Harvard Groups Continue to Strengthen For Anti-War Lobbying, Fund Raising

While the Strike Steering Committee remains embroiled in controversy over militant picket lines at University buildings, varied groups attempting to use Harvard as a base for political anti-war work outside the University continue to grow and unite.

Though the groups differ in constituencies and activities, they share increasingly interlocking directorates and have begun to cooperate on fund raising and information dispersal. The groups include:

Peace Action

Everett Mendelsohn's Peace Action Strike. Mendelsohn, professor of the History of Science, led over 1000 students and Faculty members to Washington, D.C. last Friday to lobby with Senators and Congressmen in favor of legislation curtailing President Nixon's power to wage war in Southeast Asia.

The Mendelsohn group has established itself in the basement of Phillips Brooks House, from which it will continue to send out sorties to lobby in Washington and work in primary campaigns throughout the country. Affiliated with the Mendelsohn group is:

Faculty

A cabal of about 12 senior faculty members, headed informally by Thomas Schelling, professor of Economics. The group went to Washington Friday along with the Peace Action Strike, but spent most of the day meeting separately with Senators and Presidential aides, including foreign policy advisor Henry Kissinger, professor of Government (on leave).

Among the Schelling group's plans is a drive to raise $100 million from students and others across the country to aid anti-war candidates in the November election. Dean May is one of the members of this group.

The student-Faculty Committee on Houses and Undergraduate Life. The COH has emerged as the major interface between students and the University Administration. It spearheaded the Faculty movement to relieve students from grades and exams. It also organized letter-writing campaigns and anti-war strategy meetings in the Houses.

Two attempts have been made to organize a national office to coordinate anti-war lobbying and campaigning.

A number of graduate school professors, deans, and Fellows John N. Blum '43 and Hugh Calkins 43 of the Harvard Corporation, met yesterday afternoon at the home of Derek C. Bok, dean of the Law School, to investigate the possibility of setting up a national headquarters at Harvard. The group eventually decided to instead organize itself as a clearing house for Harvard action against the war.

Groups from Harvard, Cornell, and Columbia are trying to raise $5000 from each school to supplement an anonymous $5000 grant to set up a national office in Washington. D.C. Already, Adam Yarmolinsky '43, professor of Law, has raised $3000 from Faculty members in the Schelling group and others, and hopes to get the same amount from students.