Cox alleges obstruction

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33370, 31 October 1973, Page 17

Cox alleges obstruction

•. X.Z.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright > WASHINGTON. October 30. The XV hite House is under increased pressure today to allow the courts to appoint a new special Watergate prosecutor, after allegations that the President has blocked efforts to obtain evidence on other issues besides the Watergate break-in.

Mr Archibald Cox. who was dismissed by President Nixon 10 days ago from his post as special Watergate prosecutor, told the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday of obstructions he said he had encountered while trying to obtain evidence from the White House.

Mr Cox said he knew that some White House aides were troubled by the breadth of his investigations, but, he said, he could not give their concern as the cause of his dismissal.

He also said that he now thought that Congress should approve legislation providing for the appointment of a new prosecutor by a Federal court, and not by the White House. Mr Cox challenged the assertion by the White House chief of staff, General Alexander Haig, that only relatively few Presidential documents had been withheld from him during his investigations, which began last May. The Senate Republican leader, Senator Hugh Scott,

a member of the Judiciary Committee, has said that Republican leaders in Congress also believe that the special prosecutor should have access to all essential White House papers, and must have some sort of insurance against dismissal. Mr Cox said that Watergate had been only one part of his task. He was also investigating possibly illegal contributions to President I Nixon’s re-election campaign from dairy farmers seeking increased Government price supports; money paid by the

, | multi-millionaire. Mr Howllard Hughes, to President 11 Nixon’s friend, Mr Charles (“Bebe”) Rebozo, as an elec- ( tion campaign . contribution; ;(a large, undescribed rnonev- . | raising operation in 1969 I and 1970; abuses of Govern- ' I mental power, including the > ( Internal Revenue Service, ■ against the President’s op,l ponents: relations between , (the _ Administration and "political dirty tricks.” I Democratic leaders of (Congress have agreed that -(the Vice-Presidential nomi;lnee, Mr Gerald Ford, should ‘(not be a hostage in the dis- • puie between Congress and ' the President over the future i(prosecution of the Watergate case. Some Democrats have ' suggested that consideration of Mr Ford’s fitness for the Vice-Presidency should be delayed until Mr Nixon allows an independent investigation of alleged wrong- ( doing by past and present ! members of his Adminisitration; but leading Democrats in the Senate and (House of Representatives (have agreed that consideration of the nomination of Mr Ford “should proceed (with all due deliberateness II in both Houses.”