Phony Caller Plagues HSA Plane Flight

The director of the Harvard Student Agencies chartered summer flight to Europe lashed out yesterday at the unknown perpetrator of a recent series of hoax telephone calls which falsely announced that the trip has been cancelled.

Stephane R. Salomon '58 charged the mysterious caller with "sheer vengeful spite" and an attempt to "create confusion and panic."

Several undergraduates who are booked on the flight received these calls Wednesday from a person claiming to be an HSA representative. The reports "have absolutely no foundation," Salomon said yesterday.

All spaces on the 114-seat chartered plane have been reserved and the trip is still slated to leave in mid-June. Although Salomon has not yet received a Civil Aeronautics Board authorization, which is legally required for such private unscheduled flights, he predicted yesterday that "it should be coming very shortly."

Salary Too Low

Apparently the only reason for delay is a disagreement between Salomon and the C.A.B. as to what salary should be paid Salomon as director of the flight. "The C.A.B. suggested a salary which we thought was much too low," stated Salomon. Salomon included what he felt was a suitable salary in the "labor costs" section of his financial statement to the C.A.B., and the Board has asked him to justify the amount.

In past years this student-chartered flight has encountered opposition from the University Travel Company, with whom it competes for student European travel bookings. Edward Bloomberg, president of the company, said yesterday that he resents the present flight "because the HSA is supposed to give preference to Harvard Square Agencies." Salomon, however, made the chartering arrangements for the trip late this fall before he joined the HSA.