Goldberg Says Administration Wrong in Disregarding or Minimizing Standstill Violations

Arthur J. Goldbarg, the Democratic-Liberal candidate for Governor, said yesterday that it was “a very bad mistake” for Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird to play down Israel’s charges of Soviet and Egyptian standstill violations along the Suez Canal. Mr. Goldberg, taking his campaign to North Tonawanda north of here, agreed that initiation of the peace talks was “very important.” but said “it would be very ill-advised for our government to disregard and brush aside that initiation of the cease-fire by the United Arab Republic and its Soviet mentor.” The former Supreme Court Justice and United Nations ambassador said “The talks cannot succeed if the cease-fire is not scrupulously observed.” He called the Israeli apprehension “well-grounded” and said it “cannot be brushed aside as cavalierly as it was on Sunday by Secretary Laird.” Mr. Goldberg called on the Nixon administration to act in the matter. He said it was the administration’s “responsibility” to “use its great influence to insure the strict observance of the cease-fire, so no one will gain a military advantage by changing the status quo at the Suez Canal during the cease-fire.”