NAM Will Poll Students On the Return of ROTC

Petitions calling for a student referendum on the return of ROTC to Harvard will circulate in dining halls today, spokesmen for the New American Movement (NAM) said last night.

If the NAM-sponsored petitions receive signatures from over 50 percent of the student body, NAM plans to the solicit aid from the Committee on Houses and Undergraduate Life (CHUL) in order to organize an official vote on whether undergraduates want the return of ROTC on campus.

"NAM is prepared to put direct pressure on the Administration to prevent ROTC's return, if a majority of the students vote against its establishment," Donald Goldstein '75, a member of the socialist organization, said last night.

Fall Fight

At the group's first meeting this year, Steven Carlip '74 told over 40 students at the Straus Common Room that NAM's major Fall campaign will be to fight moves to reinstate ROTC at Harvard.

President Bok revived the ROTC issue in June when he told alumni the University's conscience could not be clear unless the return of the ROTC program were reconsidered "on terms with our usual institutional standards."

Princeton, the University of Massachusetts and Boston University reinstated ROTC programs during the past year.

NAM spokesmen also said yesterday the group would continue their efforts to restructure and broaden the undergraduate curriculum. Study groups will be set up in economics and history classes this term to offer students and suggest on professors alternative course materials, according to NAM spokesmen.

Members of NAM last year distributed to Economics 10 sections a list of readings in Marxist economics.

Mary Lassen '74, organizer of NAM's lettuce boycott, urged students at last night's meeting to support the United Farm Workers, campaign against non-union lettuce and against stores that sell Farah pants.

Farah, the largest manufacturer of men's pants in the country, is allegedly engaged in an antiunion campaign in Texas and New Mexico.

Stating organizational goals for the year, William Gardner '74 said the group will try to increase students' decision-making powers at Harvard.

"We seek to decentralize and democratize power in our society and we intend to apply those goals to Harvard this year," Gardner said.