From the S&S archives:
Filipinos cheer Nixon, quest for world peace

MANILA, R. P. — President Nixon, in his first visit here since becoming the chief executive of the United States, took this Asian capital by storm Saturday as he launched a new quest for peace throughout the world.

In his arrival speech, Nixon won the hearts of Filipinos when he asked for a new era of Philippine-American relations based on "mutual trust, mutual respect, mutual confidence, mutual cooperation."

Pointing to Asia and the Pacific as the area of greatest danger of potential war, Nixon told the assembled thousands at Manila International Airport that this challenge can and must be met.

"If peace comes to Asia," he said, "the United States will play its part and provide its fair share. But peace in Asia cannot come from the United States. It must come from Asia. The people of Asia, the governments of Asia, are the ones who must lead the way to peace in Asia."

Nixon received quick backing from President Ferdinand E. Marcos for his theme that Asians should carry the main burden of their own defense.

"Southeast Asian countries," said Marcos, "should assume responsibility for their own internal security and endeavor to make regional arrangements in their common defense."

The president and his party were to depart for Indonesia Sunday morning after a visit of slightly less than 24 hours which included talks not only with Marcos but also with Sen. Sergio Osmena, the opposition candidate for president in the coming November election.

Meanwhile, a homemade pistol and a rough sketch of a hotel to be visited by Nixon were found on a man killed in a gunbattle with police Saturday. They have given rise to speculation he may have been involved in a plot to assassinate Nixon.

Police said they had "no real evidence" there was such a plot, but "you could surmise that." Some speculation linked the plot to the Huk rebels, a Communist led guerrilla movement.

Asked about the reports of an assassination plot, Nixon's press secretary, Ronald L. Ziegler, said he had not heard the reports nor had the President been told.

About 4 a.m. Saturday, some eight hours before Nixon arrived, police said a metropolitan police patrol car approached a jeep with five men in it about 200 yards from the Intercontinental Hotel, where Nixon had scheduled a conference.

The men opened fire and the police fired back. One man fell dead into the street and the jeep escaped.

On the body was the homemade 22 caliber pistol and a "very very rough pencil sketch" of the hotel's ground floor. There also was a U.S. made grenade, believed to be a smoke grenade.