Government: Amended

With its $47 billion annual budget, the Pentagon is the world's richest customer—but it is unavailable for lunch. That was the frustrating future faced last week by both military brass and defense-industry businessmen as a result of a new directive (Amended #137.5 (a) Gratuities) by Defense Secretary Robert McNamara's command post. The directive, which replaces the individual judgment by which officers have hitherto been allowed to operate, specifically forbids them to accept not only gifts and gratuities but that pillar of modern U.S. society, the expense-account lunch. "This thing is absurd," says Louisiana Congressman F. Edward Hebert. "It means...