Group to Scout Reds Despite Watson; Academic Freedom League Formed

Nearly a score of undergraduates yesterday supported Quinlan J. Shea '56 as legitimate organizer and spokesman of the prospective Harvard Conservative League and asserted that they intend to ferret out any Communists among the faculty and students despite warning from the Dean's Office.

In a statement issued yesterday afternoon the group accused the University of harboring Communists and said it would search them out "even though the College Dean has warned that a club advocating investigation will not be sanctioned."

Later last night Robert W. Dubose '55 and Jack D. Watson '56, representing part of the original group, issued a statement which modified the organization's stand to merely getting "at the truth" of whether there are Communists at Harvard.

Despite this apparent disagreement over the tactics of the proposed League, at least three of the prospective members, not including Shea, stuck to the full force of the original statement.

Both factions backed Shea, admitted "scout" of Kenneth D. Robertson '29, as the organization's spokesman over William W. Caneelmo '54.

Three Meetings

Three secret meetings were reported held over the weekend. The prospective members twice endorsed the scouting tactics advocated by Robertson, once in a statement Saturday to the Boston Post and once yesterday to the CRIMSON. The final modified statement, which did not directly advocate spy tactics, was immediately repudiated by a group led by David Cole '55.

The original statement read: "In a current edition of a national publication ("Confidential") there appears a partial list of professors still teaching at Harvard who were named by the House UnAmerican Activities Committee as Communist sympathizers. The magazine also goes on to prove that many of the Communists ferreted out from the government have been Harvard graduates.

"Sparked by Alumnus"

"The student body, or at least a small part of it, is refusing to sit by and watch this University harbor, indeed foster these enemies of our country. Sparked by a conscientious alumnus, who is justly ashamed of this University, these students are determined to give meaning to the word which appears on the shield of this University--Veritas, and if necessary, they will observe even though the College Dean has warned that a club advocating investigation will not be sanctioned. They will do it for the sake of their country and alma mater."

"Backing Out"

Cole stated late last night that all men present at the first two meetings had agreed to this statement, but that "only a few had typed out the second statement. Claiming he did not endorse the second statement, he accused Watson and DuBose of "backing out."

The second statement, however, did attack "the fanatical, irrational attempts of the Harvard Liberals (who have) obscured the issue of Communism at Harvard by attacking other issue." Cole charged this statement did not go far enough. He guessed that this modification was made to help the League gain a charter.

Meanwhile, Shea, who was not present at any of the meetings, stated last night that beyond the Conservative point of view, the League's "specific purposes may not be formulated until it has succeeded in obtaining a charter from the University." He further asserted that there was no connection between the proposed organization and any alumnus.

Cancelmo, who tried to disassociate Shea with the League's leadership last Friday, blasted back at the entire Shea faction yesterday. He denied having any connection with the group which accused the University of harboring Communists and questioned its right to issue such an accusation.

Earlier Dean Watson had doubted that any group advocating spy tactics could over gain a charter from the Faculty Committee on Undergraduate Activities.