Deadline Nears On Kissinger's Harvard Plans

Presidential adviser Henry, A. Kissinger '50, must inform the Government Department of his future academic intentions before February 5, or the Department will seek a new professor to fill his vacancy, James O. Wilson, chairman of the Government Department, said yesterday.

The departmental meeting on February 5 will be the first meeting since November 28. At that time, the consensus was that no decision would be made on the Kissinger vacancy until the end of President Nixon's first term.

'71 Agreement

Kissinger resigned his position in the Government Department in January 1971. The Department agreed to keep his post open for two years.

The recent Vietnam cease-fire agreement has raised speculation about Kissinger's return. However in December Wilson said that Kissinger's role in the peace talks played no part in the Government Department's decision.

"The overriding concern here is whether he can contribute intellectually to the University," Wilson said in December.

Need for Promotions

Wilson said yesterday that the Department should not run any longer with an empty seat, citing both that it affects the strength of the Department and that there is a need for promotions within the Department.

If Kissinger announces his intention to return soon, his seat will probably be kept vacant. If he does not, search procedures for a new professor will begin, Wilson said.

"We are not going to allow the matter to simply drift," he said.