GALBRAITH ON BOWLES

To the Editors of the CRIMSON:

With others, I have heard with concern the suggestion that Mr. Samuel Bowles's intention to test the constitutionality of the Massachusetts loyalty oath is a somewhat quixotic enterprise. I hope that this is not the general feeling of the faculty. All such test oaths are repugnant to the academic spirit; the fact that this has been in effect for many years does not make it less so. And the fact that it has been accepted for so long is surely a reflection of the acquiescent tendencies of the community rather than the harmlessness of the oath. I hope that Mr. Bowles's initiative will have the support of all members of the academic community who feel a responsibility for our liberties, including, needless to say, the Governing Boards. John Kenneth Galbraith   Paul M. Warburg Professor of Economics