I .... Seveti y-Seven Years of Editorial Freedom EDITED AND MANAGED BY STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN UNDER AUTHORITY OF BOARD IN CONTROL OF STUDENT PUBLICATIONS ROGER RAPOPORT: Looking Beyond the E :. Where Opinions Are Free, 420 MAYNARD ST., ANN ARBOR, MICH. Truth Will Prevail NEWs PHONE: 764-0552 Editorials printed in The Michigan Daily express the individual opinions of staff writers or the editors. This must be noted in all reprints. WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1967 NIGHT EDITOR: DAVID KNOKE i The AAUP on Protests: Are Disruptions Justifiable? WHILE STUDENTS and faculty mem- bers have been planning tactics for today's sit-in against war research, the governing council of the American Asso- ciation of University Professors has re- leased a statement voicing the council's "conviction" that such demonstrations are "destructive." The statement is specifically aimed at the type of demonstrations that have flowered at Antioch and Wisconsin with- in the past two weeks. (Students at both schools protested the appearance on campus of recruiters attached to agen- cies-the U.S. Navy and Dow Chemical Co.-directly associated with the war effort). Still, there is one clause in the AAUP resolution that specifically op- poses any attempt "to disrupt the opera- tions of the institutions in the course of demonstrations . . . All components of the academic community are under a strong obligation to protect its processes from these tactics." THIS IS PARTICULARLY disappoint- ing to hear, especially from an organ- ization as traditionally "liberal" as the AAUP. It severely oversimplifies the issue when it says that all such demon- strations are inherently evil. True, some- thing can be said in defense of the right of Navy recruiters to appear on campus. One man's academic freedom and freedom of choice do not necessarily end where the next man's begin, for both freedoms are constant and im- mutable rights. But the demonstration and sit-in scheduled for this afternoon is a perfect example of something that has fallen under the condemning umbrella of the AAUP-and quite unjustly. By the asociation's convictions, the demon- stration will be a necessarily disruptive -ergo intolerable-event deserving of condemnation. What the AAUP does not care to real- ize is that in a university setting, where administration overlords, who operate at the behest of a hardly academic gov- ernment, control the university's de- cisions and operations, disruption is jus- tifiable as a show of disapproval and principle. IT IS A GOOD OMEN that there are faculty members on this campus-- as evidenced by those who have signed a statement that they will participate in the sit-in-who realize the hopeless- ness of the student-administrator rela- tion when conducted across a conference table. These professors are all too aware that the most effective ally of the stu- dent is the committed faculty member. -DANIEL OKRENT- PERHAPS THE MOST amusing thing about the current controversy over classified military research here is the pathetic way University officials are defending their policy. In attempting to justify the University's $10.3 million worth of classified research, they have only made their stand more dubious. For example, Vice President for Research A. Geoffrey Norman said last week that "At the time we became involved in the Thailand project, no one knew that the Vietnam situation would erupt into the situation now existing." A good excuse-except for the fact that the University accepted its current $1 million classified counter-insurgen- cy project in Thailand last year, after the Vietnam situation had already erupted. And Dr. Norman described the project this way: "Laboratory staff members have been aiding in the ed- ucation of Thai personnel in infrared technology and physics and in the maintenance of electronic and mecha- nical equipment as well as in the interpretation of remote sensing imagery." Compare with this the description of the project given by Dr. George Zissis, head of the Willow Run laboratory, which handles the $1 million project: By using aerial surveillance techniques "the Thai govern- ment can locate a group of Communists who have come in with military equipment. Then the Thai military will send in forces to capture the Communist ringleaders." Letters: - THE EUPHEMISMS AND rationalizations are too late. President Hatcher may have written in his latest annual report that the school's new $4.3 million Hawaiian observatory "will track and study space vehicles in flight." But in a more candid phrase in his 1963-64 report, the same observatory was built to "study and track the mid- course flights of ballistic missiles and orbiting satellites." And when Willow Run Labs director Rune Evaldson says the new laboratory "will provide advanced facilities for research in infrared astronomy." there is laughter in the backrgound. As one Willow Run staffer puts it "One of our favorite jokes is to talk about the non-military uses of the new observatory in Hawaii. Publicly the of- ficials talk about peaceful uses of the observatory. But everyone knows it's there for tracking ICBM's." When Dr. Norman says "Anybody can always get any information he wants," he is obviously shortchanging the truth. He specifically refuses to give out the University's own quarterly compilation of research reports on Willow Run Laboratory. The school only gives out an emasculated version of the Willow Run project list which specifically eliminates the names of all sub-projects being done. Thus, no one can find out the nature of of sub-projects being done under the $2.5 million Project Michigan effort on combat surveillance. THE RATIONALIZATIONS AND euphemisms spread across campus. The elaborate security system at Willow uphemisms Run is "to minimize fire hazards," claims