Students Protest Fallout Shelters

Under orders from the Corporation, five University buildings yesterday became official fallout shelters. The action immediately drew criticism from undergraduates.

"Dunster House has never looked more like South Station," protested John A. Purvis '64, chairman of the Dunster House Committee. Purvis's objection refers to the gaudy yellow and black signs which announce "fallout shelter" to passers-by.

Some objections were more serious. Tocsin is preparing a policy statement questioning the strategic role of civil defense.

Steven H. Johnson '64, president of Tocsin, ticked off several questions of immediate relevance to the Harvard community: "Will there be drills? How do you decide who gets to use the shelter? What do you do about townies if there is an attack? How do you block the doors?"

Although he was not prepared to answer all of Johnson's questions, Robert Tonis, Director of Civil Defense, said that no plans have so far been made for air raid drills. Nor does he expect them to be made in the near future.

The five buildings thus far designated for civil defense use are: Dunster Houses, Holyoke Center, Boylston Hall, Memorial Hall, and the Cambridge Electron Accelerator.