LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Further Notes on Nixon's Downfall ■Min

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Pifir V/7‘'The Final Days: This certainly is Woodward and Bernstein's week! The world premier of the Woodward-Bernstein-Redford- Hoffman movie plus a front page book review of their new release, "The Final Days." The timing couldn't have been 5) and that Eddie Cox relates how better.. And such a book review! The Nixon was walking the halls talking to Post may think that it has insured that pictures of former presidents. No the book will soar to the number one sense of keyhole gossip. position of Book With millions of words written about Review! but I wouldn't spend my, Mr. Nixon—"our most tortured Presi- money for it, since The Post, News- dent"—things were being repeated and week and the news media have already repeated and the public was becoming told us all the "juicy" parts. immune to any new book on the sub-• I thought that cashing in on Water- ject of Watergate. Now, Mr. Johnson- gate would come to an end with this tells us, that "reporters will be labor- movie, but Woodward and Bernstein ing to produce 'hard news' leads out of are obviously not through. They have the welter of new information." Per- spent "over a year and interviewed 394 haps I am wrong, but I thought that people—one 17 times" to extract the Woodward and Bernstein were report- last drop of blood from the turnip. ers. They very obviously have saved up Although Haynes Johnson tells us in all this new information—to enclose it his March 27 book review that there is in a neat package—a book. And books "no sense of keyhole gossip" in the make money and therefore so do book, he also tells us of 1) how Woodward and. Bernstein. Does this re- Alexander Haig joked that Nixon and flect on their credibility? Rebozo had a homosexual relationship KAREN B. AYLOR 2) that Kissinger called Nixon a Bowie. "meatball" President 3) how Mrs. • Nixon and Mr. Nixon were drinking so The gross and tasteless portrayal of heavily 4) that David Eisenhower has been waiting for Nixon to go bananas weed. We can go for months without The political 'motivation for the si- front page news of our four-year old Nixon's last evening in the White multaneous world premiere of the ballyhoo and then, up it crops. House by Messrs. Woodward and Bern- Watergate movie and the publication, stein displays not only their lack of plus extensive excerpting by the Post My concern isn't in closeting this common human compassion, but and , of the second Wood- blight in American democracy. The ac- makes suspect their motives in origi- ward and Bernstein book is compre- curate facts and consequences of nally reporting the Watergate case. hensible . .. the Nixon pardon must be Watergate are essential to America's Does not even this man,-whatever his kept firmly Around President Ford's history and the understanding of it. faults, deserve at least these last mo- neck until Nov: 2. But I strongly object and resent your front page coverage of the Woodward/ ments free from a prying, insensitive But the fact that The Post helped to and irresponsible press? Bernstein soap opera rendition of one give the widest possible circulation to of the, most tragic nights in history. Most people of mature years who dirty, back stairs scrapings, about Pat have lived as recluses have seen the Can't a man who is struggling to stay Nixon is not. This casual destruction of afloat in a sea of quicksand be allowed most stable of their acquaintances be- the pride and privacy of a gdod and have in extraordinary ways when, un- privacy in his last moment of political lovely Iady, who never made a misstep life? der very great stress, they have drunk in all her years as the loyal wife of a too much. public man, is sickening, shameful, and Who are Woodward/Bernstein, but One wonders with what equanimity inexcusable. two psycho-journalists capitalizing on these young men would endure inter- America's misfortune. Unfortunately national disgrace and obloquy in the KATHERINE M. WILSON for the American public, they seemed twilight of their careers. And let them Washington. to have milked dry that newsworthy not answer that Nixon himself was sel- • event. Yet, they persist in milking the dom compassionate or sensitive, for Pogo said it all when he said, "I public dry with another book. The ex- the impartial critic may not condemn have seen the enemy and it is us." He, cerpt from their new book appears to another for lacking those virtues he at least, would understand the warn- have the flavor of Gary Trudeau's abjures in his criticism. ings of Solzhenitsyn. "Doonesbury". The sadly comic por- JOHN LAPPIN and her cohorts trayal of two of America's top govern- Washington. seem to have succumbed to the same ment officials would be humorous in hubris that caused the downfall of "Doonesbury", but is pathetic on the • front page of a national newspaper. Do The headline regarding the new . Have they no sense of the meaning of common decency? not mistake rde for a Nixon devotee, book by Woodward and Bernstein on but it seems in extremely poor taste to the front page of the March 27 issue of As one who consistently opposed Mr. plaster a plastered President fumbling The Post represents the pinnacle of ab- Nixon and deplored the appointment and tripping over himself and his surdity. of Mr. Kissinger as Secretary of State, words on your front page. What the hell did they think former I ask, is it unreasonable to hope that President Nixon should have done— these may be "the final days" of yel- For the sake of the vulnerable pub- low journalism in Washington?' lic, we would do better with a stricter dance a jig, laugh and sing? more accurate account of Watergate EDGAR C. ROPER JR. ELIZABETH C. FENN Arlington. and not one based on -histrionics. Arlington. ALICIA C. SHEPARD • • Washington. I, like millions of other Americans, Surely The Post must be embar- • rassed over the publicationof that ju- applauded the journalistic and investi- gative efforts of Mesirs. Woodward Woodward and Bernstein, by writing venile piece of writing by Bob Wood- the. account of the Nixon-Kissinger en- ward and on March 27 and Bernstein which led to the Water- gate disclosures and the subsequent counter and The Post by publishing it, dealing with President Nixon's "night have violated the most elementary of decision."