Mather Censures Jenner Red Probe

Led by Kirtley Mather, professor of Geology, a committee of the American Council on Education yesterday unanimously voted down a resolution endorsing the Jenner Committee's investigations of communism in American colleges.

The proposal, offered at a panel meeting of the Council's 36th annual convention in Washington, was based on a statement made Thursday by Harry D. Gideonese, president of Brooklyn College. Gideonese had praised the committee's search for subversives in the New York City school system.

When Carter Davidson, president of Union College attempted to insert a sentence lauding the committee's work into the draft of a resolution, a storm of opposition developed, with Mather expressing vigorous criticism.

"The sole purpose of the Jenner Committee was to put the finger on individuals who would use the Fifth Amendment to refuse answers and thus bring into public gaze individuals who would be barbecued," Mather charged. "Jenner called about 100 witnesses fully knowing that at least 80 of them would fall back on the Fifth Amendment," Mather claimed.

On Mather's motion, the sentence was unanimously stricken from the proposed resolution.