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By The Associated Press
LONDON (A?) — What do you
do with 19 masterpieces worth
about $20.4 million, that you stole
an the world’s greatest art rob
bery?
One thing’s for sure—you can’t
sell them for anything like their
market value. At lease not openly
Right now, those 19 paintings
are possibly the hottest chunk
of stolen property in the world.
Art dealers and police around
the globe have been alerted to
watch out for them.
It poses a problem for police
in Ireland investigating the raid
last weekend by an armed gang
on the collection of gold and
diamond millionaire Sir Alfred
Beit.
So far, the gang that pillaged
1 26[87
n!
$2.95
$3.05
$3.26
$3.60
No ransom demands made on 19 masterpieces worth $20.4 million
Beit’s mansion near Dublin April
26 has made no ransom demands
of any kind.
But some art experts and some
police officers believe the robbery
was politically motivated. Beit
himself thinks the gang was out
to make a killing by ransoming
off the paintings for hard cash.
And he’s also said firmly he won’t
pay a cent if that is correct.
Stealing are treasures has been
a lucrative business for centuries.
But in these days of terrorism
and revolutionary politics it has
assumed a more sinister aspect.
Hugh Leggatt, a respected Lon
don art dealer and international
art historian, said: “There are
new motives behind these art
thefts. In the old days, thefts
were often insurance frauds. Now
sociopolitical reasons
form of blackmail is
there are
and some
likely.”
There has been speculation the
gang that raided Beit’s County
Wicklow mansion at Blessington,
near Dublin, may be linked with
the Irish Republican Army, an
underground guerrilla movement
fighting to unite the British-ruled
province of Northern Ireland with
the Irish republic to the south.
The gang of five, led by a
French speaking brunette
screamed revolutionary slogans,
such as “capitalist pigs” at Beit,
and accused him of exploiting the
working class.
This, the experts believe, indi
cated the raiders were probably
motivated by something more
than just personal gain.
In the last three or four years,
according to police estimates, art
treasures worth $3 billion have
been stolen.
Most law enforcement agencies
agree the thieves these days are
far more organized internation
ally and more knowledgeable
about art than ever before.
And they are convinced that
a lot of major works that vanish
after they are stolen are sold to
wealthy collectors who in the
words of one dealer “lust” after
paintings their riches can never
buy legitimately.
However, some detectives sus
pect, no thief would be able to
dispose of 19 famous master
pieces even to shady collectors.
This reasoning tends to back up
the theory the Irish robbery was
politically motivated.
Che Battalion
Vol. 67 No. 390
College Station, Texas
Friday, May 3, 1974
Hardee’s platform
for people’s rights
7w«y 1 Co U rt affirms
"When elected, everyone will
know how to reach me and talk
to me. My opponents underesti
mate the spirit of Sparkey Har
dee,” state representative hope
ful Sparkey Hardee told The Bat
talion Thursday night.
Hardee showed this reporter a
TAMU memorandum written by
a department dean to his staff,
requiring each of them to report
any legislative communications
they receive to him. Hardee said
this was a direct violation of the
people’s trust and civil rights.
V I have more of these memos,”
Hardee said. “I can hang the man
who wrote this but he’s just one
part of a political pyramid that’s
set up between the top and bot
tom in the university community.
"I’ve talked to over 100 people
on campus about these things,
and I’ll say this, I’m conservative
on spending money in govern
ment, but I’m liberal when it
comes to civil rights for all peo
ple, not just deans and depart
ment heads. I mean for the lab
technician, the cooks and custo
dians and others,” Hardee said.
Confident of victory in Satur
day’s Democratic primary, Hardee
said he will work for a corporate
tax on Texas-based oil compa
nies. Citing his past work expe
rience with Texaco, Inc., Hardee
claims the large oil companies
are “ripping us off” in the ener
gy crisis. He advocates the state
building an offshore superport in
stead of allowing the petroleum
interests to do so, believing they
will again try to “rip off” the
people.
He favors parimutual betting
as a revenue source along with a
tax or service charge on all oil
leaving the state. He is opposed
to taxing any of the “necessities
of life,” such as food or income.
“The right-to-work issue is a
blind one,” he said. “We don’t
have it in the United States Con
stitution, so why write it into
our state charter? It should be a
statutory law.
