HYRC Hits at Loyalty Oath

The "informer clause" of the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps loyalty oath is inconsistent "with both the purposes of the loyalty program and the Republican principle of freedom of the individual," the Young Republicans said last night.

Joint resolution by eight student organizations urging revision of the NROTC oath which requires its men to report any contact acquaintances have had with groups labeled subversive by the Attorney General, are consistent with the views of the HYRC, the statement continued.

The HYRC resolution added that the Harvard faculty should apply pressure upon the Navy to change the wording of the pledge.

Loyalty oaths, however, the HYRC noted are part of the necessary right of the Government to check on the loyalty of its employees.

Since loyalty oaths are a "partially effective" method to check on loyalty, the Navy has every right to check loyalties in the NROTC with a pledge in which the "steel pigeon clause" is deleted, the HYRC concluded.