SDS Letters Ask Officials To a Debate

The Harvard chapter of Students for a Democratic Society has challenged President Pusey, Dean Ford, and Dean Glimp to debate "Is the University neutral?" with three SDS members before Christmas.

SDS issued the challenge in letters sent to the three men yesterday morning.

Mark R. Dyen '70, co-chairman of SDS, said the aim of the debate would be to educate students and not to force a University stand on the war. "Since the University is tied up in this war both practically and ideologically as much as most corporations in the country, it is almost inconceivable that it would ever take a peace stand," Dyen said.

"But Harvard has taken stands before, specifically anti-Communist ones during the McCarthy era," said Dyen. He commented that Ford's decision to exclude students on probation from the new Student-Faculty Advisory Council was "clearly political and aimed at keeping radical students off the committee."

The Advisory Council is expected to discuss University complicity in the war, but Dyen said he did not think it would look into the issue "deeply." He explained, "Other moves are necessary to show Harvard students that the University is now taking the side of the status quo both implicity and explicity through its investments and government involvements."

The letter was formulated at an SDS general membership meeting on Thursday night. Dyen said he expects the challenge to be turned down. "The administrators have some undemocratic notions about dignity of office and respectability and will probably have some grave reservations about debating students," said Dyen. "I think they would lose the debate," he added.