YP Demands Abolition Of NROTC Loyalty Oath

The Young Progressives demanded yesterday that Harvard join with other universities to force the Navy either to abolish its loyalty pledge requirement for NROTC students or else to disband its college units.

Max Bluestone, special student, member of the executive board of the Young Progressives, announced last night that the organization proposes three alternatives: First, that the University, under the guidance of President Conant, lead a concerted program involving other universities to demand the removal of the loyalty pledge for NROTC students.

If the University fails to do this, HYP will ask that Massachusetts Hall accept full responsibility for the loyalty oath, since refusal to do anything about the matter, Bluestone says, is a tacit approval of the oath as a phase of University policy.

In the event that University officials should refuse to make either of those moves, the Progressives will demand total removal of the Navy from the University, Bluestone says.

Hits Buck Statement

Provost Buck's recent statement that the oaths are not University matters was a direct attempt to sidestep the issue and avoid making a decision, Bluestone maintained.

"Harvard officials are too thoroughly frightened to stick their necks out and take a stand," he said.

Bluestone and Jack A. Bailey '51, treasurer of the Progressives, said the main objection to the loyalty oath is the clause that asks NROTC members to report the names and addresses of other students they saw at meetings of the listed "subversive" organizations.

"Intimidation"

This makes the loyalty oath an attempt by the government to intimidate students, because they will be afraid to partake in liberal activities for fear of being reported, Bailey said.

Bailey and Bluestone pointed out that the list of subversive organizations on the pledge does not include any organizations at Harvard at the present time. "The list has doubled since March of '47, though," Bluestone said, and "who knows, the HYP and the Liberal Union may be next."