Norman. Security clearance is no problem because "we have no politically objectionable faculty, members," says Engin- eering School Dean Gordon VanWylen. When Cooley Laboratories showed off its work last month at a Technirama open house, the displays were on "electronic fishing" not "electronic warfare." The counter-insurgency project is only a "remote sensing project," says Norman. Another project officially named "Passive Lopair Support Studies" is actually "The detection of chemical warfare agents using passive Lopair techniques." Dr. Evaldson tells us that specific applications of "reconnaissance and surveillance research" include track- ing "deer herds in Michigan." while ignoring the fact that it is also used for tracking Communists in Thai- land. News releases point out that Willow Run conducts a peaceful conference on "Remote sensing of environment," and ignores the fact that the center also conducts an "Anti-Missile Research Advisory Council" twice a year. UNDOUBTEDLY THE administration will continue trying to camouflage the true nature of its military re- search. But they will be unable to obfuscate the fact that this school is doing about one-third of the $34 mil- lion wort of secret defense department research handled by all American universties. The old euphemistic eounter- measures aren't working any more. *4 4 The War Research Issue STABbing the Parking Problem THE STUDENT DRIVING situation has long held the same position as the weather in Ann Arbor. Everybody com- plains about it, yet nothing can be done to ameliorate the situation because of God and the administration. A new climate, however, has moved into town. In line with student autonomy over non-academic matters, the Student Traffic Advisory Board (STAB) has dra- matically revamped the student vehicle regulations, spurning a gradual ap- proach put forth by STAB members representing the administration. UNFORTUNATELY, a judgment of right or wrong concerning STAB's proposed regulations cannot be made as dramatically as the new rules them- selves. The real effect of the new rules will not be felt until next semester at least, and perhaps not until next fall. A preliminary evaluation of the pro- posed changes coming before Student Government Council tomorrow will de- pend on the responsibility felt by STAB members. In addition to greatly increasing the equity of the regulations governing who may or may not keep a car on campus, STAB, in recognizing part of its respon- sibility, passed additional regulations governing student parking. STAB real- i 1es, as any thinking group or individual must, that allowing freshmen to have a car at school is just and democratic, but according to the law of polyexclu- sion, only one vehicle will fit in a park- ing space, and only so many parking slots are presently available. The problem now facing STAB is one of developing a workable program that will equitably distribute the available parking spaces to the increased number of students who, will acquire vehicle privileges. More important is a final practical solution to the parking short- age. STUDENT MEMBERS of STAB feel that the University wil now face imme- diate pressure to radically expand park- ing facilities, but the board should real- ize the reluctance of the University to act on the matter in the past. Cogent recommendations, then, need to be made by STAB, voicing the students' opinion, and helping University planners to solve the problem-rather than sit back and point the finger. Credit should go to the members of STAB for acting on a long neglected problem, and for their foresight in the recommendations concerning increased parking. But the critical need now is to follow through on their actions. -DAVID MANN To the Editor: AS INDIVIDUAL members of the academic community who are deeply concerned about the issue of secret research and the University's involvement in war research, we support today's sit- in planned for 1:00 p.m. in the Administration Building. Those members of the community who share our concern and who are willing to demonstrate their com- mitment to a free and open Uni- versity are encouraged to join us. -Bruce Kahn, President, SGC -Ruth Bauman Executive V-P., SGC -Sam Sherman, Treasurer, SGC -Karen S. Daenzer, Chairman, Voice-SDS -Dennis Sinclair, Program Coordinator, Friends of Ann Arbor Vietnam Fall Reservations To the Editor: RELUCTANTLY I decided not to sign the declaration by certain members of the faculty that they will participate in today's sit-in to protest classified war-research being conducted at the University. However, as an individual member of the university community I will participate in some aspect of the sit-in to show my concern over the situation and to urge the Univer- sity to reevaluate its ole. Despite this participation, I feel I should not sign what can be con- strued is part as an open-ended faculty endorsement of an as yet undefined student activity. The sit-in should adhere to what seems to be its proposed nature-an or- derly, non-disruptive witness of concern. If it does not, some of the very ideals the sit-in professes to defend will be undermined. ONE OF THE basic objections to classified war-research is that such research violates the spirit of free and open inquiry funda- mental to the idea of a university. Paradoxically, a sit-in with any aspect disruptive to the functioning of the University also violates this spirit. Since a sit-in is primarily a symbolic act, to block access to even one secretary's desk is exis- tentially to do as Mario Savio urged, "put your bodies upon the gears, and upon the wheels, upon the levers, tie up all the apparatus and make it stop." Although I realize some feel there are overriding moral issues involved, as a faculty member I just can't see my way clear to en- dorse the possibility of any dis- ruptive action at