Cambridge Police Warn '58 Against Smoker Disorders

Cambridge police will break up the Freshman Smoker, scheduled for Feb. 17, if there is any public disturbance, Patrick F. Ready, Chief of Police, said yesterday.

"If the freshmen stay in Memorial Hall and behave themselves, there won't be any trouble," he said. "It's up to the University Police to protect University property and keep them on University property. But we have the right to break this up. It's illegal, and if they come out on the streets, we will step in."

The Smoker is illegal under the Massachusetts law which forbids serving beer to minors under any circumstances. The Alcoholic Beverages Commission will not act because J. Vernon Patrick '52, Secretary of the Union, has already bought the beer privately. But the ABC says the police can prevent a minor from getting beer, even though the Smoker is listed as a private party.

The University Police will send five men to patrol the Smoker, "in case some outsiders decide to make trouble," Matthew J. Toohy, University Police Chief, said. The University Police will also not move to prevent smoking in Memorial Hall, or serving beer to minors.

The Smoker Committee was not worried about Ready's warning. "They don't have anything to do with us," Robert D. Storey '58, chairman of the Smoker Committee, said. The Smoker will have 250 gallons of Naragansett beer, and 50 cases of Pepsi Cola "for the others," he said.