a4e Sitr$an Iaitg Eighty-one years of editorial freedom Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan Lett 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mich. 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, OCTOBER 6, 1971 NIGHT EDITOR: W. E. SCHROCK Strong step on research SENATE ASSEMBLY'S approval Monday of a proposal to bar most classified research from the 'University was a major turning point in the research con- troversy of recent years. Whether Assembly's policy will be effectively implemented, however, is still very much in doubt. The resolution itself provides for cer- tain exceptions which may be the cause of its future undoing. A 12-member committee must decide if a proposed classified research project "is likely to contribute so significantly to the advancement of knowledge as to jus- tify infringement of the freedom to pub- lish openly". This stipulation was passed as an amendment to the resolution proposed by sociology Prof. Howard Schuman which had stated instead that acceptable clas- sified research must be "of exceptional positive value to mankind". UNFORTUNATELY, the new wording would not eliminate the ambiguity in the University's policy on classified research. The ability to create finer in- struments of war, for example, would advance knowledge, yet in a moral sense would not be of positive value. The ad- vancement of knowledge, in itself, is not a sufficient criterion for determining whether classified research is acceptable. Assembly has in part already pro- vided an answer to this by retaining in the. Schuman proposal a slightly altered provision from the Elderfieldreport, which provided the current guidelines for classified research. It specifically prohibits research "the specific purpose or clearly forseeable result of which is to destroy human life or to incapacitate human beings". In the past, however, the Classified Research Committee (CRC) has not lived up to the proposals governing classified research passed by Assembly. Much of the "electronic battlefield", the auto- mated warfare systems now used in Viet- nam, was developed at the University in spite of the Elderfield prohibition. Therefore, although it is laudable in theory, the possibility that the Schuman proposal will not be faithfully adhered to certainly exists. The composition of the committee hopefully will guard against such an eventuality. The amended resolution provides that two people philosophically opposed to classified research, as well as two mem- bers engaged in such research, be in- cluded. Previously, a person philosophic- ally opposed to classified research could not serve. The three students also included on the committee by the resolution will con- siderably increase the possibility for a broad - based committee representing the various sentiments of the University community. The composition of the committee is crucial to implementation of the spirit of the Schuman resolution. For the commit- tee must insure that the guideline which' allows for exceptions to the general policy not become a "loophole." Although there are many possible dangers to the Schuman's proposal's ef- fectiveness, the resolution is a major step toward ending the University's role in classified research. The faculty representative body has squarely faced the issue of classified re- search in its political and moral terms. It has set forth a policy which should reinforce the openness of the University as well as effectively cut off classified military research here. Last Spring's student referendum strongly opposing classified research showed what the majority position of the student body is on that issue. Keeping in mind Assembly's action and the majority student position on the is- sue the Regents should approve the pol- icy set forth in the Schuman proposal without delay. The Regents should also make CRC the final arbiter on classified research pro- posals, preventing the Vice President for Research from approving such proposals without the committee's support-as he has occasionally done in the past. THEN THE University will have a vast- ly improved guideline for classified research, and a mechanism for carefully screening any possible exceptions. -TED STEIN Criticism of Assembly To The Daily: DO WE ENHANCE the pros- pects to publish by limiting the scope of the research that the staff can pursue? The Assembly seems to be willing to destroy the careers of colleagues engaged in classified research in order to proclaim the right to publish for such researchers. It demeans the Assembly to disguise a cheap po- litical gesture as an endorsement of the value of publication. WilliamliM. Brown Director, Willow Run Laboratories Oct. 5 Schuman position To The Daily: THE FOLLOWING are excerpts of remarks I delivered to Senate Assembly on Monday, Oct. 4: I would like to clarify several points in the resolution that I proposed last Monday, and that was accepted as a substitute mo- tion by a two-thirds vote of As- sembly . . . There are several points to touch on... .The first paragraph of my re- solution is the key one s i n c e it states that as a general pol- icy the University "should n o t enter into or renew federal con- tracts or grants that limit open publication of the results of re- search." Let me say a word to explain why this general policy deserves the continued support of the As- sembly tonight. As faculty members, we fre- quently are called upto to justify the research emphasis of the Uni- versity. We do so in part by in- sisting that at the University lev- el, research and teaching are n o t separate pursuits, but rather parts of one another. To the general public, teaching involves simply the communica- tion of existing knowledge to a classroom of students. We try to explain, however, that at the University of Michigan the r e - search done bears directly on oui teaching goals, both in the im- mediate sense of being brought into the clasroom, and in t h e ?rs: On more general sense of dissemin- ating new knowledge. The word "publish" comes from a term meaning "to make pub- lic," and in our more, idealistic moments we emphasize publica- tion because it is the function of a great University to make public new ideas, findings, and meth- ods. In turn, the criticism that becomes available when we pub- lish is equally essential to the improvement of research itself. Thus "making public" our research is rightly a central value of Uni- versity life. If this reasoning is accepted, then Paragraph I of my cesolu- tion follows directly. Classified contracts require that the Univer- sity agree to carry out research with the explicit proviso that the results ofthat researchnotbe made public even to one's own students and colleagues. A researcher can be prosecuted under criminal law for doing un- der certain circumstances exactly what we expect and reward him for doing under most other cir- cumstances: to make public his results. This is a direct contravention of one of the primary values of the University. Paragraph I of the present resolution aims to prevent such contracts. In real life, however, major val- ues sometimes clash, and I am re- luctant to allow Paragraph I to stand entirely alone. Therefore Paragraph II is added. There may be certain research proposals that promise such ex- ceptional positive value as to call for temporary suspension of Para- graph I. Since we are asked to make exceptions to a fundamen- tal value of the University, we will do so only when the value of the proposal carries very great weight indeed. My resolution continues to vest such a difficult decision in a com- mittee broadly representative of the University intellectual a n d 'moral community. Indeed, I would hope that the Committee's approval of exceptions would be based on evidence so compelling as to lead to virtually unanimous approval by members of that com- classified te research t i R !yy t 'rr c s..i T :I: