WASHINGTON (UPI) — The
federal government says it has
spent nearly $2 million improv-
ing President Nixon’s homes in
Florida and California, all of it
relating to ‘‘security.”

The White House also dis-
closed that businessman Robert
H. Abplanalp, who helped the
President buy his San Clemen-
te, Calif., retreat, has been
getting some money back in the
form of rent associated with
Nixon’s~ Key Biscayné, Fila.,
place.

A month ago the White House
had listed $39,000 in federal
funds for improving the West-
ern White House at San
Clemente since Nixon bought it
in 1969.

Last week, after a further
search of record, it raised this
figure to $460,302.

On Thursday, General Ser-
vices Administration (GSA),
the government's housekeeping
agency, said a_ still more
extensive audit put the total
federal expenditure at San
Clemente at $703,367 over four
fiscal years beginning July 1,
1969. This included only the
residence there, not the White
House office space.

GSA listed for the first time
the federal expenditure for
improvements, equipment, Op-
eration and maintenance at the

White House complex at Key
 Biscayne, including both resi-
dence and office space—
$1,180,522, spread over five
fiscal years beginning July 1,
1968.

Included in the Key Biscayne
figure was $161,463 for renting
two houses in the complex for
the Secret Service and White
House communications staff.

The White House said all of
the taxpayers’ money spent in
San Clemente and Key Bis-
cayne was for security-related
improvements and that all
work was done at the request of
the Secret Service, not the
President.
 
Vea SHOCTATER TESS OTaAIT Writer) 7

Washington, Aug. 2S— (#) —Con-
tinuing conferences with Republican
campaign managers in the east, Her-
bert Hoover today was assemblying
information upon which to hase a de-
cision as to the extent he will partic-
ipate personally in the presidential
‘fight there.
| William H. Hill, chairman of ‘the
New York state Hoover committee,
had an engagement with the Republi-
ean standard bearer to supplement
the advices given him yesterday by
Charles D. Hilles, national committee-
man for New York, and Daniel FR.
Pomeroy, vice chairman of ‘the New
Jersey committee.

Reports. received by Hoover since
his return from the west indicate
that the eastern situation is one re-
quiring attention and his advisers are
urging him to go into New York,
Massachusetts and New Jersey for
at least one speech in each state.

It is certain that he will take ad-
vantage of his swing back to his home
in California for making a series of
addresses,

Before that time he very probably
will go into the Middle West, speak-
ing at Chicago and some other cities,
and also into the border states, but
these addresses are likely to follow
those in the East.

Representatives of the Republican
candidate still were seeking today to.
secure a building in which to open his
personal headquarters.

The delay is causing the, nominee
some inconvenience as he has no
place to carry on his office work. He
also wants a_ suitable assemblying
place for delegations that will come
here to see him and for the accom-
modation of the newspaper correspon-
dents assigned to his headquarters.
 