Bok Does Not Plan To Debate Tsongas On Investments

President Bok said yesterday he had "no plans at the present time" to accept a recent challenge by Sen. Paul E. Tsongas (D-Mass.) to debate Harvard's investment policy on companies doing business in South Africa.

Tsongas called on Harvard and other universities earlier this month to divest of their holdings in companies with investments in South Africa.

Bok denied a radio report Sunday which announced that Bok had agreed to debate Tsongas.

But Bok said he "may sit down and talk" about the issue privately with Tsongas sometime after Commencement.

Bok said he has never spoken with Tsongas, but would "like to meet him."

He added he has no objection to public government figures taking issue with private college affairs. "A lot of people make comments about the government," he said, adding that he didn't see why it couldn't work the other way.