“I believe it is the right of ev
ery individual to assemble and
discuss business or unions. I pro
tested that Food Services’ memo
last month because certain peo
ple were and still are trying to
suppress people voluntarily seek-
(See SPARKEY, p. 4)
Mysteries written p. 3
Track meet p. 5
Weather
Mostly cloudy becoming
partly cloudy in the af
ternoon Friday and Sat
urday. 20% chance of
showers Friday increas
ing to 30% chance tomor
row. High today 89°. Low
tonight 71°. High Satur
day 83°.
prior decision,
disbars Agnew
By DAVID GOELLER
Associated Press Writer
ANNAPOLIS (AP)-Describing Spiro T. Agnew as a
man who consciously cheated the federal government, the
Maryland Court of Appeals disbarred the former vice
president Thursday.
In a unanimous 13-page ruling which took away
Agnew’s right to practice law, the seven-judge court,
Maryland’s highest, termed Agnew “so morally obtuse
that he consciously cheats for his own pecuniary gain.”
Agnew pleaded no contest last October to federal income
tax evasion charges, an action tantamount to conviction.
The court’s decision affirmed a recommendation made
in January by a three-judge Circuit Court panel.
Agnew was not available for comment on the decision
in the disciplinary action brought by the state bar
association.
The Court of Appeals ruling is not subject to appeal,
although Agnew could petition the court at any time for
reinstatement as a lawyer, his profession before entering
politics full time in 1962.
Agnew was not a member of the federal bar, and his
disbarment in Maryland prevents his practicing law
elsewhere.
His lawyer, Leon H. A. Pierson, argued before the
court in April that the former Maryland governor should
only be suspended from the practice of law.
Previously, Agnew personally pleaded with the Circuit
Court judges not to deprive him of a means of earning a
living. Agnew since has announced he is writing a political
novel, which publishing experts have predicted will earn
him $100,000 or more.
The high court said it considered tax evasion a crime
involving moral turpitude, fraud and deceit and, as such,
required disbarment under state law, previous court
decisions and the ethical rules of the American Bar
Association.
“It is difficult to feel compassion for an attorney
who” cheats the government “he has sworn to serve,
completely disregards the words of the oath he uttered
when first admitted to the bar and absolutely fails to
perceive his professional duty to act honestly in all
matters,” the ruling said.
“To do other than disbar the respondent in this case,
therefore, would constitute a travesty of our respon
sibility,” said the ruling, written by Associate Judge J.
Dudley Digges.
SOFT BALLADS and foot stomping: music could be heard coming from the Forum Theater
Thursday night. The music was for Prof. Sid Cox’s English class as part of its research on
folklore and folksongs. ( Photo by Kathy Young)
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8
Cranberry,
Republican
in
McBrayer meet
primary Saturday
The Republican party will con
duct its state-wide primary Sat
urday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Precinct conventions in College
Station will begin at 7:30 p.m. at
all polling places.
Some precincts have had to be
combined in anticipation of a
small turn out by Republican vot
ers.
Precincts consolidated include
Precincts 1, 2 and 9 which will
vote at the A&M Consolidated
Superintendent’s Office bn Jersey
Street.
Precinct 8 will vote at South
Knoll School, Precinct 10 at Col
lege Hills School, Precinct 11 at
Crockett School, Precinct 12 at
Sul Ross School and Precinct 13
at Henderson School.
Precincts 21 and 22 will vote at
the Memorial Student Center. Pre
cincts 3 through 7 and 14 through
19 will vote at Travis School.
The candidates and positions on
the ballots are, for U. S. Repre
sentative from District 6, Carl
Nigliazzo; in the gubenatorial race,
Odell McBrayer and Jim Gran-
berry and in the race for lieuten
ant governor, Troy Skates. Tom
Cole is running for Attorney Gen
eral.
Nick Rowe is running unop
posed for Comptroller of Public
Accounts. Robert G. Holt is un
opposed for State Treasurer.
The Democratic Primary will al
so be Saturday. College Station
precincts are: South Knoll, all
area within city limits south of
Holleman Street; A&M Consoli
dated Middle School, the area be
tween Jersey and Holleman
streets; College Station Fire Sta
tion, the city east of Texas Avenue
and College Station Municipal
Building, the area north of cam
pus to the city line.
Applications
available for
two positions
Applications are now avail
able for one student position
on the Athletic Council and the
Student Publications Board.
Seven student positions are
also open on the Athletic Ad
visory Council, a non-university
committee and there is a va
cant seat in the Senate in the
under-graduate off-campus po
sition.