this sit-in. In- stead, I shall try to pursue the several means of discussion, de- bate, and resolution open to us. With our concern so fresh, we can use these established procedures. Furthermore, the administration does deserve some time to react to the questions now being raised. There is no immediate urgency here. After all, we have only our apathy to blame for not question- ing a situation that must have existed for a number of years. -J. C. Mathes Asst. Professor of English College of Engineering Little Influence To the Editor: THE LETTER written to The Daily by Mr. Jack Hamilton, Asst. to the Vice President for Public Relations, indicates that the thrust of the objection to classified research at the Univer- sity has managed to escape the powers that be. Perhaps a quick contains "dangerous people" and second-class members, concepts distinctly repugnant to academic freedom. (3) The covert nature of such projects enables the University to engage in projects-such as the one in Thailand - which would otherwise be impossible given the current feelings here about "coun- ter-insurgency." It leads to a situation where one hand of the University literally has no idea what its other hand is doing. For example, at the UAC-spon- sored teach-in, Vice President Norman was unable to provide any details on an advisory mis- sion undertaken not long ago by University staff members to Viet- nam. When someone with some knowledge of the project showed up-Willow Run's Mr. Evaldson- the audience was told that fur- ther information was, "of course," classified. And so it goes. IN THE FACE of this, Mr, Hamilton points out "the indirect benefits to education and the civil sector of such work." This is, of course, an evasion. If the subject under consideration is basically destructive, no amount of constructive "spin-off" can justify it.tMr. Hamilton evidently requires stark explanation, so let me observe for his benefit that Dachau and Buchenwald "spun- off" some of the most interesting lampshades in the world. Mr. Hamilton further intimates that while he is "opposed to the Vietnam war" he has "been so publicly and actively, not in an exhibitionist fashion .....What his letter seems to say, however, is that he is opposed to the war in ways which will not make his own position uncomfortable, will not dislocate anything personally convenient, will not kick up too much dust too close to home. If he is really opposed to war he ought to be trying to work through that institution in which he has the greatest influence-the University-to restrict the flow of expertise which makes the wars possible; indeed, which makes these wars likely.- But no, Mr. Hamilton is no ex- hibitionist and will presumably not take part in the sit-in Wed- nesday. (That's too bad, too, be- cause the presence of a Vice Pres- idential Assistant-for Public Re- lations, no less, might really create a stir. But that's right, isn't it, Mr. Hamilton doesn't like to create stirs.) We have seen how little in- fluence we can have on our "de- cision-makers" in Washington. It seems to me that if the Pentagon tells us that the war is not our business, we have equal right to tell those gentlemen, that they have no business here, that we will not submit our professors to security clearance, that we will not have armed guards to defend against "dangerous" faculty, that we will, in short, be a university. --Bruce Levine '71 'The University' To the Editor: IT SEEMED fairly clear from the debate on Friday night that the current attack upon the Univer- sity's research policy springs more from attitudes about the war, and about American foreign policy generally, than from a concern with classification of research as such. - Those who spoke appeared to be motivated primarily by hostility toward American asistance to es- tablished governments involved in operation against revolutionary forces. Indeed the political basis of the position was made explicit by distinguishing the present situ- ation from that which existed in World War II, justifying the latter while condemning the former. This being the case it is not clear that a discussion of the issue which proceeds from academic rather than political premises is responsive to the situation. Never- theless the questions raised are sufficiently fundamental that such discussion seems imperative. The one approach during the Friday night debate to the state- ment of an issue of this kind oc- curred when it was arguedon one side that an institutional prohibi- tion of classified restarch would be inconsistent with the principle of academic freedom; and in answer to this proposition it was contend- ed that to permit classified re- search is to intrude upon the aca- demic freedom of those members of the community who do not have access to the product of that re- search. THE LATTER proposition, I be- lieve, lacks validity. Part of the confusion of current discourse about social problems is that the word "freedom" has been used so indiscriminately as almost to have lost its meaning. Surely, however, the core meaning of the word is: absence of external restraint upon the actions of individuals. But the conduct of classified re- search by some members of the community imposes no restraints upon the activities of others. The idea actually being asserted, I be- lieve, is that every member of the academic communIty has a right to full disclosure of all information developed by academic thought and research; and that research, the product of which cannot be disclosed, is therefore to be pro- scribed. Undoubtedly a university's func- tion is most fully performed when the product of academic investi- gation is made public. It was on Friday night made clear, however, that in some areas of technical knowledge it is not possible to gain access to the current art, let alone to participate in its exten- sion, without