Report Questions Michener's Study Of Kent Slayings

Carl Moore, professor of speech at Kent State University, last week accused author James A. Michener of making numerous errors in his book about the slayings of four Kent State students by the National Guard.

In a 24-page report, Moore said that of 200 people quoted or mentioned in Michener's book, Kent States What Happened and Why, "the overwhelming majority said that they had been misquoted or had never been interviewed."

The report also charged that there were erroneous quotations attributed to a visiting professor from Czechoslovakia.

Moore reported that Vaclav Koutnik, professor of mathematics, wrote in a letter to a friend at Kent State after the book appeared, that he "never talked to Michener and never told anyone the things Michener had quoted him as saying."

At his home in Bucks County, Penn., last week, Michener said, "I believe everything in this book to be true. Every bit of the dialogue is as accurate as memory and sometimes sketchy notes will allow."

Michener charged that the Moore report reflected the bias of one professor. He also said that the survey contained "loaded questions."

To prevent personal bias from influencing his research. Moore said he left the data gathering to his students, and let a fellow professor write the first draft.

Moore said the most important aspect of his study was the questions it raised about Michener's principal conclusion as to the cause of the student-guard confrontation.

In his book, Michener said that hard-core revolutionaries had precipitated the slayings.