? -Where is the sense of termination of the corrupt regime of Richard Nixon. Your front page dis- standards of compassion and good balance, of reasonableness, that is sup- taste. Except to pander to prurient in- . posed to characterize the press? play of 27 March however, signals a new stage of Watergate disclosures. terests, what possible reason is there The air of authority Woodward and to publicize the last writhings of latch- Bernstein have taken on as a mantle The revelation of Mr. Nixon's pri- ard.Nixon? these day is absolutely laughable. One vate breakdown and deep personal ag- ony discloses much about Messrs. PAUL CHODOFF would think President Nixon had per- SELMA CHODOFF • sonally invited them ,over to record Woodward and Bernstein as well as Washington. this marvelous event. The Post. Your pursuit of sensational- If that piece of' claptrap is any indi- ism and money has driven all of you cation of the calibre of their book, per- beyond the point of "Investigative re- We would not have been surprised haps I should contradict myself and porting" into the realm of distasteful to read the excerpt of Woodward and thank you for the warning. Cornball tattling. And it is much too soon to Bernstein's book "The Final Days" on historians I can live without (I dare- claim that such bald exploitation is of the front page of The E.nquirer or the say that if they ever grow tired of "historical" interest. National Tattler, but to find it on the working over Mr. Nixon, they can ap- You could, not even resist ending the front page of The. Post was rather ply their melodramatic talents to the featured excerpt of Woodward and appalling. daytime soaps on TV.) Bernstein's book with Richard Nixon's There is no denying that Woodward If you'e listening, fellas, how about plea for the privacy to maintain his and. Bernstein's discovery and un- this: Oliver Wendell Holmes was asked self respect. covery of the was by a reporter for the secret of his suc- Gentlemen, you have now gone too In the public interest, but your pub- cess. He replied: "Young man, the far and should be ashamed. licizing of their ugly and distasteful secret of my success is that at a very N. C. NICHOLAS book serves no constructive public early age L discovered that I'm not Silver Spring. purpose and jeopardizes the reputa- God." tion of your paper. Furthermore, , the JAMES R MESSENGER • presentation of the intimacies of the Rockville. Haven't we had enough of former President's realization of his Watergate? The subject has taken on own demise makes one wonder the character of the perennial lawn whether the standards of integrity of public "all the news that's fit to print." the authors are any higher than these of Mr. Nixon himself. PATRICIA A. SAHM Good business is NOT always good Washington. journalism! I • DENNIS D. PITTS Richard Nixon never got any sympa- WILLEM IL VAN DER LEEUW thy from me until now. I feel that he Washington. got everything that he deserved for letting the American people downithe • way he did. But this book by your re- Have The Washington Post's news porters Woodward and Bernstein ("The gathering abilities fallen on such hard Final Days") is an evil thing. Richard times that The Post must stoop to ad- Nixon has been totally destroyed. All vertising a new book release on its they are doing is torturing a helpless front page? and degraded cripple. To no avail. For As a regular of. The Post was dis- no purpose other than perhaps to mayed by the utter lack of thought make money. Truly they are infinitely shown in the assembly of the. Satur- worse than he was. They are bad men. day, March 27th issue of The Posh The Bad. Evil. Vile. Woodward and Bernstein book, "The VINCENT J. HERZ Final Days," is fine subject matter for Chula 'Vista, Calif. Book World or the Style section, but its does not belong on the front page. • It seems to me that.something more Haven't The Washington Post and its newsworthy must have been available reporters, Woodward and Bernstein, for print and it certainly should have gotten enough mileage out of Water- taken precedence over the proseletiz- gate without continuing to beat a dead ing p f The' Post's two, star reporters horse? and their semi-factual, semi-fictional Everyone I've talked with has ex- account of the last days of Nixon ad- pressed revulsion at your cruel, taste., ministration. less disclosures in the excerpt, from By allowing nepotism to guide the "The Final Days." creation of the aforementioned issue, SARA C. MOORMAN The Post became a forum for the air- Arlington_ ing of personal vendettas and in doing so strayed from responsibile journalis- • tic endeavors. I feel that the exposure of the Water- Watergate is a symbol of and hope- gate affair and the resignation of Presi- fully a guidepost for a decadent soci- dent Nixon were necessary for the good ety and for those reasons it should not of the country. I find the new Wood- be forgotten. But The Post's irresponsi- ward-Bernstein book and the attendant ble actions served only to betray its Post/Newsweek publicity unnecessary readership and-cloud the Watergate is- and despicable. sue by the use of mere Hollywood tin- ROGER W. RUBEN.; sel-type tactics, and in the process for- Alexandria. getting that a newspaper they owe the