were repaid by revenue from the hospital. Dr. Thompson said the hospital has retired all but approximately $2.4 million of the bonded debt for previous building programs. "Everything spent for capital improvements since 1953 has been repaid from revenue of the hospital," he explained.

Financing of most of the hospital construction, including the original building, has involved federal Hill-Burton funds which pay 52 per cent of the cost. In some instances, the hospital has had to pay the full cost of projects not approved under the Hill-Burton grant program. The present expansion program, the sixth since the hospital was opened in 1950, includes a six-story addition and virtually doubling the facilities for surgery, laboratories and X-ray. Also in the project is modernization of some of the original hospital building. "We would have a net gain of 135 beds if the modernization program is included and 171 beds if it is omitted," Dr.

Thompson said. The hospital presently has a capacity of 401 beds and is averaging approximately 90 per cent occupancy. In a year-end report at Tuesday's board meeting, Dr. Thompson pointed out that the hospital's, revenue amounted to $8,865,523 in the fiscal year which ended June 30. Expenses for the year were $8,109,726, leaving more than $750,000 to pay off bonded debt and for surplus.

Dr. James. Walter Barnes son of hospital trustee Walter Barnes, was admitted to the courtesy medical staff with privileges in urology. He is completing his residency in Memphis and is a graduate of the University of Tennessee School of Medicine. Emergency room staff addi- (Continued on Page 5) wliseum Tonight provided by Rayburn Anthony who will sing, "Welcome To Our World." He will be joined by Joan Baker for "Little Green Apples" and later by Joyce Reynolds for "Jackson." Miss Reynolds will sing "Snowbird" and Miss Baker will sing the popular "Gentle On My Mind." Appearing in tonight's evening gown competition will be: Miss Blount County, Miss Martin College, Miss Lane College, Miss Rhododendron, Miss Madison County, Miss Greene County, Miss McNairy County, Miss Memphis, Miss Wilson County, Miss Maury County.

Miss Knoxville, Miss Johnson County and Miss Nashville. Competing in the talent divis- Continued on Page 14) Union University in the pageant; Miss Wilson County, Martha Maggart, returns to again carry the banner for her home county; and Miss University of Tennessee at Martin, Susan Turbeville served as Miss Weakley County in the 1971 pageant. Debby Cathy, Miss Nashville in the 1972 pageant, last year was Miss Carson Newman College and prior to that was Miss Davidson County. Both Miss Cathey and Miss Turbeville were in the top 10 in the 1971 pageant. Following the singing of the National Anthem by Beverly Williams, Master of Ceremonies Dave Overton will take control of the evening's activities.

Special entertainment for each night of the pageant will be By JIM VANN With sounds of the overture by the Union University Stage Band, the curtain will rise on the 20th Anniversary presentation of the Miss Tennessee Pageant. The hopes of 40 lovely contestants will be high as they begin competition which will win for one the title of Miss Tennessee of 1972 and the opportunity to wear the crown so proudly worn by Marsha McDonald this past year. Three contestants in this year's pageant will be walking the ramp for the second consecutive year in an attempt to win the crown. Another will make her fourth try for the title. Miss Madison County, Bonnie Bivens last year represented Affleamiy Pennies Mairseiiiefliifi loth EMsLwem.

1 'h Glance TEMPERATURES Yesterday Today 1 p.m. 89 1 a.m. 77 2 p.m. 90 2 a.m. 76 3 p.m.

88 3 a.m. 76 4 p.m. 89 4 a.m. 75 5 p.m. 88 5 a.m.

74 6 p.m. 88 6 a.m. 73 7 p.m. 88 7 a.m. 74 8 p.m.

85 8 a.m. 77 9 p.m. 82 9 a.m. 81 10 p.m. 80 10 a.m.

84 11 p.m. 79 11 a.m. 86 Midnite 79 Noon 89 i3 SV By NEIL GILBRIDE WASHINGTON (AP) AFL-CIO President George Meany announced Wednesday that the politically powerful labor federation will not endorse either Democratic nominee George S. McGovern or President Nixon in the November White House election. The executive council of the 13.6-million member labor federation, which has supported all past Democratic presidential candidates, this time will concentrate on electing its friends in Congress, Meany said.

The 35-man labor council, by a vote of 27-3, adopted this statement. "Under the AFL-CIO will refrain from endorsing either candidate for the office of President of the United States. "These circumstances call, rather, for the maximum concentration of effort on the election of senators and representatives whose records' commend them to the working people of America. "Affiliates are, of course, free to endorse and support any candidate of their choice." Leaders of several of the AFL-CIO's 117 individual unions have endorsed or said they would endorse McGovern. One the Marine Engineers Beneficial Association has endorsed Nixon.

4 Five members' of the labor (Continued On Page 15 A) At A MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. (AP) Clark MacGregor, director of President Nixon's re-election campaign, predicts Nixon will again choose Spiro T. Agnew as his running mate, and will announce that decision within the next two weeks. Index PAGE BILLY GRAHAM 10A COMICS 4A DAILY REPORT ..15 DEAR ABBY 10 DR. CRANE EDITORIALS 4 ENTERTAINMENT .16 L.

M. BOYD 2 MARKETS 15A OBITUARIES 16A SPORTS 10, 12-13 THAT'S POLITICS 8 WOMEN TODAY 17-19 WEATHER WEST TENNESSEE: Fair and mild tonight, partly cloudy and warm with chance of thun-dershowers Thursday. Lows to-' night low 70s, highs Thursday low 90s. Probability of rain: 30 per cent Thursday. Partly cloudy and continued warm with a few afternoon showers or thundershowers Friday through Sunday.

Lows most- ly in the. low Highs in the upper 80s and low 90s. Precipitation Precipitation last 24 hrs. .00 Precipitation this month 6.14 Precipitation this year 38.92 Normal to date 32.83 Sun rises 5:54 sets 8:08 State Temperatures jfi' v-- i i 4 't Low High Pr. 76 90 i II.

I Memphis Nashville Chattanooga Knoxville Tri-Cities Millington Dyersburg Crossville 70 91 67 87 71 86 67 87 74 90 74 91 65 83 RIVER STAGES Today. Change 412.6 U. Ys Lake Pickwick Kentucky Johnsonville Savannah Perryville 357.9 357.8 .2 .2 Games People Play 358.8 258.1 Unch it Grabbing a lion by the tail is no big deal. to boss." Paul the lion and Jack enjoy their dally says Jack Castor, veteran lion man at the San, romps but the game is not for everyone, Francisco Zoo. "You gott show him who's Ar wtrhu).