H.S.A. Retracts Criticism of Food

The Harvard Student Agencies took steps yesterday to correct a "grievous error" which saw one of its units charge the University with failing to provide students with an adequate diet.

The H.S.A. Food Agency recently called on parents to purchase fruit baskets for their sons "to provide fresh fruit which is usually missing in the Harvard student's diet."

Letter to Hurlburt

Yesterday afternoon the agency sent a letter of apology to C. Graham Hurlburt, Jr., director of University dining halls. In it, the heads of the Food Agency said they were "sincerely sorry" that some of the phrases in their earlier letter had seemed "to debase the quality of the food served in the Houses and the Freshman Union."

Another letter to parents has been prepared and will be sent early next week. It assures students' families that "the food at Harvard is quite adequate in providing the needed nutrition." It added that H.S.A. provides food "in addition to (rather than in fulfillment of) a good diet that is offered in Harvard dining halls."

Enthusiasm Blamed

Dustin M. Burke '52, general manager of the H.S.A., said yesterday that he asked that the letters of apology and correction be sent as soon as he saw a copy of the original announcement sent to parents. Hurlburt confirmed yesterday that he had not complained to the H.S.A. "I didn't know anything about the letter," he declared.

The managers of the Food Agency attributed their "bad mistake" to the "enthusiasm connected with the start of a new and hopefully successful business venture."

The new letter to parents also points out that "the response to our first mailing has been successful," and reassures them that it is still not too late to order the food packages and fruit baskets.