University of Virginia Library

Council Sends Protest To Hershey

'Grave Concern', Displeasure Voiced
Over Student Interference Directive

By Rod MacDonald
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Responding to a Council consensus
and a go-ahead from
President Shannon, Student Council
President Martin F. Evans
yesterday sent a letter to General
Hershey expressing its strong
displeasure with the draft directive
concerning student protesting.

Mr. Evans' letter (reprinted at
left) was sent in response to the
Council's "grave concern" over
General Hershey's directive that
all students who express protest
over draft policies be immediately
reclassified and conscripted.
President Shannon has since
replied and urged the Council
to draft a letter, which he said
he would cover.

Suspend Recruiting

At a December meeting,
Jacques Jones introduced a motion
that all military recruiting
in Newcomb Hall be suspended
until the directive was rescinded.
The motion, after discussion, was
tabled in favor of a motion that
the Council president, then Edward
M. Ford, write to President
Shannon asking that he notify
the proper official of the University's
strong displeasure with
the new draft policy.

On February 12, the new
Council president, Mr. Evans,
wrote such a letter requesting a
statement "to the proper officials
expressing the discontent of the
students of the University with
General Hershey's directive."

Not Protesting War

The letter went on, "The original
motion was that armed forces
recruiters be barred from Newcomb
Hall. This suggestion was
not made in an attempt to protest
the military activities of this
nation; rather it was forwarded
to prevent the occurrence of difficulties
arising from Hershey's
insistence in reclassifying or
threatening reclassification against
student protesters. Though that
motion was defeated, the motion
requesting this letter to you
passed by a substantial majority.

"I wish to reassure you that
this motion is not a maledictory
one against the bases of the draft
system o the nation's various
endeavors. This letter is simply
a request that you join other
educators and relate to General
Hershey the sentiment of this
student body and its absolute refusal
to allow lawful protest to
be blocked or unlawful protest
to be illegally punished."

President Shannon, in his reply
dated February 19, said,
"First, let me say that I share
the 'discontent' and the University
has taken official action in
concert with the institutions who
are members of the American
Council on Education. Following
is an excerpt of the statement
transmitted to high government
officials:

Strong Exception

"The American Council on
Education takes strong exception
to the position taken by the Director
of the Selective Service
System in his letter of October
26, 1967 to all members of his
system. The language of the letter
is imprecise, but the intent
seems clear: to urge local boards
to declare as delinquents under
the Selective Service Act students
who engage in 'illegal demonstrations'
that interfere with recruiting
for the armed forces.

"Our civil government has the
right and the duty to prosecute
and establish the illegality of acts
committed by all citizens, including
students. Depending on
action taken by the courts, a
citizen's classification under Selective
Service may be affected.

"The net effect of the October
26 letter will be to set up procedures
that bypass or supersede
due process that is at the very
heart of the governance of our
institutions and of the nation.

Not Naive

"It is technically true that the
letter is not binding on local
boards. It is technically true that
the Director is merely exercising
the right of every American citizen
to express his opinion. But
it would be naive to suppose that
when the Director of an executive
agency urges upon all members
of the agency a given course of
action, his urging is going to be

Photo by Bush

Council Letter Sent To General Lewis B. Hershey

National Director Of Selective Service System