McCloskey Says He'll Run In Presidential Primaries

Representative Paul N. McCloskey (R-Calif.) announced for the first time last night that he would run in the presidential primaries against Nixon "if no other reasonable, seasoned Republican comes forward."

McCloskey's announcement received a standing ovation from a crowd of 150 liberal Republicans and students gathered at the Sheraton-Boston Hotel to protest the appearance of Vice-President Spiro T. Agnew who was speaking at the annual Lincoln's Day Dinner of the Middlesex Republican Club held at the same hotel.

The conference was jointly sponsored by the Ripon society and the Harvard Indochina Teach-in Committee.

'No Aspirations'

McCloskey stressed that he had "no aspirations" for the presidency and said "I hope a more experienced Republican than myself will come forward-like John Lindsay, Charles Percy, Mark Hatfield or John Gardner-a man of stature and experience who can properly challenge the President's policies."

Expressing his faith that the political system would "peacefully end the Indochina War," McCloskey said, "I am tempted to say that a House of Representatives that can vote down the SST can also end the war this year."

The crowd of GOP liberals-dressed in coats and ties and adorned with little red buttons which read "McCloskey for higher public office" -enthusiastically applauded the speech with another standing ovation. McCloskey left immediately afterwards.

The other speakers on the "peacepanel" included Rep. Donald Riegle (R-Mich.), Stanley Karnow, Far Eastern correspondent for the Washington Post, and Daniel Ellsberg, former consultant to Henry Kissinger, now at M. I. T. Sen. Mark Hatfield (R-Ore.) also addressed the group in a pre-recorded telephone hook-up from Washington.

The latter part of the program was conducted against the faint background of applause and cheers which floated over from the Agnew dinner across the hall.

Governor Francis X. Sargent and Sen Edward Brooke (R-Mass.) failed to appear at the conference after the Agnew dinner despite alleged promises to the president of the Ripon society.