Bomb Explodes in IBM Office, Triggers Ground-Floor Fire

A home-made pipe-bomb exploded in the Cambridge office of the International Business Machine Corporation (IBM) at 1730 Cambridge Street early Tuesday morning. The explosion caused no injuries and only minor property damage.

The bomb blew out a 10-by-5 foot section of a Plexiglass-block wall from the Prescott Street side of the building, and triggered a small fire on the first floor.

The headquarters of the Cambridge Fire Department is located only a half-block away from the IBM building, and firemen were able to extinguish the blaze within minutes.

Shortly after the bomb went off at 1:40 a.m., the United Press International (UPI) received a call from an unidentified man who said that the bomb "was the first of a series of bombings planned throughout the country for March." The caller claimed to be a member of the United Black Underground Military Group for Black Justice.

UPI and the Associated Press also received several other phone calls from people who claimed to be responsible for the bombing.

The Cambridge Police Department and the Cambridge Fire Marshal's Office are currently conducting a joint investigation into the explosion. Police spokesmen said last night that they still had "no definite suspects."

The $750,000 building is owned by Harvard, which has leased the building to IBM. Daniel Steiner '54, general counsel to the University, called the bombing "despicable" and added that the University will cooperate fully in any police investigation.