HALL ENDORSES NORTH ON WALTERS’ TV SPECIAL

Fawn Hall, former secretary of Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North, says “it would be great” if her ex-boss ran for President.

In excerpts of a taped interview that will be broadcast tonight at 10 on ABC’s “Barbara Walters Special” (Channel 7), Hall also says she “would be crushed” emotionally if North or his one-time boss, Rear Adm. John Poindexter, were indicted for alleged wrongdoing in conjunction with the Iran- contra affair.

ABC News, in releasing excerpts Monday, revealed that although it had said earlier there had been no restrictions placed on the questions that Walters could ask Hall, one of Hall’s “new lawyers” changed that the night before the interview.

According to the network, the unidentified lawyer said that there were certain things Hall couldn’t discuss because it might jeopardize the limited immunity against prosecution that a joint congressional committee granted her in return for her testimony in the Iran-contra investigation.

In the interview, Walters asked Hall about rumors that she might want to host a talk show or become a reporter.

“Well,” replied Hall, “journalism would be a way to learn a lot about the world and a lot about the people that are in the world. I mean, I would be honored one day to, after the right training and the experience. . . .”

“You want to be sitting where I’m sitting one day, Fawn?” Walters interrupted.

Hall, apparently joshing the star, replied that “I was just about to say that I wouldn’t mind sitting down and saying, ‘Barbara Walters. Who is Barbara Walters?’ ”