submitting to that restraint upon dissemination which the Government finds essential in the national interest. Would the University advance its own interests, or those of sci- ence, by retiring from these fields, isolating not only its faculty but also its student body from all con- tact with some of the more ad- vanced areas of scientific thought? Would the "freedom" of that per- son who does not participate in research in these areas be increas- ed by denying others that oppor- tunity? IN T HE LONG run perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the posi- tion taken by the critics is that it represents an attempt by some the issue of classified research. And the two issues are separate, though you insist on fusing them. AFTER YOUR OWN Bay of Pigs with the University administra- tion, it has been an object lesson to chart the course of your emo- tive logic. You reached the far point (thus far) in the editorial of Oct. 25, with its charge of insti- tutional prostitution. If University researchers are as self-seeking and immoral as you suggest, they won't be brought to salvation by that kind of journal- ism. Nor will they be led to forget that the self-righteous crusader, regardless of age, is advance man for the True Believer-at whose hands universities have always suffered the worst. I myself cannot buy this kind of moral rearmament any more than I could buy its prototype. -James Packard College of Engineering 11 'II 0r K' I J '3 t " F r . n , , tip ,. ., , ; -' 'v f ;+ C ' 9 : ;y . i n d'lribm<.iynC c ro 'y .. . ; . , The Revolving (Fund) Door SEN. J. W. FULBRIGHT (D-Ark.) ap- pears to be willing to let legislative authority lapse on the $2.7 billion for- eign aid program rather than permit a continuation of the Defense Depart- ment's $400-million revolving fund credit extension service, which under- developed nations use for the purchase of U.S. arms. The Senate version of the bill calls for an end to the program by Dec. 31, but House conferees are not willing to com- promise on a deadline sooner than 1969. Fulbright is adamant for any dead- line beyond June 30, 1968. A series of parliamentary moves by House propon- ents of the credit service may send the bill into appropriations committee to be settled rather than by conferees on foreign policy. THESE OBSCURE legislative maneu- vers represent the belated attempts at maverick Senators on the Foreign The Daily is a member of the Associated Press and Collegiate Press Service. Fall and winter subscription rate: $4.50 per term by Relations Commitee to reestablish Sen- ate direction of foreign policy that has been allowed too long to drift into the hands of agencies unresponsive to public control. Although the Senate chiped close to a half billion dollars from the Admin- istration's original foreign aid bill re- quest last spring, the existence of the revolving fund credit service remains a sore point with senators such as Eugene McCarthy (D-Minn) and Wayne Morse (D-Ore).' McCarthy has been outspoken in his criticism of arms deals which indis- criminately strew U.S. weapons-osten- sibly for the countering of communism. But these same arms are often used by the underdeveloped nations upon one another. The tale is repetitious: Paki- stan and India fighting each other in 1965; Jordan and Israel last summer; Chile and Argentina armed for a border showdown; West Germany forced to buy more arms than it wants. Fulbright has also been unsuccessful in creating a responsible overseer com- mittee of the Central Intelligence Azoenev. which has increasingly acted "We are losing in Vietnam!?" nembers of the academic com- munity to impose upon others lim- itations upon intellectual endeavor which are derived from political conviction. This, of course, is not new. Zea- lots of diverse causes more or less continuously seek to conscript what they call "The University" into their personal crusades. But "The University" is only an idea: the conscription, if achieved, would have its real impact upon individ- uals, student and faculty. Surely nothing could be more inimical to the basic assumptions upon which the association of in- dividuals which is called a univer- sity is erected. --Luke K. Cooperrider Professor of Law Emotive Logic To the Editor: IN ITS TREATMENT of classified reseach within the University, The Daily has glossed over three very important points. The first is the simple point of legality. Clas- sified research has been in accord- ance with established law. Then so much the worse for the law? May- be so, but the University has no legislative function. Second, if you ask the Univer- sity to deny its researchers the right to engage in activities which do not conflict with established "We are winning in Vietnam!" Limiting Beliefs To the Editor: SOME YEARS ago, in the dark ages of American higher edu- cation, college administrations dictated to their academic bodies, at large, what influences would and would not be permitted to exist on campus. To combat this evil, groups of students and faculty members arose who believed that no group should be excluded simply be- cause its aims or beliefs did not conform to the majority or the group in power. They contended, and rightly so, that the best situ- ation would be one in which all ranges of thought would exist, and an individual could then make a clear choice as to which mode or modes of thought best suited him. OF LATE, the pendulum has begun to swing in the opposite direction. That is, groups of pro- testors have decided that certain manufacturers or government in- stitutions which are carrying out activities which seem to be against the beliefs of those pro- testors, ought not to be permitted on campus. These protestors are creating the same evil as they originally arose to fight. They are trying to .x.1ur3P f nwaever as on the - Y -- P If N ,.. r4