HLU Fights on Support Of Furcolo in State ADA

The HLU's political action chairman will refuse to vote for state ADA endorsement of Foster Furcolo, Democratic candidate for Senator, at the forthcoming Massachusetts ADA political committee meeting.

This was the local chapter's first move in developments which may eventually split the Harvard and state ADA campaign efforts.

The Executive Board of the HLU last night authorized Christopher Niebuhr '56 to "use his own discretion" at the meeting, after violent disagreement about local endorsement of the Springfield candidate. Niebuhr then stated that he will not back Furcolo, who has in the past year incurred ADA wrath. On the other hand, Niebuhr will not recommend endorsement of Leverett P. Saltonstall '14, incumbent Republican senator, for reelection either.

An ADA supporter in past years, Furcolo advised the ADA at their state convention last December to disband because they were unnecessary for the furtherance of liberalism in the U.S. In the meantime, Furcolo, who is backed by a large number of pro-McCarthy voters, is said to have made overtures of peace with state and national ADA leaders to win back their support.

Plan Combined Meeeting

But some executive board members of the HLU last night called reports of these efforts "lies" and "playing one group against the other." One said, "It's a prerogative of a politician to lie in order to win an election, but they shouldn't do this to us." At the meeting Furcolo was also damned for naivete in civil liberties.

While withholding its endorsement, the HLU plans a combined meeting with the young Republican Club and the Young Democratic club to bring opposing candidates face to face, before deciding one way or the other. In the meantime, local members of the HLU are prevented from campaigning for any of the candidates under the Liberal Union's name.

Eventually, however, the Liberal Union will have to make its decision, since, according to Phillipe Villers '55, HLU president, "The HYRC won't cooperate with us and speculation on a combined meeting is purely academic."

This decision may be influenced by the final choice of the state organization. In spite of Niebuhr's refusing to back Furcolo, the state ADA may endorse him. Then, although the Liberal Union is autonomous,, endorsement of Furcolo becomes, according to Niebuhr, "a matter of fair play.