All senator applicants must
have a 2.25 GPR. Student Body
President Steve Eberhard pre
sents nominees to the Senate
for all positions where a two-
hirds approval by those present
and voting is required.
Applications will be available
in the Student Government of
fice until noon on Tuesday.
Opening of lounge
delayed until fall
The Old Exchange Store build
ing, presently serving as Registra
tion Headquarters, was planned to
be the largest student lounge for the
1974 Spring semester.
A number of conditions have kept
the hope of a lounge from being
realized. The most recent problem
was the radiator-type heating of the
building.
A main pipe broke, flooding the
entire first floor of the building. The
Physical Plant replaced not only this
pipe, but the structure’s whole
plumbing system.
Before this, delay of the arrival of
furniture and a transformer-circuit
breaker failure were preventing the
opening.
Plans for the lounge’s opening af
fected students from Milner Hall,
who were deprived soft drink and
candy machines because they could
be available “across the street. ” The
Nixon’s lawyer gets
‘broad privileges’
WASHINGTON (A*) — The
House Judiciary Committee Thurs
day granted President Nixon’s
lawyer broad privileges to par
ticipate in its impeachment pro
ceedings.
The rules of procedure permit
ting Nixon’s lawyer, James D.
St. Clair, to see impeachment
evidence, suggest additional wit
nesses and evidence and even
question witnesses was approved
by the committee by voice vote.
The live television coverage of
the meeting was approved by the
committee earlier but they won’t
start with initial presentation of
assembled impeachment evidence
scheduled to begin next week.
On a partyline vote, the com
mittee rejected by a 22 to 15 vote
a motion by Rep. David W. Den
nis, R-Ind., giving St. Clair the
right to cross-examine witnesses.
The only Republicans voting
against cross-examination were
Reps. Tom Railsback of Illinois
and Hamilton Fish Jr. of New
York. But the committee ap
proved rules giving St. Clair the
right to question witnesses and
Dennis said later he believed that
would allow the lawyer to cross-
examine them anyway.
Opponents of the cross-exam
ination right contended St. Clair
could use it constantly to disrupt
the impeachment proceedings but
chairman Peter W. Rodino Jr.
said in response to a question
during the meeting that he would
not tolerate any obstruction.
Procedures for the impeach
ment proceedings also provide:
—All members and St. Clair
will be given a written summary
of evidence with reference to spe
cific tapes and documents assem
bled by the staff at the initial
presentation scheduled next week.
—Each member will then have
access to all evidence in com
mittee hands, including evidence
the staff does not consider signi
ficant enough to include in the
summary.
—After that any member may
suggest seeking additional evi
dence or witnesses and St. Clair
will be invited to do the same.
—St. Clair also would be in
vited to supply a response to the
committee staff’s initial sum
mary of impeachment evidence.
—Rulings on St. Clair’s spe-
(See NIXON, p. 4)
Memorial Student Center Base
ment Committee was also affected
because it had intended to present
performances there. It now uses
outdoor appearances.
The lounge won’t be operational
for summer school students either.
Registration for summer school and
for incoming freshman and transfer
students will occupy the building
throughout the summer.
“The building could be opened as
a lounge in the evenings if Dr. Kol-
dus, vice-president of Student Ser-^
vices, request it,” said Don Carter,
director of Registration. “But, we
prefer that it remain closed for pro
tection of the equipment used for
registration.”
When the building does open as a
lounge, it will be carpeted, fur
nished with molded plastic modern
furniture and assorted vending
machines complete with microwave
heating ovens.
Parking fee:
100% increase
gains support
Dr. John Koldus, vice president
for student services, approved the
traffic panel’s recommendation of a
100 percent increase in parking fees
and proposed free bicycle registra
tion Thursday. The doubling of
parking fees, if approved by the
Board of Directors, will affect all
campus parking (including carpool
rates) except the College View and
Hensel areas.
Also, bike registration will be free
next semester, pending approval of
the Board. But failure to register a
bike within two weeks from the be
ginning of the fall semester will cost
$5 in fines. Koldus said the free re
gistration may encourage students
to use bikes instead of cars.
TIRED, SORE FEET? Dan Garey and Barbara Gibbs followed a friend, Inga, to the Rud
der fountain to indulge in a refreshing pasttime. (Photo by Kathy Young)
University National Bank
“On the side of Texas A&M.”
Adv.
Remember Saturday’s primaries; get out and vote