R. O. T. C. STAFF DOES NOT TAKE THOMAS SERIOUSLY

A smile of amusement and indulgence was the only answer of members of the University R. O. T. C. staff to the criticism of their organization by Norman Thomas in an interview printed in yesterday's CRIMSON.

"If Mr. Thomas wants to criticize American universities," asked one army officer, "why does he not maintain some sort of consistency at least for the duration of a single interview? Why does he advocate 'real freedom of speech' for teachers and permission for them to teach their own views, and then turn right about and oppose the same freedom of teaching by military men because 'the attitude toward life of the army officers in control of the R. O. T. C. is certain to communicate itself, in a certain extent, to the students?"

Officer Refuses To Be Quoted

Further persistence by the CRIMSON reporter could not induce any of the officers to be quoted or to take seriously a man who, as one of them expressed it, "like most of the world's self-appointed reformers, favored freedom of speech and teaching for those whose opinions coincided with their own, and suppression of their opponents."