Draft Halt Ends Pressure On Undeferred Students

Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird's announcement Saturday of an immediate halt in the draft means an end to induction pressure for Harvard students without student deforments, an OGCP draft counselor said yesterday.

William Schendel explained that freshmen and sophomores will be most affected by Laird's announcement, since juniors and seniors received their draft classifications before Congress abolished student deferments.

"The all-volunteer era--which our commander-in-chief, President Nixon, has promised the American people--is upon us." Laird said Saturday.

Power

Nixon technically retains the power to call men into the armed forces until the present draft authority expires June 30. Schendel said he doubted that Congress would renew the draft authority.

Schendel said that Laird's statement did not make clear what will happen to men who were given extensions on 1972 induction orders. He said this group is "small, if not nonexistent" at Harvard.

Not many Harvard students have been drafted since the abolition of student deferments two years ago. Schendel said. He said that students who thought they were about to be drafted usually joined ROTC units.

Schendel said that the question of amnesty for men who left the United States to avoid induction is still unanswered, but that he thought President Nixon would deny the men amnesty.

Schendel put a sign on the door of the OGCP building yesterday that said "Draft is over! Whoopee!"

Peter Lawry '75, whose March 6 birthday was number one in the 1972 draft, said he was "really euphoric" about the end of the draft. He said he had been sure that he would be inducted in early 1973.