The Washington Merry-Go.Round THE WASHINGTON POST neschil,itlaY 15,1973 B lg Watergate Arrest Angered Nixon By Jack Anderson bother him about politics. He der to the wolves, says one ten the blow, although I usually holed up with his Viet- source, had the President's ap- search of his meticuIont The question hangs heavily nam-China-Russia paperwork proval. cords doesn't show th0 over the Watergate horror. in one of his hideouts. An oc- Congressional sources also 17 visit when Dean claims the How deeply is President casional political poll, memo say that L. Patrick Gray, as President told him: "Goodlisb; Nixon implicated in the or clipping would reach his acting FBI director, warned John. Bob (Haldeman) told me tie President as early as July crimes of his subordinates? desk, they remember. what a great job you've done?",. Those privy to the oval of- Everyone who had access to 6 that the men around him fice recall that the President the President remembers he were misusing both the FBI But our sources are - comet was totally absorbed with for- was angry and surprised by and. CIA. "You are being mor- vineed that Dean, theriAttppt eign affairs during the Water- news of the Watergate arrest tally wounded by the men ney-General John Mitchelyr- gate gestation. He has a strong on June 17. He exploded with around you," Gray is quoted Ehrlichroan and Haldeintur sense of presidential priori- expletives, they recall. The as telling the President. concealed from the President ties, they say. dest word he had for those their alleged involvement In While G. Gordon Liddy was esponsible was "idiots!" Misplaced Loyalty the illegal cover-up. plotting the Watergate break- He immediately assigned Richard Nixon places a high Despite his grim, broodint in and bugging in early Febru- ounsel John Dean, then a premium on loyalty, which he nature, Mr. Nixon also has e.: ary, 1972, the President was •residential favorite, to find believes in giving as well as gentle, compassionate Quaker' - preparing for his Peking trip. ut whether anyone in the receiving. The mem around tide. One aide told us that , He returned home on Feb. 28. le House was involved. him, indeed, were selected ter his name appeared briefly- Two days later, the North Aides who heard the Presi- more for their loyalty, than in the Watergate headline*, Vietnamese struck with their dent discuss this assignment their ability. It simply didn't the President called hira surprise Spring offensive. The swear he wanted Dean to occur to the President, in the not to demand an explanation; President was wholly occupied make sure the White House opinion of those who know but to console him. FO- an' with the military crisis in Vi- was clean, not to obstruct the him, that such trusted aides as hour, Mr. Nixon told about thir etnam throughout April while investigation. Haldeman and Ehrlichman rough times he had - been the Waterbuggers were re- The President was more sus- would deceive him. through and urged his assist- ant to relax and not let the no-': cruited and equipped. picious but less concerned Of course, no one knows , On May 8, he mined Hai- about the campaign committee what Haldeman or Ehrlichman toriety get him down. phong harbor, an act which he across the street at 1701 Penn- may have told the President It is painful for the Prest-'1 feared might cause the cancel- sylvania avenue. "It was as- in private. But there was dent to fire anyone, least, of lation of his Moscow visit. sumed around the White never any hint around the all a close associate. He went This crowded out all other House," recalls one insider, White House, say our sources, through several sleepless' problems, aides recall, as he "that Watergate was strictly a that Mr. Nixon had any in- nights, say aides, before he , .' awaited the Kremlin's reac- keystone Kops, 1701 type op- kling of the payoffs to defend- could bring himself to oust- tion and prepared for the sum- eration." ants to keep their mouths Haldeman and Dhrlichmah-' mit meeting. He arrived in The suspicion centered on shut, the destruction of incri- After the confrontation, they Moscow on May 22 as the Wat- Jeb Stuart Magruder, the dep- minating evidence and the ob- heard, the emotion welled up - erbuggers were reconnoitering uty campaign director. Two struction of justice. in his eyes. the Democratic layout in prep- months before the election, Certainly, he wanted to con- The President's involvement aration for the first break-in. John Ehrlichman urged that trol the Watergate investiga- in the spying-sabotage opera--. Magruder be fingered as the tion and keep it from becom- Lion, however, was less. inn°. No Politics campaign official who author- ing a major embarrassment. cent. We'll report on this in.& He may even have congratu- future column. Throughout this period, say ized the Waterbugging. The • aides, subordinates didn't decision not to throw Magru-1 lated Dean for helping to sof- 0 1971 United Feature abadteatt .