NYTimes MAR 1 1973

141uctant F.13 41 Gave Aide Of Nixon Watergate Files

Mr. ,Gray told the Senate Judiciary Committee that his legal advisers had informed him that he had an obligation to accede to White House re-quests for the investigative mat ia.

S eaking as the committee op, ed hearings on his nomina-tion, to be permanent head of the 'F.B.I., Mr. Gray offered to let any Senator see the `same complete Watergate files. He also promised to coibperate fully with the special Fornmit-

Orined by the Senate to e into the Watergate -in and other alleged es-

pio ge during last Aar's Presi-dential campaign': '

"We have nothing to hide,:" Mr. Gray told the Senators.

Mkst of the questio at the daylong hearing dealt with the bureau's investigation of the watergate incident, which in-

Volved burglary and bugging of Dernocratirgational

ntittee offices, and with all tions thatMr. Gray had gi PPAteiale.§114,elles on behalf o the campaign to re-elect Pres-ident Nixon.

ia.enen pleaded guilty an Continued on Page 20, column

two others were convicted in the atergate case, all having been arrested chiefly on the basis of the F.B.I.'s investiga-tion. But there have been charges, especially from Demo-crats, that the bureau was less than thorough in its inquiry.

Mr. Gray denied such charges. The Watergate case had been given the "highest priority," he told the Senators, and "no re-strictions or limitations were placed" on the investigation.

"We gave it a full-court press," Mr. Gray said, using a basketball term for intense pres-sure against the team with the ball. He added, "I was not such a jackass as to think that the credibility of the F.B.I. as an investigative agency would not be on the line in this thing."

1 1973

Three of the Watergate de-fendants were present or former employes of the White House or the Committee for he Re-election of the President.

Instructions Denied Mr. Gray said that he had

received no instructions from the White House or from At-

he said, on June 19, justetwo days after the break-in at the Watergate, he received a summary report of the inves-tigation thus far that had "come up through F.B.I. channels." Copies of the report were ad-dressed to H. R. Haldeman, Mr.

's chief , of staff, and to eindienst. ixed that. I said, 'No, we

wi not do that,"' Mr. Gray told the' Senate commitee today, explaining that he did not think a record of the investigation should get out of the F.B.I. at that point.

Obligation Cited Mr. Gray recalled, however,

that a month later, John W. Dean 3d, counsel to the Presi-dent, who was conducting a separate White House inquiry into the incident, "asked us to give him what we had to date."

Mr. Gray said that he asked members of his legal staff about Mr. Dean's request and and that they advised him that., while the bureau should not volunteer sun information to the White House, it had an obligation to

records of the iotervi agents had conducted d e Watergate investi

e Whitt House. . Gray did not say exp

t he allowed the to see raw data that had collected. How

implied that the info eased was quite ext

ficiats-nof the Justice ent in thiseprovious A

stretions said 'that processor, the -late,

r Hoover, had zeal ed undigested investiga-les, but had alwa.ys given White House full reports

the progress of important investigations.

Access IsOffeied Mr. Dean's White House

, query has never been made: lie, although Administin fficlals, on the basis of Mr.

's work have said that no e now employed at t the hite House was involved in

the Watergate affair. While Mr. Gray may not have yen the 'White . House all the

.1. documents on the. Water-te, case, he did agree to ke them all available to Con-

e said that any Senator o. wanted to see the files Onally could do so, but that `only staff members who

uld be 'given access to the terial were those working Members of the special Sen-cOmmittee.

GraY was asked trpeat-Y tOdy a about the leursau s castigation of Donald --lee4r-thei young Cali ornia

e{ alleged to have conduct-political' espionage and sab- e on behalf of the Nixon paign.

Just One Interview r. Gray said that F.B.I.

nts interviewed Mr.Sevetti , on Jane Z6, but had not

ed him abOut espionage ac-ties. The bureau concluded t he had been involved in

ctiyities in connec-t* breakt

r. Gray. that the only

rmation the F.B.I. had about spying and sabotage actbei- ot Segretti had come

m newp accounts," subse-eat to the-interview.

&cording 'Ao one news e, Mr. Segretti w

c ''cast bef

Senator Philip t Of Michiut

...indicated disbelief, said he had taken /Art at his word and had not

further checks into whether the reported disclosure of information occurred.

Mr. Dean was not asked whether anyone else on the White House staff might have shown the material to 'Mr. Segretti, and Mr. Segretti him self was not questioned on the matter, Mr. Gray said.

InIre a 24-page opening state-ment.= to the committee, Mr. Graex, said that one of his 'Or-dinal -principles was to keep the F.B.L "completely and abso-lutely non political."

Mr. Gray said that, like other Administration officials, he had received a memorandum from the White House urging himeto give a political cast to the speeches he made before the Presidential election, but that h,e had ignored the memoran-dum.

In` the weeks before the election, Mr. Gray said, he gave several speeches around the country, but he added:

"1 did not design, write, plan or intend any of those speeches to l* -political speeches."

Senator Birch I3ayh, Demo-crat of Indiana. noted that Mr. Gray's speeches frequeet I strayed from questions of law enforcement into such matters as the relative merits of• de-fense and domestic spending. Senator Bayh also noted that Mr. GGray had traveled on a

ite House airplane and, at ne - point, had spoken to a

up in Cleveland that Sargent hriver, the Democratic Vice-esidential candidate, was

cheduled to address the next eek.

would not be difficult to eon-ude that Mr. Gray was speak-g as Mr. Nixon's' "surrogate." Mr. Gray denied that con-

lusion and said: "My intent was to praise nerica. not to carry the cudgel

or President Nixon." ,

NYTimes thrBy DAVID . ROSENBA Special to The New York Times

WASHINGTON, Feb. 28—L. Patrick Gray 3d, the acting -di-:•ector of the Federal Bureau of investigation; said today that lie had originally resisted mak-

Wg the bureau's files on the atergate affair available to e White House, but ,that he d finally allowed a record of torney General Richard G. e investigation to be given Kleindienst about how his bu- 'a Presidential assistant. re hould proceed in the case.

nd jury At that' time, istratinn aides were sal e shown Mr. Segretti co his' F.B.I. interview and,

basis of the interview,' coached him on what

to the grand jury. r. Gray said that if rt were true it would

ant a grievous and ous breach of trust." fter the report appeared,, Gray said, he was "really ," apparently believing

t' Mr. Dean, the White House sel, might have been the

e to show the material to Mr. gretti.

No Farther Checks Mr. Gray told the Senators t he then called Mr.. Dean, 'al a great deal of ire and tation in my voice," Mr.

told him, he recalled, that did not have the F.B.I. re-

in Floriaa.