HYRC Opens Annual Race For President

The perennial race for the presidency of the Harvard Young Republican Club has broken into the open again. Harold Hestnes '58, and David F. Peterson '59, have announced their candidacies for the office presently held by Norman William Smith '58.

At present, some members are hurriedly selling memberships in the Club to freshmen before the Dec. 2 deadline. Members entering after this date cannot vote in the elections, which will be held in late February or early March.

Hestnes is the candidates of the Smith faction of the HYRC. Although a senior, he plans, if elected, to direct the club as a first year student at the Law School.

Peterson supported Thomas Stalker '58, the candidate of the Hodel-Perelman-Thompson faction in last March's bitterly contested presidential election. This election prompted charges of vote-buying from both sides and finally wound up before the Student Council and the Administration. The Council recommended suspension of the HRYC charter and attempted to seize the books of the club.

Smith and his supporters won complete control of the organization at that time.

May Disband Paper

Peterson claims that he is running for the office "to unify the club." He also says that if elected he will disband the Harvard Times unless it proves economically feasible. Peterson says he will in any case try to "improve the quality of the paper."

Hestnes, who inaugurated the HYRC State House Committee, says his main objective will be to bring the club into closer contact with the Massachusetts G.O.P.

No matter what happens in the next few months, this year's campaign will not be so vociferous as last year's power struggle. At present, there are less than 200 members in the club, compared to last year's total of over 500.