Yardlings Arrested in Legion Parade 'Riot' Deny Taking Any Part

Variously attacked by Legion, state, and municipal officials as Nazis, Communists, and rowdies, the four Yardlings arrested in Thursday night's Legion parade "riot" yesterday stoutly maintained their innocence of the charge of "disrupting a public assembly."

In the meantime Dean Hanford issued a statement pointing out that no complaint or statement as to what actually took place has yet been lodged with the college authorities.

Recalls Disciplinary Policy

In regard to possible disciplinary action against the four who face trial on October 18, Dean Hanford earlier yesterday recalled a policy enunciated in 1932 which stated that " . . . a student who is guilty of an offense against law and order . . . will have his connections with the University severed, and the mere presence of a student in a disturbance may result in disciplinary action."

His complete statement follows:

"Speaking on behalf of the University, I wish to express regret that stu- dents in Harvard College have been reported as having interfered with the American Legion parade Thursday evening. As yet no complaint or statement as to what actually took place has been lodged with the collage authorities by the police or members of the Legion. The matter is being carefully investigated by the University, with a view to taking disciplinary action. I have personally conveyed my regrets for the incident to the Commander of the Cambridge post of the American Legion."

Had "Amicable Discussion"

Dean Hanford had what he described as "an amicable discussion" with George Buchanan, newly inaugurated commander of Post 27 of the American Legion.

Joseph Ambrose, Frank A. Pemberton, Jr., John S. Caylor, and James M. Blumgarten, the quartet who lost their bursar's cards Thursday night, yesterday denied having in anyway participated in disrupting the parade, and said that they had never left the sidewalk.

Confused accounts of eyewitnesses seemed to place the chief disturbance in the vicinity of Quincy Street, where a group of students marched between the two bands in the parade with arms upraised in a Nazi salute. The police, however, made no arrests until the procession reached Central Square up to which point Ambrose and company said they had peacefully followed the parade on the sidewalk.

Blumgarten minimized the importance of the snake dance alleged to have taken place, and said it didn't last more than a minute. He also recalled that at one point the band broke into "Hit the Line for Harvard.", indicating no animosity.

Ambrose, whose father was a Commander of the Arlington Legion post, said, "Goose step? I tried it, but it killed my legs.