365 Professors Ask for End To Congressional Committee

Charging that the House Committee on Internal Security poses "a serious danger to freedom of expression in America" and "serves no useful purpose in our governmental structure," law professors from 92 schools across the nation have petitioned Congress in an attempt to bring about abolition of the Committee.

The circulation of the petition was sponsored by Vern Countryman, professor of Law, and Thomas I. Emerson, professor of Law at Yale Signed by 365 professors including 21 from Harvard Law School the petition was mailed last Thursday to House Speaker Carl Albert (D. Okla) and new members of the House.

Among those signing the documents Albert M. Sacks dean of the Law School.

Countryman said yesterday the that similar actions have taken place at the beginning of each new Congress for the past 20 years, but that so far none has received adequate support.

We get a little closer every year," Countryman said. "Forty petitions [to abolish the Committee] were introduced by members last session, and we hope to have more support this time. But whether we'll succeed or but I don't know."

The position charges that the "principal fortune" of the Internal Security Committee and its predecessor, the House Committee on Un-American Activities. "hat been to probe and expose the beliefs, opinions and associations of American citizens".

"The operations of any committee of this nature," the petition states, "run counter to the basic principles of American democracy."

The petitioners add that "it is clear that the committee has had, and must continue to have so long as it is allowed to exist, a menacing impact upon our system of freedom of expression. The very design of the committee, and the mevitable manner of its functioning, bring it direct into conflict with the constitutional guarantee of free and open discussion."

The document notes that since its formation as a standing committee in 1945, the House Committee on Un-American Activities Internal Security has presented only seven bills that eventually were enacted, and that "most of these have been declared unconstitutional by the courts or replaced."

During the 91st Congress, the professors continue, only seven bills other than duplicates were referred to the Committee, compared with an average of 690 referred to other standing committees. The committee reported that out of the bills one passed the House and none became law.

"Virtually every bill ever referred to the committee has also been within the jurisdiction of some other House committee, primarily the Committee on the Judiciary," the petition states.

The petitioners also criticized the committee's secrecy in maintaining political dossiers on some 754,000 in individuals, charging that there was no justification" for this type of action.

Professors who signed the pertition at Harvard are Bednjamin Aaron, visiting professor of Law and Business Administration: Derrick A Bell, Gary G. Bellow, harold J. Bermin. Stephen G. Breyer, and Victor Brudney, professors of Law; Clark Byse, Bussey Professor of Law and Abraham J. Chayes, Jerome A. Cohen Vern Countryman, and Alan M. Dershowitz, professors of Law.

Also Richard H Field, Story Professor of Law, Louis I Jaffe, Byrne Professor of Administrative Law; Lance M. Liebman and Dane I Lund assistant professors of Law, Frank I Michelman, Charles R. Nesson, and Oliver Oldman, professors of Law, Albert M. Sacks, dean of the law School; Richard B. Stewart, assistant professor of Law; and Donald T Trautman, professor of Law