Committee Urges Pusey To Defy HUAC Requests

A student-Faculty group has asked President Pusey to defy the House Un American Activities Committee if it subpoenas membership lists of Harvard student organizations.

The ad hoc committee has presented Pusey with a letter demanding that he take a stand immediately against surrendering lists if and when HUAC asks for them. The University's present policy is to act on the matter only if a subpoena is served.

HUAC has never demanded membership lists from Harvard and has shown no intention of doing so in the near future. Recently, however, it asked for names of members of anti-war groups at the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Michigan. Both schools complied.

The committee, which in December collected 870 signatures on a petition urging the abolition of HUAC, has asked for the support of five major campus groups -- Young Dems, Young Republicans, RGA, HUC, and SDS.

Vern Countryman, professor of Law; Gilbert B. Gale '69, chairman of the committee; and possibly representatives of the five groups will meet with Pusey next week to discuss the letter. Countryman is chairman of the Massachusetts Committee to Abolish HUAC.

Dalton Overridden

The executive committee of Young Dems voted Monday night to table a motion supporting the letter to Pusey. The officers apparently overrode the wishes of their president Harlon L. Dalton '69, a member of the ad hoc committee.

The motion was tabled because the Dems thought that it was wrong to make a definitive statement against surrendering lists when HUAC had not even asked for them. At the same time they agreed overwhelmingly to back such a policy statement "the second HUAC demands the lists."

The Young Dems also approved a resolution calling for the abolition of HUAC because it is "inherently pernicious to the principles of political liberty."

Last night, RGA's executive committee decided to postpone taking a position on the letter.

The executive committee of Young Republicans met last night and voted not to support the letter. The officers of the club said that "the issue is not a pressing one at the present time."

Gale said last night that he was giving the letter to Pusey "because he is as close to the Corporation as we can get." The Corporation, he said, must make the final decision on the matter since it involves University policy.

Columbia University has already taken similar action against HUAC. In December, President Grayson Kirk said that "Columbia would fight in court" any attempt to get student activities lists.

Harvard has the names of officers of student organizations, but it does not demand full membership lists. The University can, however, ask to see such lists at any time, and usually reviews them once a year.

When questioned in November about surrendering names to HUAC, Dean Monro replied that, although the University generally complies with a subpoena, he was not certain of all the legal issues involved in this instance. "Our lawyers will have to look into it," he said.

Gale said last night that Dean Watson had told him the same thing last month. "Even if lawyers are looking into the matter," Gale said, "that is not a valid issue. It is the principle of academic freedom that is important.